Maryland MVA Permit Practice Test 10
Test 10 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 22 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Maryland test.
- Questions25
- Correct to pass22
- Passing score88%
- Minimum age15 years 9 months
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1. 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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2. Alcohol is classified as which kind of drug?
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Answer B: A depressant that slows the central nervous system
As a depressant, alcohol slows the brain and nervous system, which lengthens reaction time and dulls the coordination that driving depends on.
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3. A freeway sign reads BUSES ONLY ON SHOULDER 6 AM TO 9 AM. Who may drive on the shoulder then?
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Answer A: Only the vehicles named on the sign, during the hours shown
Shoulder running is granted by the sign to the class of vehicle and the hours the sign names, and it does not turn the shoulder into a general travel lane.
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4. When does a Maryland driver's license issued to a licensee under 21 expire?
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Answer D: No later than 60 days after the licensee's 21st birthday
Maryland ends a young driver's license shortly after the 21st birthday so that the markings and the alcohol restriction it carries can be replaced.
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5. You have a green light and an ambulance with lights and siren enters the intersection against its red. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stop and let the ambulance go through
An emergency vehicle answering a call may cross against a red, and every other driver yields to it whatever their own signal shows.
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6. What makes a left turn protected rather than permissive?
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Answer B: Oncoming traffic is held by a red signal while you have a green arrow
A protected turn is one where the conflicting movements are stopped by their own signal, which is what the green arrow indicates.
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7. How do you avoid the sharp nod at the end of a stop?
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Answer A: Ease the pedal pressure off slightly just before the vehicle stops
The nod comes from the suspension unloading at the instant the wheels stop. Releasing a little pressure at the end lets the vehicle settle smoothly.
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8. A driver slows to walking pace at this sign, never stops rolling and eases into the intersection. How is that treated?
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Answer B: It is a violation, because the vehicle never came to a complete halt
What is required is a full halt with the wheels no longer turning, so slowing down, however carefully, does not satisfy it.
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9. Why is repeatedly changing lanes to work through heavy traffic a poor idea?
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Answer A: It raises the crash risk and saves almost no time
Each lane change adds a conflict with another vehicle, and in congestion the lanes move at similar average speeds, so the gain is negligible.
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10. Which trailer lights must work before you drive away?
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Answer B: The tail lights, brake lights and turn signals
The trailer hides the vehicle lights from anyone behind, so its own tail, brake and turn signals have to work before you move.
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11. How long does a Maryland licensee have to notify the MVA in writing of a change of address?
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Answer A: Within 30 days of the change
Maryland requires written notice of the former and new address, with the license number, within 30 days of the move.
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12. What is the usual result of driving well above the flow of traffic on a typical trip?
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Answer B: Very little time saved, with much greater risk
Signals, traffic and short distances swallow the theoretical gain, while crash risk and crash severity both climb sharply with speed.
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13. An orange sign reads RIGHT LANE CLOSED AHEAD. What is the correct response?
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Answer A: Move left in good time and keep a steady pace
The sign is placed well before the taper so that drivers can merge smoothly rather than braking hard where the lane actually closes.
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14. How does being tired change your total stopping distance?
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Answer A: It lengthens it, because you take longer to notice and react
Fatigue stretches perception and reaction time, and every extra fraction of a second is added distance before the brakes even begin to work.
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15. What is meant by keeping a space cushion?
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Answer C: Keeping open space on all sides of your vehicle so you always have somewhere to go
Open space ahead, behind and to the sides gives you time to react and an escape path when a hazard appears, which is the core idea of defensive driving.
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16. What does a NARROW BRIDGE warning sign tell a driver?
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Answer A: The bridge is tighter than the road leading up to it
A narrow bridge still carries both directions, but with much less clearance than the approaches, so drivers should slow and hold their lane position carefully.
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17. Where is this sign normally installed?
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Answer A: At an island or other obstruction in the roadway, to show which side traffic must take
It is placed at a divider, island or fixed obstruction so that drivers approaching it know without hesitating which side to pass on.
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18. You are stopped at a stop sign waiting to turn onto a highway where traffic moves at 55 mph. How should you choose your gap?
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Answer A: Wait for a much larger gap than the one you would accept on a city street
Fast traffic covers ground while you are still accelerating, so the gap that feels adequate at 25 mph is dangerously short at highway speed.
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19. How many points does Maryland assess for failing to stop for a school vehicle with its alternately flashing red lights on?
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Answer D: 3 points
Maryland assesses 3 points for this offense, the same total it assigns to a moving violation that contributes to a collision.
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20. You hold steady pressure on the brake pedal for the whole of a long descent. What is likely to happen?
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Answer B: The brakes overheat and fade, so they slow you less and less
Continuous braking heats the brakes until they fade and lose effectiveness; use a lower gear and short, firm applications instead.
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21. Permanent signs must be retroreflective or lighted so that
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Answer A: they show the same shape and color at night as by day
Retroreflective sheeting throws headlight light back to the driver, so a sign keeps its daytime shape and color after dark.
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22. A driver is tailgating you. Why is it a bad idea to tap or stab the brakes to warn them?
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Answer C: Because it cuts the little space they have and can cause a crash
Brake checking removes the small margin the tailgater has left and can provoke a collision; add space in front of you instead and let them pass.
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23. A notification appears on your smart watch while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer B: Treat it as you would a phone and leave it
A watch screen demands the same eyes and the same attention as a phone, and a wrist is no safer a place to read a message than a dashboard.
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24. A driver's destination lies along the street to the right, and this sign stands at that corner. How should the driver reach it?
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Answer D: By going on and using a later intersection where turning is allowed
When a movement is barred at one corner the driver has to reroute, normally by continuing and coming back to the destination from a permitted approach.
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25. The low sun is directly ahead and glare makes it hard to see. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down, use the sun visor or sunglasses, and increase following distance
Sun glare can hide pedestrians, brake lights and signals. Reducing speed and adding space gives you time to react to what you cannot yet see.