NM Permit Practice Test 5

All 20 questions in test 5

Every question below comes from the New Mexico 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 driver do when a traffic signal changes to steady yellow?

   1. Reverse away from the intersection before the light changes
   2. Accelerate every time to beat the red indication
   3. Stop if it can be done safely, otherwise continue cautiously through the intersection
   4. Stop abruptly even when already too close to stop safely
   Show answer

   Stop if it can be done safely, otherwise continue cautiously through the intersection. A yellow indication warns that the signal is about to turn red. The driver should stop when a controlled stop can be made safely, but should not create a rear-end or loss-of-control risk by braking abruptly at the line. The acceleration choice treats the warning as a race, while the reverse choice creates a new hazard. Check the distance to the stop line, brake smoothly when possible, and continue cautiously if stopping is no longer safe.

2. 2. If your headlights suddenly fail at night, what should you try first?

   1. Try the headlight switch a few times
   2. Keep driving with only the parking brake ready
   3. Turn off all vehicle lights immediately
   4. Brake hard in the travel lane
   Show answer

   Try the headlight switch a few times. For sudden headlight failure, the first listed action is to try the headlight switch several times. The problem may be a switch or connection issue, and restoring the lights keeps the driver visible long enough to get off the road. Braking hard in the travel lane can surprise drivers behind you, and turning off all lights removes the remaining ways others might see the vehicle. If the switch does not work, use emergency flashers, turn signals, or fog lights, then pull off as soon as possible.

3. 3. Which checks are required before changing lanes?

   
   1. The horn alone before crossing the lane line
   2. Only the rear-view mirror and a quick acceleration
   3. Hazard flashers without looking behind the vehicle
   4. Mirrors, a shoulder check for the blind spot, and a signal
   Show answer

   Mirrors, a shoulder check for the blind spot, and a signal. A safe lane change requires information from several viewing points. Check the rear-view and side mirrors, look over the shoulder in the direction of movement for a blind-spot vehicle, and signal the intended change. A mirror-only check can miss a vehicle beside the rear corner. Hazard lights and a horn do not tell you whether the destination lane is open. Look quickly so attention returns to the road ahead, then move only after the space is clear.

4. 4. What must a driver do before moving from a stop sign into the intersection?

   1. Wait for crossing vehicles and pedestrians to clear
   2. Move immediately because the stop sign gives priority
   3. Yield only to vehicles approaching from the left
   4. Proceed if the driver has waited two seconds
   Show answer

   Wait for crossing vehicles and pedestrians to clear. Stopping is only the first part of the stop-sign rule. After the vehicle is fully stopped, the driver must wait until crossing traffic and pedestrians have cleared, then pull forward only when the movement is safe. The sign does not grant an immediate priority over people already crossing, and a timed pause or left-side-only scan is not enough. Use the stop as a deliberate viewing point: check the full intersection, then enter when the path is open.

5. 5. What is the recommended response if a vehicle has a tire blowout?

   1. Accelerate to make the damaged tire spin faster
   2. Brake hard and turn sharply toward the shoulder
   3. Hold the steering wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator, and brake gently after control returns
   4. Release the steering wheel so the vehicle finds its path
   Show answer

   Hold the steering wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator, and brake gently after control returns. A blowout can pull the vehicle suddenly, so the first priority is maintaining directional control. Keep a firm grip, ease off the accelerator, and avoid a hard brake or sharp steering input until the vehicle is stable. Once control returns, brake gently and move off the roadway. Braking violently can worsen the loss of control, while acceleration and releasing the wheel surrender the driver’s ability to guide the vehicle. Remember: stabilize first, then slow and exit.

6. 6. What should a driver do before entering a railroad crossing?

   1. Slow down, look both ways along the tracks, and make sure there is room beyond the crossing
   2. Accelerate so the vehicle spends less time on the tracks
   3. Stop on the tracks if traffic beyond the crossing is backed up
   4. Shift gears while crossing to maintain engine power
   Show answer

   Slow down, look both ways along the tracks, and make sure there is room beyond the crossing. A railroad crossing demands a deliberate check of both directions and the space on the far side. Enter only when your vehicle can clear the rails without stopping. The acceleration choice focuses on speed while ignoring whether the exit is blocked, and stopping on the tracks creates a dangerous position. Reduce speed early, search for trains and warning signals, and keep the vehicle moving smoothly across once the route is open.

7. 7. What is the purpose of the yellow, usually diamond-shaped warning signs described in the manual?

   1. Authorize a driver to ignore a lane restriction
   2. Show the exact minimum speed required on the road
   3. Identify services such as hospitals and gas stations
   4. Warn drivers to slow down and prepare to stop if needed
   Show answer

   Warn drivers to slow down and prepare to stop if needed. Warning signs alert drivers to a special situation or hazard ahead. The manual says these signs are usually yellow and most are diamond shaped, and that drivers should slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary. Service signs identify facilities, while regulatory signs communicate rules such as speed or lane use. A warning sign does not grant permission to disregard another control. Treat the color and shape as an early cue to scan farther ahead and adjust before reaching the hazard.

8. 8. What license consequence can follow a New Mexico driver's refusal to take a BAC test requested by a police or traffic officer?

   1. A warning with no license consequence
   2. Loss of the driver license for one year
   3. A seven day license suspension only
   4. Permanent cancellation of every vehicle registration
   Show answer

   Loss of the driver license for one year. Refusing a requested BAC test can result in losing the driver license for one year. The consequence is tied to the refusal itself, so it is not limited to drivers who are later convicted of DWI. A warning or seven day suspension understates the stated period, while vehicle registration is a different credential. If an officer makes the request, remember that the manual describes a direct licensing consequence for refusing the test.

9. 9. How recent must a traffic record be when a driver applies for a New Mexico provisional license?

   1. The driver must have no traffic conviction in the preceding 12 months
   2. The driver must have no traffic conviction in the preceding 90 days
   3. The driver may have one conviction during the preceding 30 days
   4. The driver must wait until every older conviction is erased
   Show answer

   The driver must have no traffic conviction in the preceding 90 days. For a provisional license application, the manual requires no traffic conviction during the 90 days before applying. That is a lookback period, not a demand for a completely blank lifetime record or a full year without any citation. The 30 day option understates the required interval. Check the dates of convictions before scheduling the application, because the relevant question is whether one falls inside the preceding 90 days.

10. 10. A New Mexico driver is involved in a crash and drives away without giving their identity. What license consequence does the manual list?

    1. None, if no one was injured
    2. A fine only, with no license action
    3. A requirement to retake the vision test
    4. The driver can lose driving privileges
    Show answer

    The driver can lose driving privileges. Leaving the scene of an accident you are involved in without identifying yourself is on the manual's list of reasons for losing driving privileges. The rule is not limited to crashes with injuries, so the no injury excuse fails. A fine with no license action understates what the manual lists. A vision test is unrelated. The manual adds that a driver in any accident must stop, and if a parked vehicle is hit the driver must try to find the owner or leave a note with contact details and the date and time.

11. 11. If an emergency vehicle approaches while you are already inside an intersection, when should you pull over?

    1. Immediately, even if you stop in the intersection
    2. Only after the emergency vehicle passes you
    3. After driving through the intersection, then pull over to the right
    4. By turning left into the nearest side street
    Show answer

    After driving through the intersection, then pull over to the right. An approaching emergency vehicle using the required siren, air horn, or flashing red or blue light needs a clear path. If you are already in an intersection, finish crossing it before pulling to the right edge or as close to the right as possible. Stopping in the intersection can block the emergency vehicle and create another hazard. Look for a safe place beyond the intersection, signal your move, and remain stopped until the vehicle has passed.

12. 12. A New Mexico instructional permit holder is learning to ride a motorcycle. Where must the licensed supervising driver be?

    1. Following the learner
    2. Riding as a passenger on the learner's motorcycle
    3. Riding ahead of the learner to lead the way
    4. Waiting at the end of the practice route
    Show answer

    Following the learner. For motorcycles, New Mexico reverses the car arrangement: the licensed driver must follow the learner. In every other vehicle the supervisor sits in the right front seat, but a motorcycle has no such seat beside the rider, so riding as a passenger is not the stated rule. Leading from ahead puts the supervisor where the learner cannot be watched. Waiting at the end of a route is no supervision at all while the learner is riding. The supervisor must still be at least 21 and licensed for that type of vehicle.

13. 13. What maximum speed does the New Mexico manual list within a school zone with a posted speed limit?

    1. 10 mph
    2. 15 mph
    3. 20 mph
    4. 25 mph
    Show answer

    15 mph. The manual's speed table lists 15 mph within a school zone with a posted speed limit. Ten mph is lower than the listed figure. Twenty and 25 mph are higher than the figure in New Mexico's table. The same table lists 30 mph in business or residential areas, 55 mph on public highways, and 75 mph on rural interstates, unless posted otherwise.

14. 14. You miss your exit on a New Mexico highway. What does the manual say about backing up in the travel lane?

    1. It is allowed if you use your flashers
    2. It is allowed on the shoulder only
    3. It is allowed if no car is within 200 feet
    4. It is illegal; go on to where you can safely turn around
    Show answer

    It is illegal; go on to where you can safely turn around. The manual says never back a vehicle in any travel lane except to parallel park; it is illegal and unsafe. If you miss your turn or exit, go on to where you can safely turn around. Flashers do not make backing legal. Driving on the shoulder is not allowed unless officials direct it, so backing there is no fix. No distance rule allows backing in a travel lane, because drivers do not expect a vehicle backing toward them.

15. 15. How long must a driver have held a provisional license immediately before applying for an unrestricted driver license?

    1. Six months
    2. Nine months
    3. 12 months
    4. 24 months
    Show answer

    12 months. New Mexico requires the driver to have held a provisional license for the 12 month period immediately preceding the unrestricted license application. Six and nine months fall short, while 24 months doubles the stated period. This is a continuous preceding period, not merely time accumulated at any point in the driver's history. Keep the duration distinct from the separate requirement that the applicant have no recent traffic conviction and no pending traffic violations.

16. 16. When should a driver enter an intersection that is partly blocked by traffic ahead?

    1. After stopping in the center to wait for space
    2. Whenever the signal is green, even if the exit is blocked
    3. Only when there is room to get through without stopping
    4. Only after another driver waves the vehicle forward
    Show answer

    Only when there is room to get through without stopping. The driver should wait until traffic ahead clears enough space to cross the entire intersection without stopping. Entering a blocked intersection can trap the vehicle across the crossing and interfere with traffic moving from another direction. A green signal does not guarantee an open exit, and a wave from another motorist cannot replace the driver's responsibility to judge the path. Look across the intersection before moving, especially when stopped. The simple cue is to keep the vehicle behind the line until the far side can receive it completely.

17. 17. What does a small bright blinking light in the middle of a red traffic signal tell you?

    1. It alerts you that the red light means you must stop
    2. It allows a driver to treat the light as green
    3. It marks a lane reserved only for buses
    4. It warns that the signal is out of service
    Show answer

    It alerts you that the red light means you must stop. A small bright blinking light inside the red indication is an added alert, not permission to proceed. Its purpose is to draw attention to the red light and the duty to stop. Treating it as green reverses the signal, and a bus lane sign would be posted separately rather than hidden inside the red lens. It also is not the same as a dark or failed signal. The cue is the red display itself: stop, then wait for the lawful signal or allowed turn movement.

18. 18. What should the winding road sign remind a driver to do before entering the first curve?

    
    1. Speed up until the road straightens
    2. Brake hardest while inside the curve
    3. Use the shoulder through the curve
    4. Slow before entering the curve
    Show answer

    Slow before entering the curve. A winding road sign warns that curves are coming, so speed should be reduced before the vehicle enters the first bend. Braking hard after the vehicle is already in a curve can take grip away from the tires and start a skid. The shoulder is not a travel path, and speeding up would leave less margin for the next turn. A good cue is the first change in direction on the sign: adjust early while the wheels are still straight and traction is easiest to manage.

19. 19. When should the driver respond to the slippery-when-wet warning?

    
    1. By maintaining speed until the vehicle begins to skid
    2. By reducing speed when rain or another condition makes the roadway slippery
    3. By braking hard while entering the wettest section
    4. By moving onto the shoulder to avoid all roadway traffic
    Show answer

    By reducing speed when rain or another condition makes the roadway slippery. Slippery When Wet is shown as a warning sign, and the manual specifically says to reduce speed when the roadway is slippery, including during rain, snow, or ice. The driver should respond before traction is lost, not wait for a skid. Hard braking on the slick section can worsen control, while the shoulder is not a general escape lane. Ease off the accelerator, increase following distance, and steer smoothly. The sign is an advance cue to prepare for reduced grip.

20. 20. At a four-way stop, which driver goes first when vehicles arrive at different times?

    
    1. The driver in the largest vehicle
    2. The driver who reached the intersection first
    3. The driver approaching from the left
    4. The driver who flashes headlights first
    Show answer

    The driver who reached the intersection first. At a four way stop, the driver who reaches the intersection first goes first after coming to a complete stop. Vehicle size, approach from the left, and a headlight signal do not establish priority. If vehicles arrive at the same time, the vehicle on the right goes first. Make the complete stop before applying this order, and remain alert for pedestrians or another road user who may not follow the expected sequence.