MS Permit Practice Test 3

All 20 questions in test 3

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. If you must park along a Mississippi highway outside a business or residential district, from how far away should your vehicle be visible?

   1. At least 50 feet in one direction
   2. At least 1,000 feet ahead only
   3. At least 200 feet in both directions
   4. Visibility does not matter if flashers are on
   Show answer

   At least 200 feet in both directions. Outside business or residential districts you must park off the roadway. If you have to stop along a highway, pull all the way off, leave at least 20 feet for other vehicles to pass if possible, and park where you can be seen from at least 200 feet in both directions. Fifty feet in one direction is too little, and 1,000 feet is not the rule. At night, leave parking lights or flashers on as well.

2. 2. Within what distance of an oncoming vehicle, or of a vehicle you are following, does Mississippi law require low beams?

   1. 1,000 feet oncoming and 300 feet following
   2. 500 feet in both cases
   3. 200 feet in both cases
   4. Only when the other driver flashes you
   Show answer

   500 feet in both cases. Mississippi requires low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 500 feet of a vehicle you are following. The 1,000 and 300 foot pair comes from other states, and 200 feet is too close. Waiting for another driver to flash you is not the rule. High beams are for open country without other cars near, and low beams are also the right choice in fog.

3. 3. What minimum speed does Mississippi list for passenger cars on interstates and four-lane state and U.S. highways?

   1. 30 mph
   2. 45 mph
   3. 55 mph
   4. 40 mph
   Show answer

   40 mph. The passenger automobile table lists a 40 mph minimum for interstates (maximum 70) and for four-lane state and U.S. highways (maximum 65). Two-lane state and U.S. highways have a 55 mph maximum and no listed minimum. Thirty mph is too low, 45 mph is the truck limit in inclement weather or bad visibility, and 55 mph is a maximum for two-lane highways, not a minimum.

4. 4. Why can the opening minutes of rain make the roadway especially dangerous?

   1. Rain removes all oil from the roadway before traffic arrives
   2. Rain immediately dries the pavement and reduces tire grip
   3. The first drops make brakes work more strongly than usual
   4. Water loosens dirt and grease, forming a dangerously slick film
   Show answer

   Water loosens dirt and grease, forming a dangerously slick film. At the beginning of a rain or drizzle, water mixes with accumulated dirt and grease on the pavement. That mixture coats the road with a slick film, so traction can fall before a driver has adjusted speed. The idea that rain dries pavement reverses the hazard described in the manual. Reduce speed as soon as rain starts, especially before curves, turns, or braking. A useful cue is the first change in pavement sheen: treat it as a warning to ease off the accelerator and leave extra room.

5. 5. How does the manual classify a first-offense DUI?

   1. As a felony
   2. As a misdemeanor
   3. As a civil violation
   4. As a warning with no offense classification
   Show answer

   As a misdemeanor. The first-offense DUI row is labeled a misdemeanor in the penalty table. A felony classification appears for a third or subsequent offense within five years, so the choice “As a felony” jumps to a later repeat-offense category. The civil-violation choice understates the legal classification, and a warning is not an offense classification listed by the manual. When reviewing DUI penalties, start with the offense number and the time window before comparing fines, custody, or license consequences. The label misdemeanor is the classification requested here.

6. 6. What must a driver do when railroad crossing lights begin flashing?

   1. Cross after shifting into a lower gear
   2. Speed across before the gates begin to lower
   3. Stop only if the driver can see the train
   4. Stop and remain stopped until the lights stop and it is safe
   Show answer

   Stop and remain stopped until the lights stop and it is safe. Flashing railroad crossing lights mean a train is coming. Drivers must always stop when the lights begin to flash and remain stopped until the lights stop flashing and the crossing can be entered safely. Waiting to see the train is unsafe because its approach may be hidden, and racing the gates creates a collision risk. Do not drive around a lowered gate. Stop in the required area, watch for a second train, and proceed only after every warning has cleared.

7. 7. A pedestrian is crossing within a crosswalk, but the painted markings are absent. Who has the right-of-way?

   1. The pedestrian still has the right-of-way
   2. The vehicle turning right has priority
   3. The vehicle traveling fastest has priority
   4. The pedestrian must yield unless a crossing guard is present
   Show answer

   The pedestrian still has the right-of-way. Mississippi treats a pedestrian in an unmarked crosswalk as having the same right-of-way as one in a marked crosswalk. The lack of paint does not release a driver from yielding. Turning vehicles do not automatically outrank people on foot, and neither speed nor a crossing guard changes the basic rule. Approach intersections carefully, keep the vehicle under control, and be prepared to stop for the pedestrian.

8. 8. What does this NO TURN ON RED sign require at an intersection?

   
   1. A right turn is allowed without stopping if traffic is light
   2. A right turn is required whenever the signal is red
   3. Do not turn while the traffic signal is red
   4. Only trucks must wait for a green light before turning right
   Show answer

   Do not turn while the traffic signal is red. The NO TURN ON RED sign prohibits turning during the red signal. Stopping first does not remove this restriction, and a gap in traffic does not create an exception. Wait for a signal that permits the movement, then check for pedestrians and other traffic before turning. The sign does not prohibit every right turn at every signal phase. Read the posted restriction together with the traffic signal before deciding whether you may proceed.

9. 9. What does a RIGHT LANE ENDS warning require a driver to anticipate?

   
   1. A new lane opens with no merging necessary
   2. The left lane ends and traffic must merge right
   3. The right lane ends and traffic must merge to the left
   4. The roadway becomes two-way at the sign
   Show answer

   The right lane ends and traffic must merge to the left. The warning identifies a right lane that will end and tells drivers to merge to the left. It is not the mirror-image left-lane condition, an added lane, or a conversion to two-way traffic. Begin checking the left lane early, signal your intention, and move only after confirming a safe gap. Waiting until the pavement narrows can force a hurried maneuver beside another vehicle. The directional cue is the side named by the sign: right lane ends means the remaining travel space is to the left, subject to traffic and lane markings.

10. 10. For how long must the Mississippi Commissioner of Public Safety revoke a license after a conviction for manslaughter from a driving accident?

    1. One year
    2. 90 days
    3. Six months
    4. Permanently
    Show answer

    One year. Mississippi requires revocation for one year for a conviction of manslaughter or negligent homicide from a driving accident. The same one year revocation applies to any felony using a motor vehicle, failing to stop and render aid after a crash, perjury about vehicle ownership or operation, and three reckless driving charges within 12 months. Ninety days and six months are too short, and the manual does not set a permanent revocation for these offenses.

11. 11. What does the speed limit sign indicate?

    
    1. A suggested speed that may be exceeded when traffic is light
    2. A minimum speed required in every weather condition
    3. The maximum speed allowed under ideal driving conditions
    4. The maximum speed permitted only for commercial vehicles
    Show answer

    The maximum speed allowed under ideal driving conditions. The manual describes the speed limit sign as the maximum speed allowed under ideal driving conditions. That wording does not turn the number into a required minimum, a suggestion that can be exceeded, or a truck-only restriction. Rain, darkness, congestion, or poor pavement can make a lower speed necessary even when the posted number is higher. Use the sign as an upper boundary, then adjust below it when conditions demand. A simple cue is maximum under ideal conditions, not permission to hold the number regardless of what the road is doing.

12. 12. Which payment methods does the Mississippi manual say Driver Service Bureau offices accept?

    1. Cash, credit cards, and debit cards
    2. Checks only, mailed in advance
    3. Cashier's checks and money orders only
    4. Personal checks and gift cards
    Show answer

    Cash, credit cards, and debit cards. The manual says offices accept cash, credit cards, and debit cards. The other choices narrow payment to instruments the statement does not list, and personal checks are especially inconsistent with the accompanying fee guidance. This is a payment-method rule rather than a question about the amount charged for a permit or license. Before visiting, identify whether a card is Visa or MasterCard because the manual gives that card restriction, and remember that prices and laws may change between publications.

13. 13. A 16 year old in Mississippi wants a Regular Driver's License. Along with the tests and the affidavit, how long must the teen have held a Learner's Permit?

    1. Six months
    2. Ninety days
    3. One year
    4. Two years
    Show answer

    One year. A 16 year old qualifies for the Class R license only after holding a Learner's Permit for one year, in addition to passing the exams and providing the 50 hour affidavit. Six months is the out-of-state license rule, ninety days is not a Mississippi permit period, and two years is how long the permit itself stays valid. Applicants 17 or older may apply directly regardless of earlier permits.

14. 14. What is the maximum width of a vehicle and load on Mississippi roads?

    1. Eight and one half feet
    2. Six feet
    3. Ten feet
    4. Twelve feet
    Show answer

    Eight and one half feet. The total outside width of any vehicle, including the load, cannot exceed eight and one half feet, and no vehicle may exceed a total height of thirteen and one half feet. A vehicle over twelve and one half feet high makes its owner responsible for damage to overhead structures. Farm machinery is exempt from size limits during daylight within 50 miles of origin.

15. 15. You approach an intersection where another vehicle is already inside it. Who has priority?

    1. The approaching vehicle, because it has not reached the crosswalk
    2. The vehicle already inside the intersection
    3. The vehicle traveling at the higher speed
    4. Whichever driver sounds the horn first
    Show answer

    The vehicle already inside the intersection. Vehicles already inside an intersection have the right-of-way under the Mississippi manual. An approaching driver should yield and allow that vehicle to clear rather than entering based on speed, position at the crosswalk, or a horn signal. The choice “The approaching vehicle, because it has not reached the crosswalk” invents priority for the vehicle that has not yet entered. A horn does not assign legal precedence, and speed is never the deciding measure. Scan the whole intersection before moving, especially when traffic or sight lines make another vehicle easy to overlook.

16. 16. What do the standard shapes and colors of traffic signs communicate?

    1. They are selected only to make signs decorative
    2. Each one has a specific meaning for roadway guidance
    3. They indicate the driver's license class required nearby
    4. They replace the need to read any sign message
    Show answer

    Each one has a specific meaning for roadway guidance. The manual explains that traffic signs use standard shapes and colors, with each one carrying a specific meaning. Decorative design is not the purpose, and a sign's appearance does not identify a driver's license class. Recognizing a shape or color also does not eliminate the need to read the wording or symbol. Use the visual pattern as an early clue, then confirm the complete message before acting. That habit helps distinguish a warning, regulation, service notice, or other roadway instruction.

17. 17. When weather or visibility is poor on a Mississippi highway, how should a driver respond to the posted speed limit?

    1. Treat the posted number as mandatory regardless of conditions
    2. Use the interstate maximum speed unless a police officer is present
    3. Increase speed to spend less time in the poor conditions
    4. Slow down according to the weather or visibility and the situation
    Show answer

    Slow down according to the weather or visibility and the situation. Mississippi's listed speed limits assume ideal road and weather conditions. Rain, fog, darkness, curves, congestion, or limited sight distance can require a lower speed even when the sign has not changed. The choice “Treat the posted number as mandatory regardless of conditions” turns an ideal-condition maximum into an unconditional target, which is unsafe. The choice “Increase speed to spend less time in the poor conditions” reverses the needed response, and the interstate reference in the choice “Use the interstate maximum speed unless a police officer is present” cannot override conditions. A useful cue is to ask whether you can stop and see as well as you could on a clear, dry road; if not, reduce speed.

18. 18. Why should a driver reduce speed when water covers the roadway?

    1. Water always causes the engine to stall
    2. High speed can make the vehicle hydroplane out of control
    3. Slower travel prevents every possible skid
    4. The posted limit automatically becomes zero
    Show answer

    High speed can make the vehicle hydroplane out of control. The manual links excessive speed on a wet roadway with hydroplaning, in which the vehicle can lose control over the water. The engine-stall response confuses a traction problem with a mechanical failure. Slowing down is a safety measure, not a promise that every skid becomes impossible. A zero-limit claim has no basis in the passage. When rain or standing water appears, ease back to a speed suited to the surface and conditions so the tires have a better chance to maintain contact.

19. 19. What kind of information is usually shown by a vertical rectangle sign?

    1. Regulatory information such as a speed limit
    2. A general warning about a curve or intersection
    3. A destination distance to a nearby town
    4. A public recreation or scenic attraction
    Show answer

    Regulatory information such as a speed limit. A vertical rectangle is usually used for regulatory signs, including speed limits and other rules that control roadway use. It tells drivers what is required or prohibited rather than merely describing a hazard. A diamond handles warnings, destination information belongs to guide signs, and scenic guidance uses brown. The shape is a useful first clue, but read the wording or symbol to identify the specific restriction before acting.

20. 20. What is the required stopping distance for the Mississippi foot brake when traveling 20 miles per hour?

    1. Twenty feet
    2. Seventy feet
    3. Fifty-five feet
    4. Thirty feet
    Show answer

    Thirty feet. At twenty miles per hour, the foot brake must be strong enough to stop the vehicle within thirty feet. The fifty-five foot figure applies to the parking brake at the same speed, so choosing it confuses the two systems. Twenty and seventy feet are not the listed standards. This test point pairs the brake type with the speed and distance, so keep the two figures together: foot brake, thirty feet; parking brake, fifty-five feet. Those are equipment performance requirements, not estimates for every road condition.