New Jersey MVC Permit Practice Test 21
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. Why is it risky to brake hard and steer sharply at the same moment?
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Answer C: The tires have a limited amount of grip that braking and turning must share
Each tire can deliver only so much grip, and asking it to slow the vehicle and change direction at once can exceed that limit and start a skid.
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2. How much following distance should you keep behind a motorcycle?
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Answer C: At least three to four seconds
A motorcycle can slow or stop very quickly and is easily upset by a surprise, so allow three to four seconds instead of the usual car gap.
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3. 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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4. You are backing out of a space in a parking lot. Who has the right of way?
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Answer D: Traffic already moving in the lane, and pedestrians walking behind you
A driver backing out must yield to vehicles and pedestrians already using the lane, because backing is the movement with the poorest view.
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5. A sign reads MINIMUM SPEED 40. What does it require of a driver?
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Answer C: Not to drive below that speed when conditions allow
A minimum speed limit keeps unnecessarily slow vehicles from obstructing traffic, but it never overrides the duty to slow down for weather or congestion.
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6. An orange sign showing the symbol of a person holding a flag or a sign paddle means that
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Answer D: a person is controlling traffic ahead and the driver must obey that person
The flagger sign warns that a trained flagger is directing traffic further on, and the flagger's instructions govern movement through the work zone.
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7. A stop line is painted across the pavement at this sign. Where must the vehicle come to rest?
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Answer A: Behind the stop line, with no part of the vehicle across it
The vehicle must halt behind the stop line; where no line is painted the driver stops before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.
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8. You are driving on a rural road with no sidewalk. Where should you expect to meet pedestrians?
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Answer A: Walking toward you on your side of the road
Where there is no sidewalk, pedestrians are taught to walk facing traffic, so they appear on your side of the road coming toward you.
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9. Why is parking too close to a street corner prohibited?
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Answer D: Because it hides approaching traffic and pedestrians
A vehicle parked at a corner blocks the view that both drivers and pedestrians need before entering the intersection.
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10. Why do many crashes happen on routes the driver knows very well?
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Answer D: Familiar roads let attention slip into routine
When a route is automatic the mind wanders and hazards get missed, which is why a well known road deserves the same attention as a strange one.
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11. You know in advance that you will be drinking at an event. What is the most reliable plan?
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Answer A: Arrange a driver who will not drink, or another way home, before the event begins
A decision made before drinking is not affected by alcohol, while judging your own fitness afterward relies on the very ability alcohol impairs first.
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12. You are stopped at a red light ready to turn right when a person pushing a stroller steps into the crosswalk. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stay stopped until they have crossed your path
A turn on red gives way to every pedestrian in the crosswalk, and someone pushing a stroller has even less room to react.
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13. A yellow diamond shows an arrow bent into a series of reversing turns. What does it warn about?
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Answer A: Three or more changes of direction close together
The winding road sign replaces a string of separate curve signs where several bends follow one another with only short straights between them.
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14. A freeway sign shows a minimum speed limit. What does it require?
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Answer B: That you keep up with it unless conditions make that unsafe
A minimum speed limit keeps very slow vehicles off the highway, but weather, traffic or a mechanical problem may make a lower speed necessary and lawful.
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15. You reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same moment as a vehicle approaching from your left. What should you do?
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Answer A: Proceed, but only once you see that driver slowing
You have the right of way over the vehicle on your left, but a right of way is something the other driver has to give, so confirm it before you commit.
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16. What do white lane lines painted between travel lanes indicate?
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Answer A: Traffic in the adjacent lane moves in the same direction as you
White markings separate lanes carrying traffic in the same direction and mark the right edge of the roadway.
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17. Why is it useful to watch the vehicle two or three places ahead of you?
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Answer C: You get an earlier warning of slowing traffic than brake lights give
Trouble travels back through a line of traffic, so seeing it start several vehicles ahead gives you a head start on braking.
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18. When must a New Jersey motorist send a written crash report to the MVC?
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Answer A: Within 10 days, when damage tops $500 or someone was injured and police filed no report
A written report goes to the MVC within 10 days when property damage tops $500 or there is personal injury, unless the police have already filed a report.
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19. Your vehicle leaves the road and enters deep water. What gives you the best chance of escape?
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Answer B: Release your seat belt and get out through a window as quickly as possible
Water pressure holds the doors shut, so a window is the reliable exit and the first seconds after entry are the best time to use it.
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20. You are backing out of a driveway that crosses a public sidewalk. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stop before the sidewalk and check both ways
Walkers, runners and riders use the sidewalk at speeds that can bring them into your path in a second, so the stop and the look belong before the sidewalk, not after it.
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21. 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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22. A wheel comes off your car while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer A: Hold the wheel firmly, ease off the gas and steer gently to the shoulder
A firm grip and a gradual slowing keep the vehicle straight, while hard or sudden braking makes a damaged corner pull the car out of line.
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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 four-way stop you and an opposing driver arrive together. You are going straight and the other driver is turning left across your path. Who goes first?
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Answer B: You do, because the left turn crosses your path
When two opposing drivers arrive together, the one going straight goes first and the left-turning driver yields.
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25. The tire pressure monitoring symbol lights up on your dashboard. What is the system telling you?
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Answer A: At least one tire is significantly underinflated
The system warns when a tire falls well below the recommended pressure. Check all four with a gauge and inflate to the placard figure while they are cold.
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26. How many points does New Jersey assess for exceeding the speed limit by 30 mph or more?
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Answer D: 5 points
The top speeding band, 30 mph or more over the limit, carries five points.
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27. In which situation should you increase your usual following distance?
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Answer B: On wet roads, at night, in fog, when towing a trailer, or when following a motorcycle
Reduced traction, reduced visibility, a heavier load and a vehicle that can stop faster than yours all require extra space to keep the same margin of safety.
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28. Your vehicle has daytime running lights. Why should you still switch on the headlights at dusk?
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Answer B: Daytime running lights usually do not light the tail lights, so you are hard to see from behind
On many vehicles the daytime running lights illuminate only the front. Without the headlight switch on, the rear of the vehicle stays dark and the dash may still look lit.
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29. Where should a rear-facing infant seat never be placed?
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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.
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30. What should you do as you approach your exit from a roundabout?
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Answer A: Signal right and check the crosswalk for pedestrians before leaving
A right signal tells following drivers and waiting drivers that you are leaving, and pedestrians cross at the exit leg, so the crosswalk must be checked.
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31. You and an opposing driver reach a four-way stop at the same time and both of you are turning right. What should happen?
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Answer C: Both may turn at the same time into their own lanes
Two opposing right turns take drivers into different lanes without crossing, so both can proceed together once pedestrians are clear.
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32. You are following another vehicle down a long, steep grade. What should you do about the gap?
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Answer D: Make it longer, because both of you need more room to stop
Everything takes longer to stop on a downgrade, including the vehicle ahead, so the gap that works on the flat is no longer enough.
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33. You want to stop briefly and the only space is in the travel lane alongside a vehicle already parked at the curb. Is this allowed?
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Answer D: No, double parking blocks a travel lane and is prohibited
Stopping in the roadway beside a parked vehicle removes a lane from traffic and forces other drivers to swerve around you, which is why double parking is prohibited.
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34. A train has just cleared a crossing that carries two sets of tracks. What should you do?
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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.
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35. You are approaching a multilane roundabout. When should you choose your lane?
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Answer C: Before you enter, using the lane-choice sign on the approach
You select your lane on the approach the way you would at any multilane intersection, then stay in that lane all the way around, because changing lanes inside a roundabout creates side-impact conflicts.
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36. Freeway traffic ahead of you has come to a stop. Besides braking early, how can you warn the drivers behind you?
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Answer B: By switching on the hazard lights for a few seconds
A short burst of hazard lights is a recognized way to tell following traffic that the queue ahead has stopped, and it carries much further back than brake lights. Some states restrict hazard lights on a moving vehicle, so use them only for the moment you are slowing.
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37. Why is passing on a curve prohibited even when the traffic seems light?
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Answer C: You cannot see far enough around it to know the lane is clear
A pass is only as safe as the distance you can see, and a curve hides the very lane the maneuver uses.
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38. You are turning left from a one-way street onto a two-way street. How should the turn be made?
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Answer B: Start in the far left lane and finish just to the right of the center line
Left turns begin from the lane nearest the left edge of the street you are leaving and must finish on the right-hand side of the center line of a two-way street.
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39. How do stimulant drugs such as amphetamines or cocaine typically affect driving?
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Answer D: They can make the driver overconfident and more willing to take risks
Stimulants create a false sense of alertness and encourage aggressive, risky driving. When they wear off, sudden fatigue can follow.
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40. What is the effect of driving on a New Jersey highway designated a Safe Corridor?
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Answer C: Fines for speeding and other listed offenses are doubled
The Safe Corridors program doubles fines for speeding, aggressive driving and other listed offenses on highways with unusually high crash rates.
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41. Another driver is behaving aggressively toward you. What should you do?
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Answer D: Avoid eye contact, give them room to go on their way and do not respond to provocation
Responding to an aggressive driver escalates the conflict, while creating distance and refusing to engage takes you out of the situation. Report serious threats once you can do so safely.
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42. Which of these makes you unpredictable to other drivers?
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Answer B: Changing lanes suddenly without signaling, to save a moment
An unsignalled, sudden lane change gives nobody time to react and is a common cause of sideswipe collisions.
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43. What happens to traffic fines for violations committed in a New Jersey highway construction zone?
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Answer D: They are doubled
New Jersey doubles fines in construction zones for offenses such as speeding, tailgating, improper passing and disobeying an officer.
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44. You carry reflective warning triangles in your car. How should they be used after a breakdown?
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Answer B: Set out behind the vehicle, far enough back to warn traffic before it arrives
A warning device works only if drivers see it in time to react, so it is placed well back along the road they are traveling.
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45. You have entered a work zone where crews are working close to the open lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down and be ready for workers and machines
Workers and equipment cross the open lane without warning in a work zone, so reduced speed and attention on the road ahead are what keep them safe.
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46. Which sign tells you that the vehicles ahead are part of a funeral procession?
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Answer C: Headlights burning in daylight, with small flags or markers on the vehicles
Processions are normally identified by daytime headlights, hazard lights and flags or windshield markers, not by emergency lights or sirens.
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47. 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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48. You are entering a freeway using an on-ramp with an acceleration lane. What is the correct technique?
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Answer C: Use the acceleration lane to reach the speed of traffic, then merge into a gap while yielding to traffic already on the freeway
The acceleration lane exists so you can match the speed of freeway traffic before merging, and drivers already on the freeway have the right-of-way.
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49. A mixed drink is made with two shots of spirits. How much alcohol is that?
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Answer C: About two standard drinks
A standard drink is a fixed amount of pure alcohol, so a glass poured with two measures counts as two drinks however it is served.
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50. The trailer you are towing begins to sway from side to side at highway speed. What should you do?
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Answer D: Ease off the accelerator, hold the wheel steady and let the speed drop
Sway grows with speed and with sudden inputs. Reducing speed gently while keeping the steering steady lets the trailer settle behind you.