New Jersey MVC Motorcycle Practice Test 27

  • 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. On a narrow residential street, why does parking tight against the curb matter so much?

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    Answer C: Because fire trucks and ambulances need the width to get through

    Cars parked even a foot out from the curb on both sides can narrow a street until a fire truck or ambulance cannot pass.

  2. 2. Your exit from a three-lane highway is about a mile ahead on the right, and you are in the left lane. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Start moving right now, one lane at a time

    Plan ahead and change lanes one at a time well before the exit, so you never have to cut across several lanes at the gore.

  3. 3. You are stopped at a red light waiting to turn right where the turn is allowed. Besides traffic from the left, what must you check?

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    Answer D: Both crosswalks, and anyone approaching along your right side

    A right turn on red crosses the crosswalk in front of you and enters the one on the cross street, and cyclists often approach along your right.

  4. 4. What is the most effective way for a rider to be seen by other drivers?

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    Answer C: Wear brightly colored reflective gear, or a reflective vest over dark clothing

    The most common thing drivers say after a collision with a motorcycle is that they never saw it, and bright reflective gear on the helmet and torso is the largest visible surface the rider controls.

  5. 5. A yellow diamond in which one line joins another at an angle warns that

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    Answer B: traffic from another roadway will merge into the driver's lane ahead

    The merge sign warns that another traffic stream will join the same lane ahead, so drivers on both roadways must adjust speed and spacing.

  6. 6. You come up behind a group of cyclists riding two abreast on a narrow rural road. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Wait for a clear stretch and pass them as one group

    Passing a group as a single unit when the way ahead is clear is safer than several rushed passes, and cutting through the group leaves nobody any escape room.

  7. 7. As a general rule, how far should you travel along a center two-way left-turn lane before you turn?

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    Answer C: Only a short distance, just enough to slow down and wait for a gap

    The center lane is for making or preparing a left turn, so you enter it only shortly before the turn and never travel along it as a through lane; several states set a specific limit such as 200 or 300 feet.

  8. 8. Why must a tank bag be strapped down properly rather than simply laid on the tank?

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    Answer D: Because a bag that slides can reach the controls or your hands

    Braking pushes anything loose on the tank forward toward the handlebars, where it can jam the steering or interfere with the levers.

  9. 9. On a hot summer day you notice long black strips of crack sealant snaking across the pavement. What should a rider know about them?

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    Answer A: They soften in heat and can be slippery, especially under a leaned tire

    Crack sealant gets soft and greasy in the heat, so treat those strips as a low traction surface and avoid braking or hard cornering on them.

  10. 10. Enhanced reference location markers differ from ordinary mileposts in that they

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    Answer B: carry the route number and a mileage figure to the tenth of a mile

    An enhanced reference location marker adds the route designation and carries the mileage to a tenth, so the point named is far more precise than a plain milepost.

  11. 11. A tow truck with flashing amber lights is loading a car on the shoulder ahead. How should you treat it?

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    Answer B: Give it the same room as an emergency vehicle

    Tow operators, utility crews and highway workers face the same danger from passing traffic, so move over or slow down for their flashing amber lights too.

  12. 12. You have just merged onto a freeway from an entrance ramp. What should you do next?

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    Answer C: Settle into the right lane and build up speed before changing lanes

    Crossing lanes while you are still below the speed of the traffic forces other drivers to brake, so the speed comes first and the lane change second.

  13. 13. How should a passenger swing their leg when getting off the motorcycle?

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    Answer D: High and clear of the exhaust and the rear of the machine

    A leg dragged low across the back of the motorcycle can catch the seat or the luggage and will find the hot exhaust, so it is lifted well clear.

  14. 14. How many usable riding paths does a single traffic lane offer a motorcycle?

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    Answer C: Three

    A lane is normally treated as a left, center and right path, and the rider picks the one that gives the best visibility and the largest space cushion.

  15. 15. Your navigation device tells you to turn where a road sign says the turn is closed. What should you do?

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    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.

  16. 16. You are traveling at 55 mph on a rural road and come up behind a horse-drawn buggy. What is the main danger?

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    Answer D: You close on it very quickly because it moves at walking pace

    A buggy travels only a few miles an hour, so the gap closes far faster than drivers expect and there is very little time to brake once you see it.

  17. 17. At many crossings the walk indication appears only after a button is pressed. What happens if a pedestrian does not press it?

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    Answer B: The signal may cycle without showing a walk indication

    An actuated pedestrian phase is called in by the pushbutton, so without it the controller may serve the vehicle movements alone.

  18. 18. When should a rider avoid a tinted face shield or tinted goggles?

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    Answer C: At night and in other low light conditions

    A tint cuts the amount of light reaching the eyes, which makes hazards much harder to pick out once daylight fades.

  19. 19. A dog runs out and chases your motorcycle. What is the recommended response?

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    Answer D: Downshift and approach slowly, then accelerate away as you reach the animal

    Approaching slowly keeps the dog aiming at where you are now, and accelerating as you reach it leaves the animal behind without a sudden swerve.

  20. 20. Why does a long downhill grade lengthen the distance you need to stop?

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    Answer C: Because gravity keeps pulling the vehicle forward as you brake

    On a downgrade gravity works with the vehicle and against the brakes, so the same speed needs noticeably more distance than it would on level ground.

  21. 21. 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.

  22. 22. A pedestrian has stepped into a crosswalk at an intersection ahead of you. What is your obligation?

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    Answer C: Yield and let the pedestrian finish crossing before you proceed

    Drivers must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, and an intersection has a legal crosswalk whether or not lines are painted on the pavement.

  23. 23. You are driving on the through road of a T-intersection and want to turn left into the side road. Oncoming traffic is approaching on the through road. What must you do?

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    Answer C: Yield to the oncoming traffic before you turn

    The vehicle waiting in the stem of the T yields to both of you, but you still owe the right of way to oncoming through traffic before turning across it.

  24. 24. A steady red arrow is displayed for your left-turn lane at a two-way intersection. What must you do?

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    Answer C: Stop and remain stopped until an indication permits the turn

    A steady red arrow prohibits the movement it points to, so the driver stops and waits for a green arrow, a flashing yellow arrow or another indication that permits the turn.

  25. 25. A sign reads REDUCED SPEED LIMIT AHEAD. What does it tell you?

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    Answer D: A lower limit begins further along the road

    The sign gives advance notice so a driver can slow gradually, and the new figure takes effect at the speed limit sign that follows.

  26. 26. On traffic control devices, the color green shows direction to a destination and also shows

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    Answer C: that a movement is permitted

    Green carries two assignments: guidance toward destinations, and the idea that the movement shown is allowed, as on a green arrow.

  27. 27. You are stopped in a line of traffic on a steep uphill grade. What should you do about the gap to the vehicle ahead?

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    Answer B: Leave more room than usual, because vehicles can roll back as they pull away

    A vehicle ahead can roll back a foot or more as its driver releases the brake, and a motorcycle stopped tight behind it has nowhere to go.

  28. 28. Besides at night, when does New Jersey law require headlights to be turned on?

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    Answer B: Whenever the windshield wipers are in use or visibility is 500 feet or less

    New Jersey ties headlight use to wiper use and to visibility of 500 feet or less, so rain, snow, fog, mist or smoke all trigger the requirement.

  29. 29. You are following closely behind a vehicle you intend to pass on a two-lane road. What should you do first?

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    Answer D: Drop back to give yourself room to build speed before you pull out

    From close behind you cannot see far enough ahead and you have no room to gather speed, so the pass takes longer and starts blind.

  30. 30. How can you tell a tire has reached its wear limit without measuring it?

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    Answer C: The wear bars across the grooves become level with the tread

    Molded bars sit at the bottom of the grooves. Once the surrounding tread has worn down to them, the tire has reached the end of its safe life.

  31. 31. What is the correct technique for a maximum effort stop in a straight line?

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    Answer A: Squeeze the front lever progressively and press the rear pedal, staying upright

    Both brakes together give the shortest stop, the front is squeezed progressively as weight transfers forward, and the machine must be upright with the bars square.

  32. 32. A white regulatory sign shows the silhouette of a truck inside a red circle with a diagonal slash. What does it mean?

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    Answer A: Trucks are not allowed to use that road

    The circle and slash over a symbol always means the movement or vehicle shown is prohibited, so trucks must keep off that roadway.

  33. 33. A load has been packed onto the seat behind you. What else must it not do?

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    Answer A: Restrict how you move on the seat or reach the controls

    Baggage that pins the rider in place or gets in the way of the handlebars and levers takes away the control the rider needs in an emergency.

  34. 34. A white diamond symbol is painted in a highway lane. What does it identify?

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    Answer C: A lane reserved for high-occupancy vehicles

    The diamond symbol marks a preferential lane, most often one reserved for vehicles carrying a minimum number of occupants.

  35. 35. After an hour on a hot highway your tire pressure reads higher than it did in the morning. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Nothing, because pressure rises when tires heat up

    Air expands as the tire warms, so a hot reading is normally above the cold setting. Bleeding air off would leave the tire underinflated once it cooled.

  36. 36. What is the correct order of steps for taking a turn or a curve?

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    Answer D: Slow, look, press, roll

    Reduce speed before the turn, look through it to where you want to go, press the handgrip to lean, then roll on the throttle to steady the motorcycle.

  37. 37. Besides the traffic behind you, what else must you check before moving into the next lane?

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    Answer D: That there is room ahead in the new lane for your normal following distance

    Moving into a gap that is too short leaves you tailgating the vehicle ahead with a vehicle close behind you.

  38. 38. What does a marked crosswalk tell a driver approaching a corner?

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    Answer D: Where pedestrians are expected to cross and must be given way

    Crosswalk markings show pedestrians where to cross and warn drivers to yield to anyone using the crossing.

  39. 39. You are ready to pull out of a parallel parking space into the traffic lane. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Signal, check the mirror and blind spot, and wait for a gap

    A driver leaving a parking space must yield to traffic already in the lane, so signal, look for the gap and only then move out.

  40. 40. 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.

  41. 41. You reach a stop-controlled intersection at the same time as a driver on your left, but that driver is already moving through the crossing. Who goes first?

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    Answer C: The driver who is already inside the intersection

    A vehicle already in the intersection has the right of way, and the rule about yielding to the right applies only before anyone has entered.

  42. 42. The car ahead drifts across the lane line and back again several times. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Assume that the driver is distracted or impaired, and keep well back

    Drifting is a classic sign of a distracted, drowsy or impaired driver, and distance is your protection from all three.

  43. 43. A regulatory sign reads TURN ON HEADLIGHTS NEXT 15 MILES. What does it require?

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    Answer C: Low beam headlights on for that stretch, day or night

    Such a section is signed where a road is hard to see along, and the requirement is to run headlights, not just daytime running lamps, through the whole stretch even in bright daylight.

  44. 44. How should tire pressure be checked and set?

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    Answer B: When the tires are cold, set to the pressure specified by the vehicle manufacturer

    Driving heats the air and raises the reading, and the sidewall number is a maximum rather than a recommendation, so check cold and use the figure on the vehicle placard or in the owner's manual.

  45. 45. How far forward should a rider sit on the seat?

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    Answer D: Far enough forward that the arms are slightly bent on the grips

    Slightly bent arms let the rider steer with the handlebars instead of using the arms to prop up the upper body.

  46. 46. When are you expected to switch from high beams to low beams?

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    Answer D: When a vehicle approaches from ahead or you come up behind another vehicle

    High beams blind other drivers, both those coming toward you and those you follow through their mirrors. Dim them whenever another vehicle is within range.

  47. 47. What is the main danger of grabbing the front brake lever abruptly?

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    Answer D: The front wheel can lock, and a locked wheel cannot steer or balance

    The front brake must be squeezed progressively so that weight transfers onto the front tire before full braking force is asked of it.

  48. 48. A steady green arrow pointing left is displayed for your turning lane. What does it tell you?

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    Answer D: The turn is protected because conflicting traffic is being held

    A steady green arrow gives a protected movement in the direction shown, although you still yield to pedestrians and to any vehicle already inside the intersection.

  49. 49. Two people drink the same amount of alcohol at the same time. Why might their blood alcohol concentrations differ?

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    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.

  50. 50. What color scheme does a standard stop sign use?

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    Answer B: White legend and border on a red background

    The stop sign carries a white legend and border on a red background, the color set aside for stop, yield and prohibition messages.