New Jersey MVC Motorcycle Practice Test 17

  • Questions50
  • Correct to pass40
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age17 years

Minimum age: 17 years, with parent or guardian consent under 18

50 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 40 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. Two solid white lines are painted between your lane and the lane beside it. What do they mean?

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    Answer D: Crossing from one lane to the other is prohibited

    Double solid white lines separate lanes of traffic going the same way and may not be crossed.

  2. 2. A yellow lamp flashes above a warning sign at a sharp curve. What does it ask of a driver?

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    Answer D: Slow down and pass the point with extra care

    A warning beacon draws attention to the sign it is mounted with, and the message of the sign is what the driver must act on.

  3. 3. When may a New Jersey motorcycle operator ride without goggles or a face shield?

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    Answer A: When the motorcycle is fitted with a windshield

    New Jersey requires approved goggles or a face shield unless the motorcycle has a windshield; eyeglasses and sunglasses do not satisfy the law.

  4. 4. What is the main reason a rider should keep a generous following distance on a rough, broken road?

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    Answer B: So the rider can see and plan for holes and broken pavement in time to react

    The vehicle ahead hides the pavement, so extra space gives you time to spot a hole or a broken edge and to choose a path around it.

  5. 5. A small yellow plaque showing a speed number below a curve warning sign gives

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    Answer C: the speed recommended for the condition being warned about

    The advisory speed plaque belongs to the warning series and states the speed judged safe for the condition ahead under good circumstances, not a regulatory limit.

  6. 6. 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.

  7. 7. On a wet road, how should a driver adjust after passing this sign?

    A yellow diamond showing a small eight sided shape above a black arrow pointing at it
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    Answer B: Start braking earlier, because a slippery surface lengthens the stopping distance

    A wet surface lengthens stopping distance, so the extra warning distance should be spent braking gently and early instead of late and hard.

  8. 8. A blue motorist service sign showing a fuel symbol and an arrow means that

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    Answer D: fuel is available in the direction shown, and the sign imposes no obligation

    Service signs are informational: they tell the driver what is available and in which direction, but they create no requirement.

  9. 9. A yield sign is posted where an entrance ramp meets the highway. What must you do?

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    Answer C: Give way to the traffic already on the highway and merge into a gap

    The yield sign confirms that the merging driver is the one who must fit into the traffic stream rather than the other way round.

  10. 10. May you park in front of a public or private driveway?

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    Answer A: No, blocking a driveway is prohibited even for a short time

    Parking in front of a driveway blocks the property owner from entering or leaving, and the prohibition does not depend on how long you stay.

  11. 11. You are riding a shaded back road in autumn and reach a mat of wet leaves covering the pavement. What should you expect?

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    Answer D: Traction can be nearly as poor as ice, so slow down before you reach them

    Wet leaves are slick and they hide whatever is underneath, so reduce speed before the patch and cross it upright without braking or turning.

  12. 12. Traffic is backed up beyond a railroad crossing. When may you start across the tracks?

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    Answer B: Only when there is room for your whole vehicle on the far side

    Never enter a crossing you cannot clear; a vehicle stopped on the tracks in a queue has nowhere to go if the signals start.

  13. 13. A person in a wheelchair is traveling in the roadway because the sidewalk is blocked by construction. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Pass slowly with plenty of room, or wait

    A blocked sidewalk leaves the person no choice but the road, and a chair cannot move aside quickly, so pass wide and slow or wait for room.

  14. 14. You have dropped some distance behind the rest of your group. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Keep your own safe pace, because the group should slow to bring you back

    Chasing the group means riding beyond a comfortable pace, so the responsibility sits with the leader to slow down until the formation is whole again.

  15. 15. The posted limit is 55 mph, but heavy traffic and rain make that speed unsafe. What does the law expect of you?

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    Answer D: You must slow to a speed that is safe for the conditions

    The basic speed rule requires a speed that is reasonable for the traffic, weather and road, and that speed is often well below the posted maximum.

  16. 16. What condition does this sign warn a driver about?

    A yellow diamond showing a vertical black line with a shorter line joining it from the right
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    Answer B: Another road joins the road being traveled, from one side

    It announces a side road entering the main roadway, so the driver should expect vehicles waiting to pull out and other vehicles slowing to turn in.

  17. 17. What should the operator do while a passenger climbs on board?

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    Answer D: Sit on the machine with both feet planted and the front brake held on

    The added weight arrives suddenly and off center, so the operator braces the motorcycle with both feet down and the front brake applied to keep it still.

  18. 18. How should you position your vehicle for a right turn from a two-way street?

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    Answer B: As close as practical to the right curb or edge, then turn into the nearest right lane

    Right turns are made from the lane nearest the right edge into the nearest available lane, which keeps the turn tight and prevents a wide sweep into other traffic.

  19. 19. Why would a restriction like this one be applied to a stretch of road?

    A yellow sign shaped like a horizontal triangle pointing right, with black lettering
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    Answer A: Because there is not enough visible road ahead to complete a pass safely

    Limits on overtaking are set where a hill, a curve or an obstruction leaves too little sight distance for a driver to pull out, pass and return before meeting oncoming traffic.

  20. 20. Compared with dry pavement, how much room does a vehicle need to stop on packed snow?

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    Answer D: Several times as much

    Grip on packed snow is a fraction of that on dry pavement, so stopping distance grows several times over. Antilock brakes help you steer, not stop shorter.

  21. 21. Why is an underinflated tire especially risky on a long drive in hot weather?

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    Answer C: It flexes more, builds up heat and can fail at speed

    A soft tire flexes on every rotation, and that flexing makes heat that the hot road and high speed add to until the tire can come apart.

  22. 22. When should gear changes for a turn be completed?

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    Answer A: Before entering the turn, so the machine stays settled through it

    A clumsy shift while leaned over can jerk the rear wheel and break traction, so the right gear should be selected before the lean begins.

  23. 23. When should headlights be switched on besides during the hours of darkness?

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    Answer C: Whenever rain, fog, snow or dust makes it harder to see or to be seen

    Headlights are as much about being seen as about seeing, so they go on whenever visibility drops.

  24. 24. A driver ignores this sign and passes on the opposite side. What is the main risk?

    A white vertical rectangle with a black border and black legend
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    Answer B: Ending up on the wrong side of a divider, facing traffic coming the other way

    The sign settles which side of a fixed divider is the legal one, so taking the other side sends the vehicle into the opposing stream or straight at the obstruction.

  25. 25. A loaded truck is coming up an entrance ramp as you approach in the right lane of the freeway. What is the most helpful action?

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    Answer A: Adjust your speed to open a gap for it

    A heavy vehicle accelerates slowly, so opening a gap or moving over costs you seconds and saves the truck driver from being forced to stop on the ramp.

  26. 26. A yellow pennant-shaped sign is posted on the left side of a two-lane road facing you. What is it telling you?

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    Answer B: You are entering a no-passing zone and may not start a pass

    The pennant is placed on the left so that it faces the driver who might pull out, and it marks the beginning of a no-passing zone.

  27. 27. A driver passes this sign on an entrance ramp while merging onto a freeway. Who has priority?

    A downward pointing white triangle with a wide red border
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    Answer B: The traffic already traveling on the freeway

    The sign places the duty on the entering driver, who must adjust speed and fit into a gap without forcing through traffic to brake or swerve.

  28. 28. Which headlight setting should you use in dense fog?

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    Answer B: Low beams

    High beams reflect off the water droplets in fog and bounce glare back at you, while low beams aim downward and light the road without that mirror effect.

  29. 29. Why is this restriction so common beside fire hydrants, crosswalks and intersection corners?

    A white square showing the letter P inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
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    Answer C: To keep sight lines open and leave access for emergency crews

    A vehicle left in those places hides pedestrians from approaching drivers, blocks the path of turning vehicles and can keep firefighters from reaching a hydrant.

  30. 30. The driver of a slow farm vehicle moves partly onto the shoulder and waves you past. Who is responsible for the pass?

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    Answer A: You are, so pass only if you can see that the road is clear

    A courtesy wave is not a traffic control, and the driver who changes lanes is the one answerable for the maneuver.

  31. 31. You have tied a load down with cords that are longer than you need. What should you do with the loose ends?

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    Answer D: Secure the loose ends so nothing can reach the chain, the wheel or the road

    A dangling cord can be caught by the rear wheel or the chain and jam it, which can lock the wheel without any warning to the rider.

  32. 32. The vehicle in front of you has stopped and is waiting to turn left, and there is a paved shoulder to the right. May you use it to get by?

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    Answer D: No, in most states a pass may not be made by leaving the paved travel lanes

    Passing on the right is normally lawful only inside the marked travel lanes, and most states prohibit driving onto the shoulder to get around a turning vehicle; the few states that allow it attach strict conditions.

  33. 33. 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.

  34. 34. You arrive at an intersection with no signs, no signals and no markings at the same time as a vehicle on the road to your right. What must you do?

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    Answer B: Yield to the vehicle on your right

    At an uncontrolled intersection you must yield to a vehicle already in the intersection or approaching from your right.

  35. 35. The traffic around you is moving well above the limit on a wide highway. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Keep to the limit and stay to the right, letting faster traffic pass

    The limit is a legal maximum, and the safe way to differ from the traffic around you is to keep right and let it go by.

  36. 36. How long should a glance at a mirror or an instrument take?

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    Answer A: A brief glance of about a second, returning your eyes to the road at once

    Checks should be quick flicks of the eyes. At highway speed, a few seconds with your eyes off the road covers a distance long enough for a hazard to appear.

  37. 37. A parking space is marked with the international symbol of access. Who may use it?

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    Answer A: Only a vehicle displaying the required placard or plate

    Accessible spaces may be used only by a vehicle that displays a valid disability placard or plate, no matter how short the stop would be.

  38. 38. What is the role of the sweep rider in a group?

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    Answer B: To ride last, watch the group, and notice when a rider drops back or has trouble

    The sweep rider takes the last position so that any rider who slows, stops or has a problem is noticed instead of being left behind.

  39. 39. A city transit bus at a stop ahead of you switches on its left signal. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Slow and let the bus pull back into traffic

    A bus needs a long gap to rejoin traffic, and yielding to a signaling transit bus keeps the whole line of traffic moving safely.

  40. 40. 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.

  41. 41. 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?

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    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.

  42. 42. What identifies a helmet as certified to the federal motorcycle helmet standard?

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    Answer C: A label showing DOT and the words FMVSS No. 218 CERTIFIED

    Certified helmets carry a label with the DOT symbol and the wording FMVSS No. 218 CERTIFIED, together with the maker's name and the model.

  43. 43. An upward-pointing pentagon with a yellow legend and border on a blue background is used as

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    Answer D: a county route marker

    The pentagon serves both the school warning series and county route markers, and the blue background with yellow legend identifies the county route version.

  44. 44. You want to move into the right lane just as an entrance ramp joins the highway at that point. What is the better choice?

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    Answer B: Wait until you are past the merge area so you do not squeeze the entering traffic

    The merge area is where ramp traffic has to find a gap, so adding a lane change of your own into the same space creates a conflict.

  45. 45. What should a driver expect a short distance beyond this sign?

    A yellow diamond showing a black cross
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    Answer C: Another road crossing the one being traveled

    Traffic may enter or cross from either side at the intersection ahead, so the driver should ease off, cover the brake and check both approaches.

  46. 46. Your road ends at a T-intersection with no signs or signals. Who has the right-of-way?

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    Answer A: Traffic on the through road, and you must yield before entering

    A driver on a road that ends at a T-intersection must yield to traffic on the through road that continues past the junction.

  47. 47. Why does riding in moderately cold weather call for extra layers of clothing?

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    Answer B: Chill and fatigue set in quickly and reduce the rider's control

    Wind at riding speed strips body heat away fast, and a chilled, tired rider reacts more slowly and can slide into hypothermia.

  48. 48. The light ahead is green, but traffic beyond the intersection is backed up so far that you could not clear it. What is the correct action?

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    Answer D: Wait behind the stop line until there is room on the far side

    Entering an intersection you cannot clear blocks cross traffic and pedestrians, so you should hold your position until space opens on the other side.

  49. 49. Besides the certification label, what does a novelty helmet typically lack?

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    Answer B: A thick, firm liner of impact absorbing foam under the shell

    The energy absorbing layer is what makes a helmet work, and a novelty shell has little or none of it, so it offers almost no protection in a crash.

  50. 50. You reach the end of the acceleration lane and there is still no gap in the traffic. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Slow down and merge behind the traffic rather than forcing your way in

    Merging behind the traffic costs you only a little speed, while forcing into a space that is not there puts you alongside a vehicle with nowhere to go.