MT Permit Practice Test 9

All 20 questions in test 9

Every question below comes from the Montana 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 does a typical yellow diamond warning sign tell a Montana driver?

   1. All traffic must stop at the sign
   2. A legal speed limit is ending immediately
   3. A fuel or lodging service is available
   4. A dangerous condition lies ahead and extra caution is needed
   Show answer

   A dangerous condition lies ahead and extra caution is needed. Yellow diamond signs are warning devices for dangerous conditions ahead, so the driver should approach with great caution. They do not usually impose a speed limit, advertise services, or require every vehicle to stop at the sign. Those functions belong to other sign categories. The useful cue is the combination of yellow, diamond, and warning language: expect a hazard and adjust attention and speed.

2. 2. What must everyone in a Montana teen’s vehicle do during GDL Step 1?

   1. Fasten only the driver’s seatbelt
   2. Wear a helmet
   3. Wear a seatbelt
   4. Use the seatbelt only on highways
   Show answer

   Wear a seatbelt. Montana requires every person in the vehicle to wear a seatbelt during this permit stage. That includes the teen driver and each passenger, so fastening only the driver’s belt leaves the rule unmet. A helmet is not the restraint requirement for occupants of a car, and highway travel does not create the duty. Make belt use part of the start-up routine by checking every seat before moving.

3. 3. If a traffic signal is not working, what should drivers do?

   1. Stop as though stop signs controlled all directions
   2. Continue through because the intersection has no active signal
   3. Yield only to traffic approaching from the left
   4. Wait for a police officer before any vehicle may move
   Show answer

   Stop as though stop signs controlled all directions. Montana treats a nonworking signal as a stop-controlled intersection in every direction. Drivers should stop, observe the other approaches, and proceed carefully according to who arrived first while confirming that movement is safe. Continuing through assumes the dark signal removes control, which creates a serious collision risk. Looking only left misses traffic and pedestrians from other directions. Police presence is not required for the intersection to function. The cue is a dark or malfunctioning signal: make a full stop and treat each approach as controlled by a stop sign.

4. 4. What should a driver do when approaching a roundabout with an emergency vehicle behind?

   1. Continue through and exit normally, then pull right where there is room
   2. Stop inside the roundabout immediately beside the center island
   3. Reverse out of the circle before the emergency vehicle reaches it
   4. Enter the center island to create an extra lane
   Show answer

   Continue through and exit normally, then pull right where there is room. A driver already in a roundabout should not pull over or stop inside the circle for an emergency vehicle. Continue around, exit normally, and pull right where there is room for the responder to pass. Stopping, reversing, or entering the center island creates an unpredictable obstruction. If you are approaching the roundabout, pull over only when there is room; otherwise proceed through and stop after exiting.

5. 5. When must Montana drivers dim high beams for oncoming and overtaken vehicles?

   1. Within 200 feet in both cases
   2. Within 1,000 feet when meeting and within 500 feet when overtaking
   3. Within 300 feet when meeting and 100 when following
   4. Only when the other driver flashes
   Show answer

   Within 1,000 feet when meeting and within 500 feet when overtaking. High beams must be dimmed when meeting other vehicles at 1,000 feet and when overtaking or following other vehicles at 500 feet. Reflectors on the vehicle must be visible from 600 to 1,000 feet under high beams. Dimming is both an equipment law and a courtesy, since glare blinds the other driver for several seconds at highway speed, which is a long way at 70 mph.

6. 6. If your tires lose traction on standing water, what should you do first?

   1. Ease your foot off the gas pedal
   2. Brake hard while turning toward the shoulder
   3. Turn sharply toward the nearest lane
   4. Shift into a higher gear and accelerate
   Show answer

   Ease your foot off the gas pedal. When water separates the tires from the pavement, lifting your foot from the accelerator helps the vehicle slow without adding a sudden braking or steering demand. The manual also advises keeping the wheel straight and postponing a stop or turn until the tires grip again. Hard braking while turning can worsen the loss of control, and acceleration keeps the tires moving across the water film. Use the sensation of a light or unresponsive steering wheel as your cue to ease off the gas and wait for traction to return.

7. 7. What does an upheld orange hand mean for a pedestrian who has not started crossing?

   1. Cross only halfway to the median
   2. Walk without checking traffic
   3. Do not walk
   4. Run before the hand disappears
   Show answer

   Do not walk. The manual identifies an upheld orange hand as a DON'T WALK indication. A person at the curb should wait for a WALK signal before starting. The display does not promise a safe crossing, authorize an unexamined walk, or direct anyone to stop at a median. Running is especially poor guidance because it reduces observation and control. Drivers should still watch for pedestrians who are already finishing a crossing. Remember the symbol's basic message: an orange hand is a hold signal, not an invitation to enter the street.

8. 8. How much supervised practice must a Montana teen complete during the instruction-permit step?

   1. At least 50 hours, including 10 hours at night
   2. At least 40 hours, including 5 hours at night
   3. At least 60 hours, with no nighttime requirement
   4. At least 25 hours, including 10 hours at night
   Show answer

   At least 50 hours, including 10 hours at night. The instruction-permit requirement combines a total and a nighttime minimum: at least 50 supervised hours, with 10 of those hours at night. The nighttime portion is included within the total, not added on top of it. Forty, 60 without a night component, and 25 hours each change a specific part of the requirement. Remember the pair as 50 total and 10 night during the supervised practice period.

9. 9. What should a driver generally do when a solid white line separates lanes moving in the same direction?

   1. Cross immediately to the lane on the left
   2. Stay in the lane unless a special situation requires a change
   3. Treat it as a centerline between opposing traffic
   4. Stop on the line and wait for a gap
   Show answer

   Stay in the lane unless a special situation requires a change. White lines divide lanes moving in the same direction, and a solid white line signals that changing lanes should generally be avoided. The manual leaves room for a special situation, so it is not an absolute ban. A centerline is yellow, not white, and stopping on a lane boundary creates a needless obstruction. Continue steadily, check mirrors and blind spots, and move only when the situation genuinely calls for it.

10. 10. When must a driver stop for a school bus displaying flashing red lights?

    
    1. Only after the bus driver sounds the horn
    2. Only when following the bus on the same side of the road
    3. Only when children are visible outside the bus
    4. When meeting or passing the stopped bus from either direction
    Show answer

    When meeting or passing the stopped bus from either direction. Montana requires a driver to stop when meeting or passing a stopped school bus from either direction while its red lights flash. The rule does not depend on seeing children, hearing a horn, or being behind the bus. The directional wording is the key cue: traffic approaching from either side must respond. Remain stopped until the bus resumes motion or the red lights are extinguished, as required by the situation.

11. 11. When following a motorcycle, what spacing does Montana advise because a fall may occur?

    1. Use extra distance, often a four-second gap
    2. Follow within one second so the motorcycle stays visible
    3. Leave less space on wet pavement to prevent merging
    4. Use the same fixed distance as behind a truck
    Show answer

    Use extra distance, often a four-second gap. A motorcycle can fall suddenly, and the rider needs room that a following driver may not need behind an ordinary vehicle. Montana identifies following motorcycles as a situation that can require a four-second following distance, especially when pavement is wet or icy, roads are gravel, or surfaces are metal. One second sharply reduces recovery time. Cutting space on slippery pavement reverses the safety response. A fixed distance ignores speed and surface conditions. Use a landmark and count four seconds when the motorcycle passes it, then increase space if visibility or traction deteriorates.

12. 12. Why should a driver leave extra following space behind a truck or bus that may not see the vehicle?

    1. Trucks are required to travel below every posted limit
    2. The larger vehicle always has the right of way
    3. The larger vehicle may stop suddenly without knowing the follower is there
    4. A following driver must remain exactly one car length back
    Show answer

    The larger vehicle may stop suddenly without knowing the follower is there. A truck, bus, van, or vehicle pulling a camper or trailer may not be able to see a vehicle directly behind it. It could stop suddenly without knowing the following driver is there. Falling back provides more room to see ahead and react. The manual does not give the larger vehicle automatic priority in every situation, and it does not set a universal one-car-length rule. Extra space is a visibility and stopping buffer.

13. 13. What do Montana school speed limit signs indicate?

    1. A mandatory 5 mph limit whenever children are nearby
    2. A single 25 mph limit at every school
    3. That no speed change applies near a school
    4. Posted speeds or reduced speeds authorized by local authorities
    Show answer

    Posted speeds or reduced speeds authorized by local authorities. School speed limit signs identify a posted speed or a reduced speed authorized by the local authority. Montana therefore does not use one universal number for every school location. The 25 mph and 5 mph choices invent fixed statewide limits, while the no-change choice ignores the signs, markings, and flashing lights that signal a change. Read the roadside devices at each school zone and adjust accordingly.

14. 14. A Montana driver wants to park near a railroad crossing. What is the minimum distance?

    1. 15 feet
    2. 50 feet
    3. 30 feet
    4. 100 feet
    Show answer

    50 feet. Parking is prohibited within 50 feet of a railroad crossing in Montana. That space keeps parked vehicles from blocking the view of trains and from crowding the tracks. Fifteen feet is the fire hydrant distance and 30 feet is the distance for a traffic signal, stop sign, or yield sign, so both are too close here. The no parking list does not use 100 feet for anything. Parking on the railroad tracks themselves is also forbidden.

15. 15. How much should a Montana driver reduce speed on packed snow?

    1. About 5 mph
    2. About 10 mph
    3. Not at all if the tires are new
    4. Cut speed in half
    Show answer

    Cut speed in half. The manual gives rough speed cuts for slippery roads: reduce speed about 10 mph on a wet road, cut it in half on packed snow, and slow to a crawl on ice. A 10 mph reduction is the wet road guidance, so it is too little on packed snow, and 5 mph is even less. New tires do not remove the need to slow down. Use snow tires or chains when the road has snow on it.

16. 16. A Montana teen on a first-year restricted license is caught breaking a license restriction for the first time. What penalty does the manual set?

    1. An automatic six month license suspension
    2. A written warning with no penalty
    3. Between 20 and 60 hours of community service
    4. A $500 fine and loss of the license
    Show answer

    Between 20 and 60 hours of community service. Montana penalizes violations of the first-year restricted license, such as the 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. night limit or the passenger limit. A first offense brings between 20 and 60 hours of community service. The six month suspension is the penalty for a second offense, so it is too severe for a first. A warning with no consequence understates the rule, and the manual lists no $500 fine or license loss for a first violation. Repeat violations escalate quickly, so the restrictions deserve respect from the first day.

17. 17. What condition does Montana's sharp-right-turn warning sign identify?

    
    1. A four-way intersection ahead
    2. A sharp turn to the right in the road ahead
    3. A road that becomes one-way
    4. A railroad crossing immediately ahead
    Show answer

    A sharp turn to the right in the road ahead. The sharp-right-turn warning sign tells you that the roadway turns sharply right ahead. It is not an intersection sign, so the four-way choice would send your attention to crossing traffic that the symbol does not promise. It also does not announce one-way travel or a railroad crossing. Reduce speed before the turn, scan for opposing traffic, and keep the vehicle under control through the bend.

18. 18. What movement is prohibited by this sign?

    
    1. Continuing straight through the intersection
    2. Passing a vehicle in the same lane
    3. Turning right at the next intersection
    4. Turning about to travel in the opposite direction
    Show answer

    Turning about to travel in the opposite direction. The NO U TURN sign prohibits turning about so the vehicle travels in the opposite direction at that intersection. It does not ban ordinary passing, a right turn, or proceeding straight. A driver who needs to reverse direction must wait for a location where the maneuver is legal, visible, and safe. Do not interpret the curved arrow as a general turn restriction: the defining feature is that the maneuver reverses the vehicle's direction. Check for additional lane controls before choosing another turn.

19. 19. If the brake pedal stops working, which first response is recommended?

    1. Apply the parking brake sharply
    2. Turn off the ignition immediately at speed
    3. Pump the brake pedal several times
    4. Shift into reverse and steer toward traffic
    Show answer

    Pump the brake pedal several times. A loss of normal braking calls for a controlled sequence. Montana advises pumping the pedal several times because that may build enough pressure to stop. Snatching the parking brake can lock the rear wheels, and switching off the ignition at speed is not the first step listed for brake failure. Reverse gear is not an emergency stopping method. If pumping fails, use the parking brake gradually, then lower gears and a safe place off the road.

20. 20. At a traffic light, when may you turn right on red?

    
    1. Before stopping if no pedestrians are visible
    2. After stopping and confirming the turn is safe, unless prohibited
    3. Only when another driver waves you through
    4. Never under Montana rules
    Show answer

    After stopping and confirming the turn is safe, unless prohibited. A right turn on red is conditional, not automatic. Montana permits it after the vehicle has stopped, is in the proper lane, and the driver has determined that proceeding is safe, unless a sign prohibits the turn. Failing to stop makes the movement unlawful even on an empty-looking corner. A wave from another motorist cannot replace the signal, sign, or safety checks. Look left, right, and ahead for traffic, bicyclists, and pedestrians.