MS Permit Practice Test 19

All 20 questions in test 19

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. Farm machinery exceeding size limits may travel how far from its origin?

   1. Any distance, provided travel stays off interstate highways
   2. Within fifty miles of the point of origin, in daylight hours
   3. Within ten miles, and only between midnight and dawn
   4. Statewide on interstates during daylight hours only
   Show answer

   Within fifty miles of the point of origin, in daylight hours. Oversize farm machinery is exempt from size, weight, and height limits only in daylight, on state highways, within fifty miles of origin. Interstate movement is expressly barred for such machinery, and night-only travel reverses the daylight condition the exemption requires. Daylight, fifty miles, no interstate: all three conditions must hold together. The exemption covers daylight travel within fifty miles of the farm machinery's origin.

2. 2. When may a driver pass a bicycle traveling in the same direction in a non-passing zone?

   1. Only when it is safe to do so
   2. Whenever the bicycle is moving below the speed limit
   3. Only after sounding the horn twice
   4. Whenever the driver can use the shoulder
   Show answer

   Only when it is safe to do so. Mississippi allows a driver to pass a bicycle traveling in the same direction in a non-passing zone only when the pass is safe. A bicycle moving below the speed limit does not make every pass safe, and the manual does not create a two-horn requirement. The shoulder is not a substitute for a safe, lawful passing movement. The condition is safety, so the driver must wait when sight distance, traffic, or roadway position makes passing risky.

   Study this in the handbook: Bicycles and Large Vehicles

3. 3. With plenty of stopping distance after a blowout, what may you let happen?

   1. Lock the brakes so the car stops in place quickly
   2. Allow the vehicle to stop by itself without hard braking
   3. Accelerate slightly to stabilize the damaged tire rim
   4. Steer sharply across traffic lanes toward the left shoulder
   Show answer

   Allow the vehicle to stop by itself without hard braking. With generous distance after a tire failure, letting the car coast to a stop avoids brake forces that can whip the damaged corner. Locking brakes on a blown tire invites a spin, and steering across lanes trades a controlled coast for crossing traffic exposure. Foot off the gas, gentle grip, and let rolling resistance do quiet work. Coasting to a stop avoids the hard braking that can worsen control after a blowout.

   Study this in the handbook: Night Driving, Rain and Skids

4. 4. Who must ride with a driver who is using a Regular Learner's Permit?

   1. A licensed driver aged twenty-one or older in the seat beside the driver
   2. Any licensed driver aged eighteen or older in the back seat
   3. A parent or guardian riding anywhere in the vehicle
   4. No passenger is required after the first month
   Show answer

   A licensed driver aged twenty-one or older in the seat beside the driver. A Regular Learner's Permit lets a new driver practice only with a licensed driver aged twenty-one or older sitting in the seat right beside them. That adult can reach the controls, watch traffic, and coach the learner in real time. A younger licensed passenger in the back seat cannot help in the same way, and a parent riding anywhere else in the car does not meet the seating rule. Practice stays supervised on every trip until the driver qualifies for a regular license.

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

5. 5. Before driving, what credential must you make certain you carry?

   1. Carry a photocopy of your license kept at home instead
   2. Make certain you have your driver’s license with you
   3. Carry only your vehicle registration in the glovebox
   4. Your license may stay home for trips under ten miles
   Show answer

   Make certain you have your driver’s license with you. Before driving, confirm your actual driver license is with you, since state law requires presenting it upon request by an officer. A home photocopy cannot be presented from the roadside, and short trips carry the same legal duty as cross-state journeys. Wallet check joins mirror check in your pre-drive routine every time. Carrying the actual license avoids the problem of having no driving credential at hand.

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

6. 6. Your car becomes disabled on a highway. Where do you pull over?

   1. Stop in the left lane and wait for a patrol car
   2. Pull over to the extreme right shoulder of the highway
   3. Pull onto the median facing the opposite roadway
   4. Coast to a stop centered within your current travel lane
   Show answer

   Pull over to the extreme right shoulder of the highway. A disabled car belongs on the extreme right shoulder, clearing every travel lane while you assess help options from relative safety. The median and left lane border the fastest traffic, and stopping centered in lane makes your car a stationary target from behind. Signal and coast right while rolling; steering a dead car gets harder stopped. The extreme right shoulder removes the disabled vehicle from moving lanes.

   Study this in the handbook: Night Driving, Rain and Skids

7. 7. For a manual-transmission car, how should the lower gears be used to save gasoline?

   1. Use lower gears gently and quickly, then build speed in high gear
   2. Stay in lower gears as long as possible to keep the engine loud
   3. Shift to neutral between every gear to reduce fuel use
   4. Use the highest gear before the car begins moving
   Show answer

   Use lower gears gently and quickly, then build speed in high gear. For a manual-transmission car, the energy appendix recommends moving through the lower gears gently and quickly, then building speed in high gear. More gasoline is consumed in lower gears, so staying there longer works against the advice. Shifting to neutral between every gear is not the described method, and a car cannot use its highest gear before it begins moving. The fuel-saving sequence is gentle, prompt use of the lower gears followed by higher-gear travel.

8. 8. What condition must a Mississippi vehicle's muffler meet?

   1. It must allow enough noise for nearby drivers to hear the vehicle
   2. It may operate only while the vehicle is accelerating
   3. It may be removed when the vehicle is on a highway
   4. It must be in good working order and operate constantly
   Show answer

   It must be in good working order and operate constantly. Mississippi requires a vehicle's muffler to be in good working order and to operate constantly. The rule does not allow a muffler to work only during acceleration or to be removed on a highway. A muffler's purpose is not to create more noise for nearby drivers; the manual separately identifies mufflers that allow excessive noise or smoke as illegal. The required condition is continuous operation of a properly working muffler while the vehicle is being used.

   Study this in the handbook: Required Equipment, Tags and Tint

9. 9. Your turn lights are not working. How should you position your arm to signal a right turn?

   1. Arm and hand extended straight out
   2. Arm and hand pointing downward
   3. Hand resting on the window edge
   4. Arm bent at the elbow with hand pointing upward
   Show answer

   Arm bent at the elbow with hand pointing upward. The right-turn hand signal uses an arm bent at the elbow with the hand extended upward. A straight-out arm indicates a left turn, while a downward arm and hand indicate slowing or stopping. The manual says arm signals are used by bicyclists and by drivers whose lights do not work, among others. Make the signal fully and continuously for the stated advance distance so other drivers can recognize your intended movement.

   Study this in the handbook: Signals, Lanes and Passing

10. 10. Which sign is the only one with eight sides?

    1. The STOP sign, requiring a complete stop before entering
    2. The YIELD sign is the only eight-sided sign
    3. The school sign is an eight-sided octagon
    4. The railroad crossbuck is a regular eight-sided stop sign
    Show answer

    The STOP sign, requiring a complete stop before entering. The STOP sign is the only sign with eight sides, so its shape remains recognizable even when its lettering cannot be read. A YIELD sign is an inverted triangle, a school warning uses a pentagon, and a railroad crossbuck has its own X shape. The listed alternatives assign the octagon to signs that use different shapes. Recognizing the octagon tells a driver to stop before proceeding. The octagon identifies STOP, while the other listed signs use different shapes.

    Study this in the handbook: Regulatory and Warning Signs

11. 11. What is painted on each side of the track at a railroad crossing?

    1. A yellow line on each side
    2. A red line on each side
    3. A broken line on each side
    4. A white line on each side
    Show answer

    A white line on each side. A white line is painted on each side of the track at a railroad crossing. The crossing pavement also carries a large X with two R letters in front of it, while a solid yellow line is used to prevent passing in advance of the crossing. Red and broken lines do not mark the track sides. Those white lines give a driver a visible stop reference near the rails, so treat them as part of the crossing warning system and stop behind them when required.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad Crossings

12. 12. Which direction do you always travel entering and exiting a roundabout?

    1. Enter toward the left for the shortest path across
    2. Exit toward the left when traffic inside is light
    3. Direction varies by whichever exit you intend to take
    4. Always enter and exit traveling toward your right
    Show answer

    Always enter and exit traveling toward your right. Roundabout circulation moves rightward on both entry and exit, keeping every vehicle in the same rotational flow pattern. Leftward entry drives against circulating traffic, and varying direction by exit destroys the single-flow design that prevents head-ons. Right in, right out, and signal your exit so followers can plan theirs. The rightward movement applies at both the entry and the exit.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

13. 13. You must park along a highway outside town. How much room should you leave for other vehicles to get by, if possible?

    1. At least five feet
    2. At least ten feet
    3. At least twenty feet
    4. No set room is mentioned
    Show answer

    At least twenty feet. A driver who must park along a highway should pull all the way off the roadway and, if possible, leave at least twenty feet for other vehicles to get by. That gap lets traffic pass the parked car without edging toward oncoming lanes. Five and ten feet both fall short of the stated clearance, and the rule does name a figure, so the no-set-room choice misses the point. The parked car should also be visible from at least two hundred feet in both directions.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking Rules

14. 14. Under Mississippi law, what is a bicycle on a public road?

    1. A vehicle, treated like a motor vehicle in traffic
    2. A pedestrian device that must always yield to cars
    3. An unregulated vehicle exempt from traffic signals
    4. A vehicle only when ridden by someone over sixteen
    Show answer

    A vehicle, treated like a motor vehicle in traffic. A bicycle on public roads counts as a vehicle, and its rider holds the same rights and duties as any motor vehicle driver. Pedestrian status would push riders onto sidewalks against vehicle rules, and signal exemption contradicts the duty to obey road signs. Yield to an oncoming cyclist just as you would to an oncoming motorist at turns. A bicycle's legal status includes both traffic rights and traffic responsibilities.

    Study this in the handbook: Bicycles and Large Vehicles

15. 15. If your vehicle is stranded on an interstate, what should you avoid doing?

    1. Staying inside with the doors locked
    2. Standing beside the vehicle in the traffic flow
    3. Waiting for reliable help to arrive
    4. Using the emergency flashers
    Show answer

    Standing beside the vehicle in the traffic flow. The shoulder of an interstate is a dangerous place, and a person standing beside a disabled car is exposed to traffic that may drift onto the shoulder. The manual tells stranded drivers never to get out into the main flow of traffic and not to stand beside the vehicle. The stay-inside option is the safe behavior, not the one to avoid, and the flashers and waiting options are also recommended steps. Move as far from the travel lanes as practical, stay in the car with the doors locked, and let professional help come to you.

    Study this in the handbook: Following Distance and Stopping

16. 16. A curb sign reads NO STOPPING. What does that mean for a driver who wants to park there?

    1. Parking is allowed for five minutes
    2. Parking is allowed if the driver stays inside
    3. Parking is prohibited at that location
    4. Parking is allowed outside business hours
    Show answer

    Parking is prohibited at that location. Mississippi prohibits parking at any place where traffic signs prohibit stopping, so a NO STOPPING sign closes the spot to parked cars as well. The five-minute reading invents a grace period that the sign does not offer. Staying behind the wheel does not make the stop legal, and business hours do not suspend a traffic control sign. Read the curb signage before pulling in and choose another space when the sign forbids stopping.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking Rules

17. 17. A pick-up truck needs a Class D commercial license only in which case?

    1. When the truck is used for farm work
    2. When the truck leaves its home county
    3. When it carries placarded hazardous materials
    4. In every case, with no exceptions at all
    Show answer

    When it carries placarded hazardous materials. A pick-up truck does not require a Class D commercial license just because of how the truck is used. The need arises when the load is hazardous material in an amount that requires a placard, because that cargo brings commercial safety rules with it. Farm work and county lines do not decide the question, and requiring a commercial license for every pick-up would sweep in ordinary personal trucks. Check the cargo first: placarded hazardous material changes the license need, routine loads do not.

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

18. 18. For what conditions are posted speed limits intended?

    1. Average conditions, so rain requires no speed change
    2. Worst conditions, so dry roads allow ten over posted
    3. Night conditions only, with daytime limits advisory
    4. Ideal conditions, so worse conditions call for slower travel
    Show answer

    Ideal conditions, so worse conditions call for slower travel. Posted limits assume ideal conditions, meaning rain, fog, worn tires, or darkness all demand speeds below the posted number. The average-conditions reading leaves rain unaddressed, and worst-condition logic would license exceeding limits whenever pavement dries out. Read the sign as a ceiling for perfect days, then set speed by what you can see. A driver must choose a speed that remains safe when conditions fall below ideal.

    Study this in the handbook: Mississippi Speed Limits

19. 19. On a divided highway with four or more lanes, what must a driver traveling in the same direction as a stopped school bus do?

    1. Continue without slowing on the same side
    2. Change lanes and pass the bus quickly
    3. Stop and follow the normal school bus procedure
    4. Stop only after the bus starts moving again
    Show answer

    Stop and follow the normal school bus procedure. The divided-highway exception is one-sided. A driver going the opposite way may continue on the other side without stopping, but a driver traveling in the same direction as the bus must still stop and follow the usual procedure. That means stopping at least ten feet away and remaining stopped until the children are clear, the red lights stop flashing, and the stop sign is retracted. The continue option drops the duty for same-direction traffic, the pass option would move toward children, and the delayed-stop option starts the stop too late. Treat the bus's flashing red lights as a command for your side of the road.

    Study this in the handbook: School Buses and Pedestrians

20. 20. Another driver is passing you on a two-lane highway. What should you do?

    1. Speed up slightly so the pass finishes more quickly
    2. Move left to give the passing car more pavement room
    3. Keep to the right and do not speed up until fully passed
    4. Match the passing car speed so you travel side by side
    Show answer

    Keep to the right and do not speed up until fully passed. Being passed calls for holding right and holding speed steady until the overtaking car has completely cleared your vehicle. Speeding up lengthens the time spent in the oncoming lane, and moving left squeezes the very space the passer needs most. Ease toward the right edge, keep a steady pace, and glance for the passer headlights reappearing. A steady pace lets the passing driver judge and complete the movement.

    Study this in the handbook: Signals, Lanes and Passing