Massachusetts RMV Permit Practice Test 1
Test 1 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 18 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Massachusetts test.
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. What minimum speed applies on the Massachusetts Turnpike?
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Answer D: 40 mph
The Massachusetts Turnpike carries a minimum speed of 40 mph, and drivers who slow traffic can be ordered off the road by a police officer.
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2. Which effect appears as a drinker's blood alcohol level climbs well past the first drinks?
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Answer D: Loss of muscle control and steady steering
Higher levels of alcohol reach the parts of the brain that control movement, which shows up as clumsy steering, late braking and poor lane control.
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3. You are traveling in the same direction as a funeral procession and want to get ahead of it. What should you not do?
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Answer B: Driving in between the vehicles of the procession
Most states prohibit driving into or through a funeral procession, and cutting into the line leaves the drivers behind with no lead vehicle to follow, so go around only where passing is permitted.
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4. Your engine stalls while you are driving in traffic. What is the correct response?
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Answer A: Shift to neutral, try to restart it, and steer and brake toward the side of the road
With the engine off, power steering and power brake assistance fade, so steering and braking take more effort but still work. Neutral lets you attempt a restart while you coast to safety.
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5. Massachusetts drivers under 21 face administrative sanctions after a chemical test showing which blood alcohol content?
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Answer A: 0.02 or higher
The criminal standard stays at 0.08 for every driver, but a driver under 21 faces administrative penalties at a blood alcohol content as low as 0.02.
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6. Beyond the hours around sunset and sunrise, when does Massachusetts law require headlights?
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Answer A: Whenever the windshield wipers are in use
Headlights and taillights are required whenever the windshield wipers are being used, and daytime running lights do not satisfy the rule.
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7. How long must a Massachusetts applicant under 18 hold a learner's permit before taking the road test?
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Answer D: Six consecutive months
The permit must be held for at least six consecutive months, and any suspension invalidates the permit so the six month period starts over.
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8. Your navigation device tells you to turn where a road sign says the turn is closed. What should you do?
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Answer B: Follow the signs and what you can see
A device works from stored data that can be out of date, while signs and the road in front of you show the situation now, so the road wins every time.
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9. What does Massachusetts require before a car can be registered?
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Answer B: An auto policy with the compulsory coverages
A vehicle cannot be registered in Massachusetts until the owner holds an automobile insurance policy carrying at least the compulsory coverages.
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10. On which Massachusetts roads may a low speed vehicle be driven?
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Answer A: Any road with a speed limit of 30 mph or lower
A low speed vehicle may not be used on a limited access or express state highway, nor on any road posted above 30 mph.
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11. What is the Personal Injury Protection limit required on a Massachusetts auto policy?
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Answer D: 8,000 dollars
Personal Injury Protection stayed where it was when the liability minimums rose, and it covers medical expenses plus up to 75 percent of lost wages.
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12. Two lanes at the corner are marked for right turns. What does that require of you?
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Answer A: Keep your own lane through the turn and into the matching new lane
Dual turn lanes work only if each vehicle stays in its own lane all the way round and finishes in the corresponding lane of the new street.
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13. A Massachusetts Junior Operator License is issued to applicants in which age range?
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Answer C: 16 and a half to 18 years old
Applicants between 16 and a half and 18 years old receive a Junior Operator License instead of a full driver's license.
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14. The crossbuck, formed by two rectangular arms crossed in an X, is placed
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Answer D: on each highway approach to a railroad grade crossing
The crossbuck marks the location of a highway-rail grade crossing and is required on each highway approach to that crossing.
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15. A driver behind you on a two-lane road clearly wants to pass. Why should you not wave that driver past?
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Answer B: You cannot see the whole road ahead for them and they may rely on your signal
Waving another driver out invites them to trust your judgment of a road you cannot see well enough, and the decision to pass belongs to the driver making it.
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16. How much may the side and rear windows be darkened on a Massachusetts passenger vehicle?
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Answer B: Up to 35 percent
Side and rear windows may be darkened up to 35 percent, while tinting the windshield is illegal outright.
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17. You are traveling a long distance on a highway with three lanes in your direction, at about the speed of the surrounding traffic. Which lane is generally the best choice?
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Answer C: The center lane, which keeps you clear of merging traffic and of overtaking traffic
On a three-lane roadway the center lane avoids both the ramp traffic on the right and the overtaking traffic on the left, so it usually has the steadiest flow.
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18. Does using a hands free device remove the risk of distraction?
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Answer A: No, the conversation still takes attention away from driving
Hands free equipment removes the manual part of the distraction but not the mental part, and a driver deep in conversation can look straight at a hazard without registering it.
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19. When must a Massachusetts driver stop for a school bus displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop sign?
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Answer C: No matter which side of the road the driver is on
Drivers must stop regardless of their direction of travel, and the only exception is a bus stopped on the other side of a divided highway with a barrier between the travel directions.
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20. Your vehicle has broken down at night on a rural road and your phone has no signal. What is the safest thing to do?
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Answer C: Stay with the vehicle, keep the hazard lights on and wait for help
A lit vehicle is far easier to find than a person walking in the dark, and running the engine while you sleep risks carbon monoxide.
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21. Seven surchargeable events within a three year period lead to which penalty in Massachusetts?
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Answer A: An automatic 60 day suspension
Seven surchargeable events inside three years result in an automatic 60 day license suspension.
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22. Which of these would appear as a symbol on a blue general service sign?
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Answer A: A hospital
General service signs cover facilities such as hospitals, fuel, food, lodging, camping, telephones and rest areas, all shown in white on blue.
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23. You drive away and the car feels sluggish while a warning light glows on the dash. What is a likely cause?
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Answer B: The parking brake was left partly applied
Driving with the parking brake partly on overheats the rear brakes and can ruin them, so release it fully and check that the warning light goes out.
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24. At a railroad crossing with no gates and no flashing lights, the crossbuck is normally combined with which sign?
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Answer C: A yield sign, or a stop sign where an engineering study calls for one
At a passive crossing the crossbuck forms an assembly with a yield sign, or with a stop sign when an engineering study or engineering judgment supports it, so the driver knows who must give way to the train.
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25. Within what period must an applicant appeal after receiving a written denial of a Massachusetts permit, license or ID application?
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Answer D: Within ten days
An appeal must be filed within ten days of the written denial, and the time an informal review takes does not extend that period.