New Jersey MVC Permit Practice Test 16
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. Roughly how far does a vehicle travel at 55 mph during the few seconds a driver spends reading a text message?
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Answer D: About the length of a football field
Sending or reading a message takes the eyes off the road for about five seconds, which at 55 mph covers roughly the length of a football field with nobody watching the road.
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2. A large truck is passing you on a two-lane road. What is the safest thing to do?
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Answer C: Keep right in your lane and ease off the gas a little
Staying in your own lane and easing off shortens the pass without forcing you onto a soft shoulder or into the truck's path.
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3. Should you drive with your hazard lights flashing while moving in fog?
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Answer A: No, they hide your turn signals and suggest you are stopped
Hazard lights on a moving vehicle tell other drivers you are stopped or disabled, and they cancel out your turn signals just when clarity matters most.
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4. You are stopped in traffic at a red light when an ambulance comes up behind you with its siren on. What is the correct action?
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Answer D: Stay put until you can move aside legally and safely
You must not run a red light or make an unsafe move to yield; wait, then pull to the side once the way ahead lets you do it safely.
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5. You brake hard in a vehicle with antilock brakes and feel the pedal pulsing under your foot. What should you do?
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Answer A: Keep firm, steady pressure on the pedal and steer where you need to go
The pulsing is the system releasing and reapplying the brakes so the wheels keep rolling, which is what lets you steer while braking. Pumping the pedal defeats it.
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6. A sign warns that the right lane ends ahead, and traffic is still flowing freely. What should you do if you are in that lane?
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Answer C: Signal, adjust your speed and move left in good time before the lane ends
When traffic is moving freely there is room to merge early and smoothly, which avoids the last-second lane change at the closure point.
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7. On a long uphill grade a second lane opens on the right and a sign directs slower traffic into it. You are towing a trailer and holding up a line of vehicles. What should you do?
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Answer A: Move into the right-hand lane and let the faster traffic use the left lane
A climbing lane exists so that slow vehicles can be passed safely, and the slower vehicle is the one that belongs in it.
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8. You are stopped at the yield line of a roundabout when an emergency vehicle comes up behind you with lights and siren. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stay out of the roundabout and pull over to the right of your lane if there is room
Never enter a roundabout ahead of an emergency vehicle and never stop inside one; wait clear of the entry so the crew can get through.
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9. The signal ahead has a sign prohibiting left turns, and your route needs a left. What should you do?
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Answer D: Go straight on and find a legal place to turn and come back
A turn prohibition applies to every driver, so you continue through and reach your route by another legal turn.
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10. What must you be sure of before you pull out to pass on a two-lane road?
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Answer A: That the road ahead is clear far enough for the whole pass
You need enough clear road to pull out, pass and return before any oncoming vehicle arrives, and you must judge that distance before you start.
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11. You find that the road surface has turned to sheet ice. What speed is appropriate?
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Answer A: A crawl, slow enough that you could stop without braking hard
Ice can cut grip to a fraction of normal, so stopping takes many times the usual distance and only a crawl leaves any margin.
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12. A pedestrian starts to cross against a Do Not Walk signal, right in front of you. What should you do?
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Answer D: Slow or stop and let the person reach safety
Even when a pedestrian is crossing unlawfully, a driver must take reasonable care to avoid hitting that person.
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13. An exit ramp is separated from the highway by a triangle of pavement painted with white stripes. What may you do there?
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Answer C: Nothing; keep off it and choose either the lane or the ramp
The striped area between a ramp and the through lanes is not for driving, stopping or last-second changes of direction.
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14. You are approaching the entry of a modern roundabout. Who must you yield to?
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Answer C: Traffic already circulating in the roundabout, which approaches from your left
Traffic in a United States roundabout circulates counterclockwise, so drivers entering must look left and yield to vehicles already in the circulating roadway.
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15. You have turned right into the nearest lane but you need the left lane soon. When should you move over?
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Answer A: After the turn is finished, once you have checked mirrors and blind spot
Complete the turn in the proper lane first, then make a normal lane change with mirror and blind spot checks once you are established on the new street.
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16. A bike lane on your right is marked with a dashed line for the last stretch before the corner. What does that dashed section allow you to do?
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Answer D: Merge into the bike lane after checking, and turn right from there
The dashed section is where drivers are meant to merge into the bike lane before turning, which puts cyclists behind the vehicle instead of beside it.
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17. A tractor-trailer is backing slowly across the roadway to enter a loading dock. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stop and wait until the truck has finished the maneuver
A backing truck driver has a very limited view and the trailer can swing unexpectedly. Trying to squeeze past in either direction risks being crushed.
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18. Fresh snow covers the road and earlier vehicles have left clear tracks. What line is usually best?
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Answer B: The existing tracks, where more of the tire can reach the surface
Running in the cleared tracks puts more rubber on the road surface than ploughing through loose snow, provided the tracks have not turned to polished ice.
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19. You have a green light at a school crossing, but the crossing guard steps out and holds up a stop sign toward you. What must you do?
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Answer A: Stop, because the crossing guard controls this crossing and outranks the signal
Directions from a crossing guard or a police officer take priority over signals and signs.
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20. How should a lap and shoulder belt be positioned?
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Answer A: Lap belt low across the hips and shoulder belt across the chest and collarbone
The lap belt must bear against the strong pelvic bones rather than soft organs, and the shoulder belt must cross the rib cage and collarbone so crash forces spread over the skeleton.
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21. How much clear road do driver manuals say you need before starting a pass at highway speed on a two-lane road?
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Answer C: Enough to complete the pass and return, roughly ten to twelve seconds of travel
At highway speed the whole maneuver of pulling out, overtaking and returning takes roughly ten to twelve seconds, and every foot of that has to be visible before you start.
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22. 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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23. You have stopped on the shoulder of a highway and want to rejoin the traffic. What is the correct way?
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Answer D: Signal, build up speed along the shoulder, then merge into a gap
Entering a fast lane at a slow speed is what causes the conflict, so the shoulder is used to gain speed before the merge in the same way as an acceleration lane.
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24. Your vehicle is burning at the roadside. How far away should everyone keep?
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Answer D: At least a hundred feet away from the vehicle and upwind, out of the drifting smoke
Burning vehicles give off toxic smoke and parts such as tires and struts can burst, so keep a long distance and stay upwind.
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25. The engine dies at speed and the dashboard lights go out on a dark road. What should you do?
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Answer C: Hold the wheel firmly, steer over to the shoulder and use the hazard lights
Never switch the ignition to lock, because the steering can lock; steer to the shoulder and warn traffic with the hazard lights.
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26. From which lane should a permitted U-turn be started?
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Answer A: The lane nearest the center line, the same one used for a left turn
A U-turn is begun from the far left lane for your direction, the same position used for a left turn, so you do not cut across traffic beside you.
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27. How far in advance must an applicant tell the MVC that an interpreter is needed for the knowledge test?
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Answer D: At least two weeks before the intended test date
The MVC requires at least two weeks of notice so it can secure and pay for an approved interpreter.
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28. You have a green arrow to turn left. What still applies?
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Answer D: You must yield to any pedestrian or vehicle still inside the intersection
A green arrow protects your turn from conflicting traffic, but you must still let anyone already in the intersection get clear before you move.
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29. You are driving through a neighborhood where several children are riding bicycles. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and expect sudden, unpredictable moves
Young riders lack the judgment and the mirror habits of adults and may swerve or cross without looking, so lower speed is your only reliable margin.
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30. A driver hunting for an on-ramp meets this sign at the mouth of the pavement ahead. What is the correct action?
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Answer C: Keep out of that roadway and look for the proper approach elsewhere
The restriction is absolute and does not depend on how much traffic is present, so the driver has to reach the highway by an approach built for entering vehicles.
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31. Which of these is part of preparing a vehicle for winter driving?
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Answer A: Fitting good tires and using washer fluid that will not freeze
Winter readiness means tread, battery, wipers, antifreeze and washer fluid rated for the cold, plus a reasonable amount of fuel in the tank.
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32. You realize at the last moment that you have passed the street where you meant to turn. What should you do?
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Answer D: Keep going and turn around where it is safe and legal
A missed turn is a minor inconvenience; braking suddenly, backing up or turning across traffic to recover it causes crashes.
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33. A driver in the left lane of a freeway realizes only when level with this sign that the ramp beside it is the one they need. What is the correct action?
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Answer A: Carry on to the next interchange and turn back from there
There is no safe way back to a ramp once it has been reached from the wrong lane, so the driver keeps going to the next interchange, where the ramps are built for that movement.
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34. You are turning right off a street into a parking lot driveway that crosses a bike lane and a sidewalk. Who has the right of way?
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Answer D: Pedestrians on the sidewalk and riders in the bike lane
Turning into a driveway means crossing the paths of people who were already traveling straight, so you give way to both the bike lane and the sidewalk.
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35. A car is coming straight at you in your lane and there is no time for it to move back. What should you do?
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Answer A: Brake, sound the horn and steer to the right, toward the shoulder or ditch
Steering right takes you away from the other vehicle even if its driver corrects course, and the shoulder or ditch is survivable.
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36. You are on a country road with no sidewalk and two people are walking toward you on your side of the shoulder. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and move over to give them room
Where there is no sidewalk, people are expected to walk on the shoulder facing traffic, and drivers must slow and give them space.
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37. In heavy stop-and-go traffic, why does using both lanes right up to a merge point help?
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Answer D: It stores the queue in two lanes, so the backup is shorter
Filling both lanes halves the length of the queue and keeps it away from the traffic upstream, which is why alternating at the merge point works better when traffic is slow.
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38. On a rural two-lane road you pass small blue signs, each naming one business with an arrow and a distance. What are they?
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Answer D: Tourist-oriented directional signs for traveler businesses
Tourist-oriented directional signs carry a white legend on blue and are used on rural conventional roads to guide travelers to eligible businesses.
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39. An ambulance has just gone by and traffic starts to move again. Why should you wait a moment before pulling back out?
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Answer B: Another emergency vehicle may be following the first one
Emergency calls often bring several vehicles, so check that nothing else is coming before you rejoin the traffic lane.
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40. Why is smooth, early braking better than hard, late braking?
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Answer D: It keeps you in control and gives the driver behind more warning
Braking early and gently keeps the tires well within their grip and gives following drivers time to react to your brake lights.
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41. In plain words, what is oversteer?
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Answer C: The rear of the vehicle slides out and the car turns too sharply
Oversteer means the rear tires have lost grip first, so the tail swings out and the vehicle turns more than you asked it to.
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42. Someone stops drinking heavily at two in the morning and drives to work at eight. What is true?
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Answer A: They may still be impaired and over the limit
The body removes alcohol at a slow, fixed rate, so a heavy night can leave a driver impaired well into the next morning no matter how they feel.
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43. How many alcoholic drinks does it take to begin affecting driving ability?
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Answer C: Even one drink can affect it
A single drink can slow reactions and weaken judgment before you feel any change. Impairment starts long before a person feels drunk.
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44. It is cold and the road looks wet, but you notice the tires of vehicles ahead are throwing up no spray. What does this suggest?
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Answer B: The surface has frozen and is probably icy
Water throws spray, but ice does not. A shiny road with no spray in freezing temperatures is a strong sign of black ice, so slow down and avoid sudden inputs.
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45. The curb ahead is signed as a bus stop. May you wait there with your vehicle?
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Answer C: No, the space must stay clear for buses
A bus stop must stay open so that a bus can reach the curb and let passengers on and off safely, so no other vehicle may occupy it.
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46. You are approaching the crest of a hill and cannot see the road beyond it. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and keep well to the right
Beyond a blind crest there may be a stopped vehicle, a cyclist or an oncoming driver crossing the center line, so reduce speed and hold your own side.
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47. You see brake lights several vehicles ahead of you in your lane. What is the best first step?
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Answer C: Ease off the gas and cover the brake pedal
Reacting to the trouble several vehicles ahead, rather than waiting for the car in front, cuts your reaction time and warns the driver behind you.
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48. At an intersection that uses a lagging left turn, when is the left-turn arrow displayed?
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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.
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49. The red brake warning light stays on after you release the parking brake. What should you do?
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Answer D: Stop safely and have the brakes checked before driving on
With the parking brake released, that light points to low fluid or a fault in one half of the braking system, which can leave you with very little braking.
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50. 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.