MS Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

Every question below comes from the Mississippi 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. When does a Temporary Learner's Permit stop being valid in Mississippi?

   1. When the student leaves the driver education course
   2. After two full years from the issue date
   3. When the student turns fifteen years old
   4. Only when a parent cancels it in writing
   Show answer

   When the student leaves the driver education course. A Temporary Learner's Permit stays valid only while the student is enrolled in an approved driver education course. That permit is tied to the school course and allows driving only a driver education vehicle with the instructor, so leaving the course ends the permit's life. Two years is the life of a Regular Learner's Permit instead, turning fifteen is when a student may upgrade to that regular permit, and a parent cancellation is not the ending this rule states. Plan practice around the course calendar.

   Study this in the handbook: Learner's Permits and the Regular License

2. 2. You see a double solid yellow center line on a two-way road. What does the marking prohibit?

   1. Passing is prohibited from both directions.
   2. Passing is allowed from either direction when traffic is light.
   3. Passing is prohibited only from one direction.
   4. Passing is allowed when no oncoming vehicle is visible.
   Show answer

   Passing is prohibited from both directions.. The double solid yellow line blocks passing from either direction. The claim that light traffic permits passing is wrong because light traffic does not create an exception. Limiting the restriction to traffic beside one particular solid line is wrong because the double line prohibits passing in both directions. Saying that a clear view of oncoming traffic permits crossing the line is also wrong. The marking separates opposing traffic, so a driver must remain in the lane instead of using the other direction to overtake a vehicle.

   Study this in the handbook: Signals, Lanes and Passing

3. 3. Which out-of-state drivers may continue using a valid license from their home state while in Mississippi?

   1. Any visitor staying beyond six months
   2. Only people employed in Mississippi full time
   3. Any driver who owns Mississippi property
   4. Non-resident military personnel and college students
   Show answer

   Non-resident military personnel and college students. Mississippi extends a specific courtesy to two groups who are in the state temporarily: non-resident military personnel, including their families, and out-of-state college students. Both may drive on a valid license from another state, and the same policy covers their license plates. The long-stay visitor option treats a six-month visit as residency without saying so, the employment option adds a job requirement the manual does not impose, and the property option confuses owning land with establishing a domicile. A service member or student should keep the home-state license current rather than swapping it at a Mississippi office.

   Study this in the handbook: Who Needs a License and New Residents

4. 4. Traffic is blocked as you reach an intersection. Where do you stop?

   1. Before the crosswalk, waiting until traffic can move again
   2. Inside the crosswalk so you stay close to traffic
   3. Past the crosswalk and into the intersection center
   4. On the cross street, blocking traffic until the way opens
   Show answer

   Before the crosswalk, waiting until traffic can move again. When the far side is jammed, halt before the crosswalk and wait, keeping both the crosswalk and intersection open for others. Creeping into the crosswalk traps pedestrians, while stopping past it or on the cross street blocks the intersection and cross traffic. If your exit space is not visible, your entry is not justified, however green the light. The stopping point remains before the crosswalk until traffic moves.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

5. 5. What space should a driver in a funeral motorcade leave ahead?

   1. Leave no gap between cars so the procession stays together
   2. Enough space so other vehicles may safely pull into the gaps
   3. Keep each gap too narrow for another vehicle to enter
   4. Leave a fixed one-car gap even if no vehicle can enter safely
   Show answer

   Enough space so other vehicles may safely pull into the gaps. A motorcade driver should leave enough room between cars for other vehicles to enter safely. Closing every gap or making each opening too narrow defeats that instruction and can force a vehicle into an unsafe merge. A fixed one-car gap is also not the rule, because the needed space depends on whether another vehicle can pull in safely. The manual calls for usable openings between procession vehicles, not a bumper-to-bumper line or an arbitrary measured gap.

   Study this in the handbook: Following Distance and Stopping

6. 6. What shape marks a YIELD right-of-way sign?

   1. An eight-sided octagon like the stop sign shape
   2. An equilateral triangle pointing its message downward
   3. A round sign used in advance of railroad crossings
   4. A pentagon used for school zone warning signs
   Show answer

   An equilateral triangle pointing its message downward. Yield uses an equilateral triangle, signaling that other vehicles on the roadway receive the right-of-way from you. The octagon belongs to stop, the round shape warns of railroads ahead, and the pentagon guards school crossings instead. Triangle ahead means prepare to give way, possibly to a full stop. The downward triangle is the distinctive YIELD shape, with its point facing the roadway.

   Study this in the handbook: Regulatory and Warning Signs

7. 7. What is the first step when starting a parallel parking maneuver?

   1. Select any space, skip signaling, and back in quickly
   2. Stop alongside the car behind the space and cut left
   3. Pull nose first into the space, then straighten the wheels
   4. Select a large enough space, signal, and stop alongside the car in front
   Show answer

   Select a large enough space, signal, and stop alongside the car in front. Parallel parking begins by choosing a space that fits, signaling intent, and stopping alongside the car ahead of that opening. Nose-first entry leaves the rear swinging wide, and stopping by the rear car misaligns the arc that backs you toward the curb. Judge length before signaling; a space you cannot fit will trap you mid-maneuver. A sufficiently large space and an early signal set up the maneuver safely.

   Study this in the handbook: Parking Rules

8. 8. While making a turn through an intersection, which action should a driver avoid?

   1. Keep the vehicle in its lane throughout the turn.
   2. Shift gears while entering the intersection.
   3. Slow down before reaching the crosswalk.
   4. Complete the turn at a consistent speed.
   Show answer

   Shift gears while entering the intersection.. The manual directs drivers to slow down before reaching the crosswalk, complete the turn at a consistent speed, and stay in the proper lane. It also says not to shift gears while entering the intersection. Keeping the vehicle in its lane describes the required lane discipline, while slowing before the crosswalk and completing the turn at a consistent speed describe the approach and speed guidance. Shifting gears while entering the intersection states the specific restriction. The rule applies during entry into the intersection, rather than only before the turn begins or after the vehicle has cleared it.

9. 9. A commercial vehicle that is not a pickup truck has a GVWR under 26,000 pounds. Which license is required?

   1. A regular Class R license covers all commercial driving jobs in this state
   2. No license class change is needed under thirty thousand
   3. A CDL Class A is required for any commercial use
   4. A Class D commercial license is required for that operation
   Show answer

   A Class D commercial license is required for that operation. Mississippi requires a Class D license for a commercial vehicle under 26,000 pounds GVWR. The stem excludes a pickup truck, whose separate exception could otherwise make the question overbroad. Class R is the regular license and does not cover this commercial operation, while Class A is not required for every vehicle in this weight range. The stated weight and commercial use point to Class D.

   Study this in the handbook: Learner's Permits and the Regular License

10. 10. What is painted on the pavement in front of a railroad crossing in Mississippi?

    1. A large X and two R's
    2. A large diamond
    3. The word STOP in yellow
    4. A double white arrow
    Show answer

    A large X and two R's. Pavement markings warn and direct drivers. In front of railroad crossings, the pavement is marked with a large X and two R's. A solid yellow line is used to prevent passing before the crossing, and a white line is painted on each side of the track. The round yellow advance warning sign with a crossbuck and two R's also tells you a crossing is ahead, so look, listen, and slow down because you may have to stop.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad Crossings

11. 11. You have just passed a bicyclist going your way and now want to turn right. When may you turn?

    1. At once, before the cyclist reaches the corner
    2. Only if the turn can be made with reasonable safety
    3. Only after the cyclist has left the road entirely
    4. Whenever your turn signal has been on for three seconds
    Show answer

    Only if the turn can be made with reasonable safety. After passing a bicyclist who is going the same direction, a driver may turn right only when that turn can be made with reasonable safety. Turning at once risks cutting across the rider's path at the corner, where the cyclist expects to continue straight. Waiting until the rider leaves the road entirely is more caution than the rule asks, and a signal flashing for three seconds does not create a safe gap. Look back for the cyclist, judge the closing speed, and turn behind the rider when the path is clear.

    Study this in the handbook: Bicycles and Large Vehicles

12. 12. What does a left turn signal from you tell the driver behind you?

    1. That it is safe for the driver behind to pass you on the left
    2. That the road ahead is clear for both vehicles to proceed
    3. Only that you intend to turn or move left, never that passing you is safe
    4. That the driver behind should move left at the same time
    Show answer

    Only that you intend to turn or move left, never that passing you is safe. A left signal describes your own intended move left and must never be read as an all clear for a following driver to overtake. The safe-to-pass reading hands your judgment to another driver who must decide alone whether the oncoming lane is truly clear. If you need to move left, signal, check mirrors and blind spot, then move only into a verified gap.

    Study this in the handbook: Signals, Lanes and Passing

13. 13. At a roundabout, to which traffic must an entering driver yield?

    1. Vehicles waiting behind the entering driver
    2. Vehicles approaching the next entry from behind you
    3. Traffic already inside the circle coming toward the entry
    4. Vehicles still on a distant road outside the roundabout
    Show answer

    Traffic already inside the circle coming toward the entry. A driver entering a roundabout must yield to traffic already inside the circle. Vehicles waiting behind the entry, approaching a different entry, or still on a distant road have not established that position in the circle. The entering driver should wait for a safe gap in the circulating traffic before moving into the roundabout. The yield rule protects traffic that is already traveling around the circle.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

14. 14. Merging from an acceleration lane, what must you yield to?

    1. Approaching vehicles must yield to any driver who signals to merge ahead
    2. Yield to approaching vehicles and never turn suddenly into traffic flow
    3. Turn suddenly if a gap appears beside your rear door
    4. Merge at ramp speed even if traffic flows much faster
    Show answer

    Yield to approaching vehicles and never turn suddenly into traffic flow. Merging traffic yields to vehicles already in the travel lane and enters smoothly, never swerving suddenly into the main flow. A signal does not transfer right-of-way to the merger, and sudden turns at speed gaps invite side contact with fast traffic. Adjust speed in the lane, pick the gap early, and glide in behind it. The merging driver must fit into the existing traffic stream without forcing a sudden entry.

15. 15. A car parks alongside a roadside obstruction and adds to traffic congestion. What does Mississippi say?

    1. Allowed if the stop lasts under ten minutes
    2. Allowed when hazard lights are flashing
    3. That parking position is prohibited
    4. Allowed only on weekend mornings
    Show answer

    That parking position is prohibited. Parking alongside an obstruction is prohibited when the parked car would add to traffic congestion. The rule sits in the same list as places where signs prohibit stopping, and it targets the effect of the parked car on the flow beside a narrowed point. Ten minutes, hazard lights, and weekend timing do not excuse blocking an already tight passage. Choose a space that leaves the obstruction zone open, even when it means parking farther from the destination and walking back.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking Rules

16. 16. Entering an interstate ramp, what speed rule starts the maneuver?

    1. Drive along the ramp and obey the posted ramp speed
    2. Accelerate to seventy before reaching the ramp curve
    3. Slow to twenty on every ramp regardless of posting
    4. Match the speed of the slowest truck you can see
    Show answer

    Drive along the ramp and obey the posted ramp speed. Interstate entry begins on the ramp at its posted speed, building velocity in the acceleration lane rather than on the curved ramp. Seventy before the curve overruns ramp geometry, and a universal twenty ignores ramps designed and posted for higher entry speeds. Respect the ramp sign; its number reflects the curve you are actually on. The ramp speed is controlled by its posted limit before the merge begins.

17. 17. How does highway mileage at 50 mph compare with 70 mph?

    1. About twenty-eight percent fewer miles per gallon at fifty
    2. Mileage is identical at both speeds because wind resistance is constant
    3. About twenty-eight percent more miles per gallon at fifty than seventy
    4. Only two percent better, and only for smaller vehicles
    Show answer

    About twenty-eight percent more miles per gallon at fifty than seventy. The manual reports that most automobiles get about 28 percent more miles per gallon on the highway at 50 mph than at 70 mph. The comparison is tied to wind resistance, which grows as speed increases and affects gasoline mileage. Saying mileage is lower at 50 mph reverses the stated relationship, while claiming the mileage is identical assumes constant resistance and would not explain the difference. The two-percent figure is not the number in the passage and is not limited to smaller vehicles. The comparison applies to most automobiles.

18. 18. Before backing a truck or large vehicle, what is the first step?

    1. Back slowly while watching only the left mirror view
    2. Back at once while a guide watches from the side
    3. Sound the horn and begin backing without leaving the seat
    4. Get out and carefully check clearance limits before backing
    Show answer

    Get out and carefully check clearance limits before backing. For a large truck, the manual's first backing step is an outside clearance check. The driver should make sure there is enough room to maneuver before the vehicle moves. A mirror-only view can hide obstacles, a horn does not show the path behind the vehicle, and beginning to back immediately skips the required inspection. A guide may help later if possible, but the driver's first step is to check the clearance personally.

19. 19. Where is the number of tracks shown at a multi-track crossing?

    1. Painted on the roadway between the two rail lines
    2. On the rear of the flashing light signal housing only
    3. On a sign below the cross buck at that crossing
    4. It is never posted; drivers must count tracks visually
    Show answer

    On a sign below the cross buck at that crossing. Multiple tracks are counted on a sign below the cross buck, warning that clearing one track does not clear the crossing. Roadway paint would be hidden under vehicles, and visual counting fails exactly when a first train blocks the second track view. Read the track count before crossing; it tells you how many dangers exist. The supplemental sign tells drivers whether more than one track must be cleared.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad Crossings

20. 20. What share of all accidents does the manual attribute to drivers?

    1. Drivers cause eighty-five percent of all accidents overall
    2. Drivers cause fifteen percent, with roads causing the rest
    3. Vehicles defects cause eighty-five percent of accidents
    4. Weather causes most accidents on Mississippi highways
    Show answer

    Drivers cause eighty-five percent of all accidents overall. Drivers themselves cause eighty-five percent of accidents, placing responsibility on behavior rather than machinery or weather in most crashes. Fifteen percent inverts the figure, and blaming defects ignores that maintenance and response remain driver duties in nearly every event. Your habits, not your car model, are the main safety system aboard. The driver's choices account for the large share of accidents identified in the manual.

    Study this in the handbook: Seat Belts, Child Seats and Distractions