New Jersey MVC 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 40 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real New Jersey test.
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
-
1. You are waiting to turn left and a motorcycle is approaching from the opposite direction. Why should you take extra care judging its speed and distance?
Show answer
Answer A: Its small size makes it look farther away and slower than it really is
A motorcycle's narrow profile fools the eye, so drivers often misjudge how soon it will arrive. Left turns across an oncoming motorcycle are a leading cause of rider deaths.
-
2. What must a New Jersey motorist do on seeing a person crossing with a white or metallic cane or a guide dog?
Show answer
Answer B: Stop and give the right of way
New Jersey law requires motorists to stop and yield to a blind pedestrian using a white or metallic cane or a guide dog, and to guide dog instructors at work.
-
3. You are driving on a road covered with a layer of wet fallen leaves. What should you expect?
Show answer
Answer B: As little grip as on ice, plus hidden markings and hidden holes
Wet leaves are as slippery as ice and they hide the lane lines and any potholes underneath, so slow well before curves and stops.
-
4. Unless a sign says otherwise, what speed limit applies in a New Jersey suburban business or residential district?
Show answer
Answer C: 35 mph
Suburban business and residential districts default to 35 mph, ten above the limit set for ordinary business and residential districts.
-
5. A train has just cleared a crossing that carries two sets of tracks. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer B: Wait and look both ways for a second train
A passing train hides a second train on the other track, so wait until the signals stop and you can see that both tracks are clear.
-
6. What proof of insurance must stay with a vehicle registered in New Jersey?
Show answer
Answer D: A New Jersey insurance identification card, which may be shown electronically
The insurer issues a New Jersey identification card for each insured vehicle, and it must be produced at inspection, after a crash or at a traffic stop; an electronic version is accepted.
-
7. On an undivided two-lane road you meet a school bus coming toward you with its red lights flashing and its stop arm out. What must you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Stop and wait until the red lights stop flashing
On an undivided road drivers in both directions must stop for a school bus loading or unloading, because children may cross in front of it.
-
8. A driver who has been drinking has two cups of strong coffee. What has changed?
Show answer
Answer D: The driver is more awake but just as impaired
Coffee can make a drinker feel alert, but nothing except time removes alcohol from the blood, so a wide awake drinker is still an impaired driver.
-
9. Two people drink the same amount of alcohol at the same time. Why might their blood alcohol concentrations differ?
Show answer
Answer C: Body weight, gender and food in the stomach affect the concentration
Smaller people and, on average, women reach higher concentrations from the same amount of alcohol, and an empty stomach speeds absorption. Counting drinks alone does not tell you your level.
-
10. You are starting from a stop on a snowy, icy street and the drive wheels begin to spin. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and start again more gently
Spinning tires polish the surface and dig in. Very gentle pressure on the accelerator, and a higher gear if you have one, gives the tires the best chance to grip.
-
11. How many points does New Jersey add for leaving the scene of a crash in which someone was injured?
Show answer
Answer C: 8 points
Leaving the scene carries two points when there is no personal injury and eight points when there is.
-
12. A large truck ahead of you in a roundabout is using part of both lanes as it goes around. What is the correct response?
Show answer
Answer B: Stay back and give it room until it leaves the roundabout
Long vehicles need extra width to get around the central island, so drivers behind must hold back rather than share the space beside them.
-
13. On a two-way street, where and how should you park at the curb?
Show answer
Answer C: On the right side, facing the way traffic moves
On a two-way street you must park on the right, headed in the direction of travel; parking facing traffic is prohibited.
-
14. The vehicle you have borrowed is larger and heavier than your own. How should you drive it?
Show answer
Answer B: Allow more room for stopping and for turns until you are used to it
Extra weight and length mean longer stopping distances and wider turns, so give yourself more room until you are used to it.
-
15. What visual acuity must an applicant for a New Jersey basic driver license meet, with or without corrective lenses?
Show answer
Answer A: 20/50
New Jersey screens basic license applicants at 20/50; the stricter standard applies only to commercial applicants.
-
16. At an intersection that uses a lagging left turn, when is the left-turn arrow displayed?
Show answer
Answer B: After the through movement has run
A lagging left turn phase runs at the end of the green rather than the start, so a driver waiting to turn should not assume the arrow has been missed.
-
17. What is the fine for a first New Jersey offense of carrying an open alcoholic beverage container in a vehicle's passenger area?
Show answer
Answer D: $200
The first offense costs $200; later offenses cost $250 or ten days of community service, and the same rule covers unsealed cannabis items.
-
18. What uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage does the New Jersey Basic Policy include?
Show answer
Answer C: None at all
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is unavailable on the Basic Policy; on a standard policy it may be bought up to the liability limits selected.
-
19. Which trailer lights must work before you drive away?
Show answer
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.
-
20. A pedestrian using a white cane or walking with a guide dog starts to cross the street ahead of you. What must you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Yield and stay stopped until the person has finished crossing
A white cane or guide dog identifies a pedestrian who may not be able to see your vehicle, so you must yield and wait rather than maneuver around the person. The horn can confuse the pedestrian or the dog.
-
21. Where should a rear-facing infant seat never be placed?
Show answer
Answer C: In a front seat with an active passenger air bag
A deploying front air bag strikes the back of a rear-facing seat with enormous force. Rear-facing seats belong in the back seat.
-
22. How does marijuana affect a driver?
Show answer
Answer C: It slows reaction time and impairs judgment of time and distance
Marijuana impairs coordination, attention and the ability to judge speed and distance. Driving while impaired by it is illegal everywhere, even where its use is legal.
-
23. What is sensible when you drive in an unfamiliar town for the first time?
Show answer
Answer C: Drive a little slower and give yourself more time to read the signs
In unfamiliar surroundings you need longer to take in signs, junctions and markings, and lower speed buys that time.
-
24. The low sun is directly ahead and glare makes it hard to see. What should you do?
Show answer
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.
-
25. You want to turn right from a lane marked for through traffic and right turns, and the driver behind you wants to go straight. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Signal, stay in the lane and make the turn when it is safe
A shared lane is the correct place to turn right from, so signal early and turn from the lane; the driver behind must wait or use another lane.
-
26. A reduced speed limit posted with this sign and a plaque giving hours is in force
Show answer
Answer C: during the hours shown on the plaque, or while the beacon is flashing
A school speed limit applies during the periods stated on the plaque or while the attached beacon flashes, and the regular limit governs outside those periods.
-
27. A crash happens directly in front of you and vehicles are blocking both lanes. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer B: Stop at a safe distance, put on the hazards and warn the traffic behind
The greatest danger after a crash is a second collision, so stop short of it and make sure the traffic behind you can see the problem.
-
28. You are following a large truck on a two-lane road and cannot see past it. What should you do before deciding to pass?
Show answer
Answer D: Drop back so that your view of the road ahead opens up
Distance is what buys you a view around a large vehicle, and no decision to pass can be made from a position where you cannot see.
-
29. Why is it worth planning your route before a long drive?
Show answer
Answer B: So that you are not reading a map or a screen while the car is moving
A driver who knows the route is not navigating at the wheel, which is one of the commonest sources of distraction.
-
30. Why should you stay out of an intersection you cannot clear, even on a green light?
Show answer
Answer B: Because you would block cross traffic when their signal turns green
A vehicle stranded in the intersection blocks the cross street when its light turns green, which stalls the whole junction and traps emergency vehicles.
-
31. How long must an ignition interlock stay fitted after restoration for a first New Jersey offense at a BAC of 0.08 to under 0.10 percent?
Show answer
Answer A: Three months
The lowest first-offense band carries a three-month interlock requirement running from the date the driving privilege is restored.
-
32. A city transit bus ahead of you has stopped at the curb with its passenger door open. What does the law require of you?
Show answer
Answer D: Nothing special, but pass slowly and watch for people
The mandatory stop applies to a school bus showing red flashing lights, not to a transit bus, though a careful driver still slows for crossing passengers.
-
33. Once you have parallel parked, how close to the curb should your wheels be?
Show answer
Answer C: Within the distance your state allows, commonly 12 to 18 inches
Parking close to and parallel with the curb keeps the vehicle out of the traffic lane without damaging the tires; each state sets the exact maximum, usually 12 inches and 18 inches in some states.
-
34. How many penalty points follow a New Jersey conviction for improperly passing a stopped school bus?
Show answer
Answer C: 5 points
Improperly passing a stopped school bus is a five-point violation in New Jersey, one point more than improperly passing a frozen dessert truck.
-
35. How does New Jersey enforce the seat belt rule for unbelted rear seat passengers aged 18 or over?
Show answer
Answer D: As a secondary offense, ticketed only if the vehicle is stopped for another reason
Rear seat occupants 18 and over may be summonsed only when the vehicle has been stopped for some other reason; the front seat and under-18 rules are primary offenses.
-
36. 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?
Show answer
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.
-
37. You are about to drive a rental car that you have never driven before. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Adjust the seat and the mirrors and find the controls before moving off
Hunting for the wipers or the lights in traffic is a distraction, so learn the layout while the vehicle is stopped.
-
38. A vehicle in the lane beside you has stopped at a crosswalk. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Stop as well, because that driver may be yielding to a pedestrian you cannot see
The stopped vehicle hides the crosswalk from you, and passing it is a leading cause of collisions with pedestrians who are already crossing.
-
39. Your wiper blades smear the windshield instead of clearing it. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Replace the blades, because smearing means that the rubber is worn
Worn or hardened rubber cannot wipe cleanly, and blades are cheap compared with driving without a clear view.
-
40. How is the yield sign shaped and colored?
Show answer
Answer C: A downward-pointing triangle with a wide red border and a red legend on white
The yield sign is a downward-pointing equilateral triangle with a wide red border and the legend in red on a white background, an outline used for no other message.
-
41. Why is backing up on a freeway or on its shoulder prohibited?
Show answer
Answer A: Traffic arrives far too fast to expect a vehicle moving the wrong way
Freeway traffic closes on a stopped or reversing vehicle at highway speed and has almost no time to react to something moving against the flow.
-
42. How many New Jersey penalty points does a tailgating conviction carry?
Show answer
Answer D: 5 points
Following too closely is one of New Jersey's five-point offenses, alongside reckless driving and racing on a highway.
-
43. A school sign paired with a plaque showing a diagonal downward-pointing arrow is installed
Show answer
Answer D: at the school crossing itself, or as close to it as possible
The diagonal downward arrow points at the crossing, so this assembly is placed at the crossing location rather than in advance of it.
-
44. What is wrong with steering through a turn using the palm of one hand on the wheel?
Show answer
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.
-
45. What is the usual result of driving well above the flow of traffic on a typical trip?
Show answer
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.
-
46. What penalties does New Jersey impose on a driver under 21 caught with a BAC of at least 0.01 but under 0.08 percent?
Show answer
Answer A: A 30 to 90 day suspension plus 15 to 30 days of community service
The underage offense brings a 30 to 90 day suspension, 15 to 30 days of community service and an alcohol education or IDRC program.
-
47. Which warning sign keeps its yellow background even when it is used inside a work zone?
Show answer
Answer D: The grade crossing advance warning sign
The round grade crossing advance warning sign keeps its black legend on yellow inside temporary traffic control zones because the railroad hazard it describes is not temporary.
-
48. You are passing a line of slow traffic in the lane beside you and you notice a gap in that line ahead. What should you expect?
Show answer
Answer A: A vehicle may pull out of that gap into your lane
A gap in a slow line is an invitation to any driver waiting to turn out of a side street or to change lanes, and they are looking at the gap rather than at you.
-
49. A yellow sign ahead of an underpass reads LOW CLEARANCE 12 FT 6 IN. What does the figure tell you?
Show answer
Answer B: The greatest height that can pass beneath the structure
The figure is the actual clearance available, so a vehicle taller than that must leave the road and take a marked alternative route.
-
50. Your navigation device tells you to turn where a road sign says the turn is closed. What should you do?
Show answer
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.