MS Permit Practice Test 5

All 20 questions in test 5

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. What minimum liability coverage must a Mississippi policy provide for two people injured or killed?

   1. At least $10,000
   2. At least $5,000
   3. At least $20,000
   4. At least $50,000
   Show answer

   At least $50,000. The Mississippi Insurance Department states that on January 1, 2006, the minimum liability requirements increased to $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage. The question asks about two people injured or killed, so the per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000 applies. The driver manual still prints the older $10,000 and $20,000 figures, but those limits are no longer current law. Keep the per person, per accident, and property damage categories separate when checking a policy.

2. 2. How far from a school bus must you stop when its red lights flash or its stop sign is extended?

   
   1. At least ten feet away
   2. At least five feet away
   3. At least twenty-five feet away
   4. Only close enough to see the driver's mirror
   Show answer

   At least ten feet away. Mississippi requires a complete stop at least ten feet from a school bus when its red lights are flashing or its stop sign is extended. Five feet gives children and the bus too little clearance, and twenty-five feet is not the distance stated in this rule. The mirror-based response supplies no measurable stopping point. Look for the combination of complete stop and ten-foot minimum, then remain stopped until the children are clear and the bus has resumed motion with its warning devices ended.

3. 3. An emergency vehicle is stopped on a four-lane highway. If moving away is unsafe, what should you do?

   
   1. Pass on the shoulder without reducing speed
   2. Maintain speed because the emergency vehicle is not moving
   3. Slow down and prepare to stop while yielding right-of-way
   4. Turn around before reaching the stopped vehicle
   Show answer

   Slow down and prepare to stop while yielding right-of-way. When a lane change away from a stopped emergency vehicle cannot be made safely, reduce speed and prepare to stop as necessary. The duty to yield remains even when the vehicle is parked, and passing at normal speed leaves responders exposed. The shoulder is not a shortcut for passing, and turning around creates a separate hazard. Scan early, move over when there is a safe opening, and otherwise approach slowly with room to stop.

4. 4. What examination is required if an out-of-state license has been expired for more than thirty days?

   1. No examination under any circumstance
   2. Only a motorcycle skills examination
   3. Only a vision screening
   4. A computerized examination
   Show answer

   A computerized examination. When an out-of-state license has been expired for more than thirty days, the applicant must take the Computerized Exam. A vision screening is still part of the licensing process, but it is not the additional examination triggered by this expiration condition. The manual does not make the applicant wait without testing or substitute a motorcycle skills exam. Watch the qualifier carefully: this rule concerns an out-of-state license, and its threshold is thirty days, not the longer periods used for other license situations. Check the expiration date before applying.

5. 5. At this octagonal sign, what action is required before entering the intersection?

   
   1. Stop only when another vehicle has already entered
   2. Reduce speed but continue if no pedestrian is visible
   3. Come to a complete stop, then yield to nearby traffic that could be a hazard
   4. Yield without stopping whenever the roadway looks clear
   Show answer

   Come to a complete stop, then yield to nearby traffic that could be a hazard. Mississippi reserves the eight-sided shape for STOP signs. The driver must stop completely before entering the intersection, then yield to traffic close enough to create a hazard. A clear-looking roadway does not remove the stopping duty, and merely reducing speed is not enough. The option that waits for another vehicle also reverses the rule because the sign controls your approach regardless of who else is present. Use the shape as the fast visual cue: an octagon means full stop first, followed by a careful check of every relevant approach.

6. 6. What general duty applies when a driver encounters traffic signs and signals?

   
   1. Follow only the largest sign
   2. Ignore them when traffic is light
   3. Recognize and obey them
   4. Treat them as optional suggestions
   Show answer

   Recognize and obey them. Traffic signs and signals control movement and help prevent crashes, so drivers must recognize them and obey their instructions. The options treating signs as optional or selective would erase the traffic-control function described in the manual. A driver should scan ahead, identify the message or signal phase, and make the required speed, lane, yielding, or stopping adjustment. The pictured warning is a useful reminder that control devices may appear before the point they govern. Build the habit of reading every sign early, then following its instruction unless a traffic officer is directing movement.

7. 7. How far away must a vehicle horn be audible under Mississippi equipment rules?

   1. 50 feet
   2. 100 feet
   3. 500 feet
   4. 200 feet
   Show answer

   200 feet. The horn must be audible from 200 feet away. That distance helps make the warning useful to people and drivers who are not immediately beside the vehicle. The 100-foot option cuts the required range in half, while 500 feet greatly overstates the rule. Remember this as a visibility and warning-equipment standard, separate from the situations in which a driver should choose to sound the horn. A compliant horn must be capable of being heard at the specified distance, even though traffic noise and weather can affect what someone actually hears.

8. 8. At a four-way stop, what happens when multiple vehicles arrive at the same time?

   1. The vehicle on the left has the right-of-way
   2. The vehicle on the right has the right-of-way
   3. The largest vehicle goes first
   4. The driver who stopped most loudly goes first
   Show answer

   The vehicle on the right has the right-of-way. At a four-way stop, arrival order normally determines priority. When multiple vehicles reach the stop at the same time, the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way. Vehicle size and noise have no role in the manual's rule. Do not slam on the brakes to claim first arrival; approach under control, identify the vehicle to your right, and yield when that rule assigns it priority.

9. 9. For a driver age 21 or older operating a noncommercial vehicle in Mississippi, what is the lowest BAC covered by the general alcohol per se threshold?

   1. 0.08% or more
   2. 0.02% or more
   3. 0.05% or more
   4. 0.10% or more
   Show answer

   0.08% or more. For an adult driver, the threshold described by the manual is a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or more. The .02 percent figure belongs to the under-21 rule, so it is not the adult threshold. A lower number such as .05 percent is not the figure stated here, and .10 percent would allow too much alcohol before the rule applied. Treat the listed limit as a legal boundary, not a safe-drinking target.

10. 10. What maximum speed does the Mississippi table list for passenger automobiles on interstates?

    1. 55 mph
    2. 70 mph
    3. 65 mph
    4. 50 mph
    Show answer

    70 mph. The passenger-automobile table assigns interstates a 70 mph maximum. The 65 mph figure belongs to four-lane state and U.S. highways, while 55 mph applies to two-lane state and U.S. highways. Natchez Trace Parkway is listed at 50 mph. These are table values for roadway categories, and the surrounding guidance still requires slower travel when conditions are not ideal or a lower sign is posted.

11. 11. What does a Mississippi vehicle need in addition to headlights for rear visibility?

    1. A blue taillight visible 100 feet behind
    2. A red taillight visible 500 feet behind
    3. A white taillight visible 200 feet behind
    4. Two red spotlights visible 1,000 feet behind
    Show answer

    A red taillight visible 500 feet behind. The taillight must be red and visible five hundred feet behind the vehicle. The color is part of the requirement, so a white or blue light fails even if it could be seen at some distance. The manual does not require rear spotlights for this purpose. Do not substitute the two hundred foot headlight illumination figure for the rear light standard. A practical walk-around check is to verify the taillight is red, working, and visible from behind before driving after dark.

12. 12. Under Mississippi equipment rules, what braking systems must a vehicle have?

    1. A foot brake and a parking brake
    2. Two parking brakes and no foot brake
    3. Only an electronic anti-lock system
    4. A hand brake used only on hills
    Show answer

    A foot brake and a parking brake. The vehicle must have two separate braking functions: a foot brake and a parking brake. The manual also gives performance distances at twenty miles per hour, but the equipment question first turns on the presence of both systems. An anti-lock system does not replace the required foot and parking brakes, and a hill-only hand brake is not the stated standard. When checking a vehicle, confirm that the service brake and parking brake operate independently and that each can stop the vehicle within its specified distance.

13. 13. Which traffic sign shape is used exclusively for stop signs?

    1. Pentagon
    2. Octagon
    3. Circle
    4. Pennant
    Show answer

    Octagon. The octagon is reserved exclusively for stop signs, so its shape remains useful when distance, glare, or weather makes the wording hard to read. A pentagon identifies school crossings or school zones, a circle warns of a railroad crossing, and a pennant marks a no-passing zone. Seeing an octagon should trigger preparation for a complete stop before entering the intersection. After stopping, check for traffic and pedestrians before proceeding. Shape recognition provides an early cue, but it does not replace the required stop.

14. 14. What is the minimum age to apply for a Mississippi Regular Learner's Permit?

    1. Fifteen years old
    2. Fourteen years old
    3. Sixteen years old
    4. Seventeen years old
    Show answer

    Fifteen years old. An applicant may seek a Regular Learner's Permit at age fifteen. Fourteen is tied to the Temporary Learner's Permit for students enrolled in an approved driver education course, so it is too early for the regular permit. Sixteen is associated with later license eligibility, not the starting age for this permit. A useful memory cue is temporary at fourteen with driver education, regular at fifteen, then the required permit period before the ordinary Class R path.

15. 15. What must support a Mississippi title application?

    1. Only a photo ID
    2. A notarized letter from the seller
    3. Nothing beyond the fee
    4. A bill of sale and two years of tag receipts
    Show answer

    A bill of sale and two years of tag receipts. Every vehicle must have a certificate of title, and title applications must be supported by a bill of sale and two years' tag receipts. All licensed motor vehicle dealers and county tax collectors are qualified by law to accept title applications. Mississippi residents' vehicles must also carry a Mississippi license plate, and nothing may obscure the letters or numerals on the tag.

16. 16. What right-of-way does an ambulance, fire engine, or police car have when showing emergency lights or using a siren?

    1. It must yield to a vehicle already waiting at a red light
    2. It has priority only when traveling on an interstate
    3. It has the right-of-way in any street traffic situation
    4. It may proceed only after a funeral procession passes
    Show answer

    It has the right-of-way in any street traffic situation. Mississippi gives an ambulance, fire engine, or police car with flashing red or blue lights, or a bell or siren, the right-of-way in any street traffic situation. Interstate-only priority narrows the rule incorrectly. A red light does not make ordinary traffic more important than an approaching emergency vehicle, and funeral processions are discussed separately as a courtesy. Yield promptly and safely, watching your position at intersections so the emergency vehicle has a clear path.

17. 17. What type of guidance does a brown traffic sign provide?

    1. Construction or maintenance warning
    2. Motorist services guidance
    3. Public recreation and scenic guidance
    4. A mandatory stop at every intersection
    Show answer

    Public recreation and scenic guidance. Brown signs provide public recreation and scenic guidance. They point drivers toward recreational destinations or scenic information, rather than giving a construction warning, service indication, or stop command. Orange identifies construction or maintenance work, blue guides motorists to services, and the octagonal shape belongs exclusively to stop signs. Use the brown color as an early clue, then read the destination or symbol so you can choose a safe lane and prepare for the entrance. A guidance sign informs route decisions, but it does not cancel speed limits, yielding duties, or other traffic controls along the way.

18. 18. How close to the driveway entrance of a fire station may you park in Mississippi when no sign is posted?

    1. Within 5 feet
    2. No closer than 20 feet
    3. No closer than 100 feet
    4. Directly across the entrance
    Show answer

    No closer than 20 feet. Mississippi prohibits parking within 20 feet of a fire station driveway entrance, and within 75 feet when that larger distance is posted. Five feet and directly at the entrance would block fire trucks, and 100 feet is not the Mississippi figure. Other listed distances include 10 feet from a fire hydrant, 20 feet from a crosswalk at an intersection, and 15 feet from the nearest rail of a railroad crossing.

19. 19. A Mississippi driver is convicted of a first offense DUI and had also refused the breath test. What happens to the penalty?

    1. The refusal cancels the DUI charge
    2. Nothing extra; the DUI penalty covers it
    3. The fine is cut in half
    4. A 90 day license suspension is added
    Show answer

    A 90 day license suspension is added. The manual gives this as an example of additional penalties: with a first offense DUI or first offense Zero Tolerance DUI conviction and a refused breath or chemical test, a 90 day license suspension is added to the original penalty. Refusing does not cancel the DUI, it is not absorbed into the DUI penalty, and it does not reduce the fine. Penalties also rise if a DUI happens while already suspended for DUI.

20. 20. A new Mississippi resident has held a driver's license from another state. How long must that out-of-state license have been held to qualify for a Class R license on that basis?

    1. At least six months
    2. At least 30 days
    3. At least two years
    4. At least five years
    Show answer

    At least six months. One path to a Mississippi Class R license is having held an out-of-state driver's license for at least six months. Thirty days is too short, and two or five years are not the Mississippi standard. The other paths are being 16 with a one year permit, or being 17 or older. Written and vision exams, the affidavit, and the physical requirements still apply.