MA Permit Practice Test

How to use this MA practice test

1. Take the 25 question exam-length practice test above once, untimed, to find your weak topics.
2. Work through the numbered 20 question sets below. Each one is fixed, so a second attempt is a fair comparison.
3. Read the explanation on every miss. The wording comes from the Massachusetts Driver's Manual, which is what the examiners use.
4. When you pass three sets in a row at 72 percent or better, book the real test.

MA practice tests, 20 questions each

Fixed sets in a fixed order so you can retake one and compare your score.

1. Test 1
2. Test 2
3. Test 3
4. Test 4
5. Test 5
6. Test 6
7. Test 7
8. Test 8
9. Test 9
10. Test 10

Printable MA practice test with answer key

All 25 questions, MA exam length

Every question below comes from the Massachusetts question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. What do two solid yellow lines in the center of a Massachusetts road prohibit?

   
   1. Turning left into a driveway
   2. Driving faster than 30 mph
   3. Crossing them to pass another vehicle
   4. Stopping for a school bus
   Show answer

   Crossing them to pass another vehicle. Double solid yellow means no passing in either direction. Full explanation in Test 1

2. 2. A Massachusetts driver under 21 tries to buy alcohol. How long is the license suspended?

   1. 30 days
   2. 180 days
   3. 60 days
   4. Two years
   Show answer

   180 days. If you are under 21 and buy or try to buy alcohol, your license is suspended for 180 days. Full explanation in Test 2

3. 3. A Massachusetts Junior Operator receives a first speeding citation. What license suspension does the manual list?

   1. No suspension until the third citation
   2. 30 days for each citation
   3. 90 days for a first citation and one year for any later citation
   4. One year for the first citation
   Show answer

   90 days for a first citation and one year for any later citation. Speeding is treated harshly for Junior Operators. Full explanation in Test 3

4. 4. Unless posted otherwise, what is the Massachusetts statutory speed threshold on an undivided highway outside a thickly settled or business district?

   1. 30 mph
   2. 50 mph
   3. 40 mph
   4. 55 mph
   Show answer

   40 mph. An unposted, undivided highway outside a thickly settled or business district has a 40 mph statutory threshold in Massachusetts, measured ov Full explanation in Test 4

5. 5. How close may you drive to a Massachusetts trolley's passenger step while riders are getting on or off?

   1. No closer than two feet
   2. No closer than 15 feet
   3. No closer than eight feet
   4. No closer than 25 feet
   Show answer

   No closer than eight feet. State law says you must not drive closer than eight feet to a trolley passenger step when the trolley is letting passengers on or off. Full explanation in Test 5

6. 6. This STOP AHEAD sign warns of a stop sign you cannot yet see. Once you reach that stop sign, when may you enter the intersection?

   
   1. Only after coming to a complete stop
   2. After slowing to walking speed
   3. Immediately if no traffic is visible
   4. After flashing your headlights
   Show answer

   Only after coming to a complete stop. The warning sign buys you braking distance; the stop sign itself still demands a complete halt before you enter the intersection. Full explanation in Test 6

7. 7. What is the fine for a first offense of parking in a Massachusetts space posted for disabled person or disabled veteran parking without plates or a placard?

   1. $300
   2. $25
   3. $100
   4. $1,000
   Show answer

   $300. Parking in a zone posted for HP-DV parking without the right plates or placard brings a $300 fine for a first offense. Full explanation in Test 7

8. 8. This DIVIDED HIGHWAY sign announces a change ahead. How does the Massachusetts manual define a divided highway?

   
   1. A highway with separate roadways for traffic in opposite directions
   2. A road with a two-way center turn lane
   3. A highway with a posted limit above 55 mph
   4. Any road with more than two lanes
   Show answer

   A highway with separate roadways for traffic in opposite directions. A divided highway is defined by its layout, not its speed or lane count: separate roadways for each direction, split by a median or barrier. Full explanation in Test 8

9. 9. Under Massachusetts's move-over law, what must you do when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle displaying its flashing lights?

   
   1. Stop completely behind the vehicle
   2. Proceed with caution and reduce your speed to one that is reasonable and safe for the road conditions
   3. Maintain the posted limit so traffic keeps flowing
   4. Sound the horn to alert the responders
   Show answer

   Proceed with caution and reduce your speed to one that is reasonable and safe for the road conditions. Massachusetts framed its 2008 move-over law around caution and speed. Full explanation in Test 9

10. 10. According to the Massachusetts manual, can you be ticketed for driving 40 mph in a heavy rainstorm on a highway posted at 50 mph?

    1. No, because you are under the posted limit
    2. Only if you are also following too closely
    3. Yes, for driving too fast for conditions
    4. Only on a divided highway
    Show answer

    Yes, for driving too fast for conditions. The posted number is not a guarantee of safety. Full explanation in Test 10

11. 11. Your tire blows out on a Massachusetts road. What does the manual tell you to do first?

    1. Brake as hard as you can
    2. Grip the steering wheel tightly and slowly remove your foot from the gas pedal
    3. Turn sharply toward the shoulder
    4. Shift into park
    Show answer

    Grip the steering wheel tightly and slowly remove your foot from the gas pedal. A blowout pulls the car toward the failed tire, so the first job is to hold the wheel firmly and ease off the gas rather than brake. Full explanation in Test 1

12. 12. What happens to a Massachusetts driver who does not hold a Junior Operator license and is found guilty of three speeding violations within a 12 month period?

    1. A written warning is issued
    2. The license is suspended for one year
    3. The driver must retake the road test
    4. The license is suspended automatically for 30 days
    Show answer

    The license is suspended automatically for 30 days. Three speeding convictions inside twelve months trigger an automatic 30 day suspension for an adult Massachusetts driver, with no hearing ne Full explanation in Test 2

13. 13. Unless posted otherwise, above what speed is driving not reasonable and proper in a Massachusetts school zone?

    1. 30 mph
    2. 15 mph
    3. 25 mph
    4. 20 mph
    Show answer

    20 mph. School zones sit at the bottom of the Massachusetts default list at 20 mph. Full explanation in Test 3

14. 14. You damage a parked vehicle in Massachusetts and the owner is not present. What must you do?

    1. Try to locate the owner to report the crash, or notify the local police
    2. Leave the scene if the damage looks minor
    3. Wait ten minutes, then drive away
    4. Report it only if the damage exceeds $5,000
    Show answer

    Try to locate the owner to report the crash, or notify the local police. Hitting an unattended vehicle or other property does not end when you drive away. Full explanation in Test 4

15. 15. If a Massachusetts JOL applicant completes a driver skills development program, how many parent-supervised hours will the RMV accept?

    1. 12 hours
    2. 20 hours
    3. 50 hours
    4. 30 hours
    Show answer

    30 hours. The standard requirement is at least 40 hours of supervised driving certified by a parent or guardian. Full explanation in Test 5

16. 16. This five-sided school sign marks a school zone. What is the Massachusetts speed limit on roads near schools?

    
    1. 20 mph
    2. 25 mph
    3. 30 mph
    4. 15 mph
    Show answer

    20 mph. The pentagon means children, and near schools Massachusetts sets the limit at 20 mph. Full explanation in Test 6

17. 17. A Massachusetts sign is an octagon with a red background and white letters. What does it always mean?

    1. Yield if traffic is present
    2. Come to a complete halt
    3. Slow to 15 mph
    4. No entry for trucks
    Show answer

    Come to a complete halt. The red octagon is the stop sign and its meaning never varies: come to a complete halt, and the duty applies to each vehicle that reaches it Full explanation in Test 7

18. 18. Your Massachusetts vehicle has antilock brakes and they fail to respond even with the pedal fully pressed. What does the manual tell you to do?

    1. Pump the brake pedal rapidly
    2. Turn off the ignition to slow the engine
    3. Downshift to a lower gear, working down to the lowest gear if necessary
    4. Steer into oncoming traffic to get attention
    Show answer

    Downshift to a lower gear, working down to the lowest gear if necessary. With antilock brakes, pumping does nothing because the system already modulates pressure, so the manual's first step when the pedal has no e Full explanation in Test 8

19. 19. You are following another vehicle at night in Massachusetts with your high beams on. At what distance must you switch to low beams?

    1. Within 500 feet of the vehicle ahead
    2. Within 200 feet of the vehicle ahead
    3. Only when the driver ahead flashes their lights
    4. Within 1,000 feet of the vehicle ahead
    Show answer

    Within 200 feet of the vehicle ahead. High beams fill the mirrors of the car ahead, so Massachusetts requires low beams within 200 feet of a vehicle you are following. Full explanation in Test 9

20. 20. According to the Massachusetts manual, how do rain and wet roads affect driving?

    1. They only affect visibility, not traction
    2. They make it harder to start, stop, and turn
    3. They shorten stopping distance because tires grip better
    4. They have no effect below 30 mph
    Show answer

    They make it harder to start, stop, and turn. Water changes what the tires can do. The manual says rain and wet roads make it harder to start, stop and turn, which is a traction problem, Full explanation in Test 10

21. 21. You see a stopped emergency vehicle on the shoulder ahead with flashing lights. What speed does Massachusetts expect as you pass?

    
    1. A speed that is reasonable and safe for the road conditions, below the posted limit if needed
    2. At least 10 mph over to clear the scene quickly
    3. Exactly the posted limit
    4. Walking speed in every case
    Show answer

    A speed that is reasonable and safe for the road conditions, below the posted limit if needed. The law does not name a number; it requires a speed that is reasonable and safe for the conditions as you approach a stationary emergency ve Full explanation in Test 1

22. 22. On a designated throughway in Massachusetts, what must you do before you turn?

    1. Yield the right of way to traffic on the throughway
    2. Stop for at least three seconds
    3. Sound your horn
    4. Flash your headlights
    Show answer

    Yield the right of way to traffic on the throughway. A throughway is the road given priority, and the rule is that you yield to its traffic before turning onto or across it. Full explanation in Test 2

23. 23. What does this NO U-TURN sign mean in Massachusetts?

    
    1. You cannot make a U-turn where the sign is posted
    2. Only trucks may not make a U-turn
    3. U-turns are allowed when no traffic is visible
    4. U-turns are allowed after a complete stop
    Show answer

    You cannot make a U-turn where the sign is posted. The sign is absolute where it is posted: no U-turn, for any vehicle, at any time, regardless of a stop or an empty road. Full explanation in Test 3

24. 24. What do yellow and fluorescent yellow-green warning signs tell a Massachusetts driver?

    1. That there are hazards or changes in conditions ahead
    2. The distance to the next exit
    3. That the road is closed
    4. That a law is being stated that you must obey
    Show answer

    That there are hazards or changes in conditions ahead. Yellow, including the bright fluorescent yellow-green used near schools, is the warning color. Full explanation in Test 4

25. 25. In heavy rain or fog in Massachusetts, what does the manual say about visibility?

    1. Visibility is unaffected if headlights are on
    2. Hard rain, fog, and mist can make it more difficult to see
    3. Fog improves contrast at night
    4. Only snow reduces visibility
    Show answer

    Hard rain, fog, and mist can make it more difficult to see. The manual pairs traction and vision when it talks about bad weather: rain and wet roads make it harder to start, stop and turn, and hard ra Full explanation in Test 5