Massachusetts RMV Permit Practice Test 38
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. Is it acceptable to watch a video on a screen positioned where you can see it while driving?
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Answer B: No, the screen pulls your eyes and attention away from the road
Moving pictures are among the strongest visual distractions. Video screens must be out of the driver's view while the vehicle is moving.
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2. Someone has stepped into a marked crosswalk in the middle of a block ahead of you. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down, stop before the markings and let the person cross the street
A marked mid-block crosswalk carries the same duty as one at a corner: give way to the person crossing, stopping if that is what letting them cross safely takes.
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3. Your lane is ending ahead in slow, heavy traffic and drivers in the next lane are already bumper to bumper. What is the recommended way to merge?
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Answer C: Take turns, one vehicle from each lane at the merge point
Alternating one for one at the merge point keeps both lanes moving and is the safest way to combine slow traffic.
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4. A live power line is lying on your car and the car has caught fire, so you must get out. How should you leave it?
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Answer D: Jump clear without touching the car and ground at once, then shuffle away
Touching the vehicle and the ground together makes you the path to earth, and long strides can bridge the voltage spread through the ground.
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5. The inside of your windshield keeps fogging up on a cold, damp day. What clears it best?
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Answer B: The defroster with the air conditioning on, which dries the air
Fog on the inside is moisture from the cabin air. The air conditioner dries that air, and the defroster warms the glass, so together they clear it and keep it clear.
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6. Which surfaces usually offer less grip than the pavement around them when wet?
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Answer B: Painted markings, metal plates and bridge decks
Paint, steel and bridge decks all shed grip when wet or cold, so brake before you reach them rather than on top of them.
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7. You have stopped on an uphill grade close behind a large truck at a traffic signal. What is the risk?
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Answer B: The truck may roll back into you when it starts to move
Heavy vehicles can roll backward a short distance when the driver moves from the brake to the accelerator on a hill. Leave extra room when stopped behind a truck on a grade.
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8. What is the fastest a moped may be driven on a Massachusetts road?
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Answer D: 25 mph
A moped may be built for a top speed of 30 mph but may not actually be driven faster than 25 mph.
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9. You realize you have driven several miles without remembering any of it. What kind of distraction is this?
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Answer C: Cognitive distraction, because your mind was not on driving
Daydreaming or being lost in thought is a cognitive distraction. Your eyes may be on the road, but your brain is not processing what they see.
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10. A driver is thinking about overtaking a slower vehicle and sees this sign a short distance ahead. What does it mean for that pass?
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Answer B: The pass must be finished before the restricted section begins
The sign marks the start of a section where passing is prohibited, so a driver may not be on the left side of the road beyond it; any pass has to be completed before that point or not started at all.
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11. What is the fine for a first offense of parking in a Massachusetts space reserved for disabled persons or disabled veterans?
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Answer C: 300 dollars
A first offense costs 300 dollars, while wrongfully using a disabled person or veteran plate or placard costs at least 500 dollars.
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12. Once you are moving, which way of using a navigation device costs you the least attention?
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Answer B: Listening to the spoken directions
Voice guidance lets you keep your eyes on the road, while anything that needs the screen takes glances that add up over a trip.
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13. What fine does a Massachusetts open container conviction carry for a driver over 21?
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Answer C: 100 to 500 dollars
Having an open alcoholic drink inside the vehicle, even in a passenger's hands, brings a fine within a set band for a driver over 21.
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14. What corrected visual acuity in the better eye does Massachusetts require for a full Class D or Class M license?
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Answer A: 20/40
A full license requires at least 20/40 corrected acuity in the better eye together with at least 120 degrees of horizontal peripheral vision.
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15. How should speed and following distance be adjusted beyond this sign?
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Answer D: Cut speed and leave a longer gap, because traffic can stop without warning
Traffic in these areas stops and starts unexpectedly and there is little room to steer around a problem, so extra space is what prevents a rear-end collision.
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16. A truck ahead of you is spreading salt or grit on the road. What should you do?
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Answer B: Drop back so the material does not reach your car
Spreaders throw material backward and sideways, and following close means stone chips and a screen full of spray, so leave extra distance.
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17. Why can an oncoming vehicle that looks comfortably far away leave you far less room than you expect?
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Answer D: You and that vehicle close the gap at the sum of both your speeds
Two vehicles approaching at 55 mph each close the distance between them at about 110 mph, so the gap disappears in half the time you would expect.
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18. Your right wheels have dropped onto a soft shoulder. Why should you not steer straight back onto the pavement?
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Answer A: The tires can catch the pavement edge and throw you across the road
A tire pressed against the edge of the pavement climbs it suddenly, and at speed that jolt can send the vehicle across the center line.
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19. Besides a chemical test, what else supports an impaired driving charge?
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Answer B: The officer's observations of the driving and the driver
Weaving, slow responses, speech and balance observed by the officer are evidence in their own right, which is why a driver can be charged on behavior alone.
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20. You decide to turn around using a driveway on your right. What is the safer way to do it?
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Answer C: Stop past the driveway, reverse into it, then pull out and drive away
Passing the driveway and backing in means you reverse off the roadway and then rejoin traffic facing forward, with a full view of both directions.
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21. You are using the parking brake to slow a vehicle whose brakes have failed. How should you apply it?
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Answer D: Gradually, holding the release so you can let it off if the rear slides
The parking brake works on two wheels only, so applying it hard can lock them and spin the vehicle. Keep the release held so you can back it off instantly.
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22. Where should you be looking as you back into a parallel parking space?
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Answer B: Over your shoulder through the rear window, glancing all around
Mirrors and cameras leave blind areas, so turn and look through the rear window while checking the front of your car and both sides as it swings.
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23. What is wrong with steering through a turn using the palm of one hand on the wheel?
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Answer D: You have less control and cannot correct quickly if something goes wrong
One-handed palming gives poor leverage and slow response. Use hand-to-hand or hand-over-hand steering with both hands so you can react instantly.
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24. What is the safest way to pass a bicyclist on a road with two lanes going your way?
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Answer D: Change lanes completely, as you would for a car
A bicycle is entitled to the room a vehicle needs, and moving into the next lane gives the rider space to swerve around a drain or a pothole.
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25. Besides a longer suspension, what must a Massachusetts junior operator complete after a second violation of the passenger or night restriction?
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Answer A: A Driver Attitudinal Retraining course
A second or subsequent violation of the passenger or night restriction requires the junior operator to complete a Driver Attitudinal Retraining course.