Mississippi DPS Permit Practice Test 28

  • Questions30
  • Correct to pass24
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age15 years

30 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 24 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. Your loaded vehicle weighs more than the figure shown on a posted weight limit sign. What must you do?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Find another route, because crossing is not permitted

    A posted weight limit is a legal maximum, not advice, so an overweight vehicle has to take a different route.

  2. 2. You are driving on an open highway in a strong crosswind. What is the safest adjustment?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Reduce speed and keep a firm grip, expecting gusts on bridges and beside large vehicles

    Gusts hit hardest in open gaps, on bridges and when passing high-sided vehicles, so a lower speed and a firm grip let you correct before you are pushed out of your lane.

  3. 3. Your left-turn lane shows a flashing yellow arrow. What does that indication allow?

    Show answer

    Answer B: A left turn after yielding to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians

    A flashing yellow arrow marks a permissive left turn: the movement is allowed, but oncoming vehicles and pedestrians keep the right-of-way.

  4. 4. A center lane is marked with a broken yellow line on each side and is controlled by overhead lane signals. How is that lane used?

    Show answer

    Answer A: It carries traffic one way or the other according to the signals

    A reversible lane is marked with broken yellow lines on both sides and its direction of travel is set by the lane control signals above it.

  5. 5. You are backing a trailer and want its rear to move to the left. Which way should you turn the steering wheel?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Move the bottom of the wheel to the left, which turns the top to the right

    A trailer moves opposite to the tow vehicle's steering when backing. Holding the wheel at the bottom and moving your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go makes this easier.

  6. 6. You are stopped at a T-intersection and a driver on the through road is signaling a right turn into your road. What is the safe assumption?

    Show answer

    Answer B: The driver may not actually turn, so wait until the vehicle slows and starts turning

    A blinking signal may have been left on by mistake or may be for the next street, so wait until the vehicle actually slows and turns.

  7. 7. After a crash your door will not open and you need to get out of the car. What should you try?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Try another door of the vehicle, or a window that will still open properly

    A jammed door is common after an impact, and the simplest escape is a different door or a window rather than forcing the damaged one.

  8. 8. When should you move into the lane you need for a turn?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Well before the intersection, as soon as you know your route

    Getting into the correct lane early lets other drivers read your intentions and keeps you from making a sudden lane change at the corner.

  9. 9. What must a Mississippi driver do within thirty days of a DUI arrest to stop the temporary permit lapsing into a suspension?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Contact the court, request a trial date and ask to extend the permit

    If no order extending the temporary permit is obtained within thirty days, driving privileges are suspended for ninety days.

  10. 10. The lights at a highway-rail grade crossing begin to flash red as you approach. What must you do?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Stop short of the tracks and wait until the lights stop and no train is near

    Flashing red lights at a crossing require a stop clear of the tracks, and you may proceed only once the lights have stopped, any gates are fully raised and no train is approaching.

  11. 11. Your vehicle has daytime running lights. Why should you still switch on the headlights at dusk?

    Show answer

    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.

  12. 12. How does Mississippi law rank reckless driving against careless driving?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Reckless driving is treated as the greater offense of the two

    Mississippi defines reckless driving as willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property and states that it is a greater offense than careless driving.

  13. 13. You have just passed a vehicle on a two-lane road. When may you return to your lane?

    Show answer

    Answer B: When you can see the whole vehicle in your inside mirror

    Seeing the entire vehicle you passed in your rearview mirror shows there is room to pull back in without cutting it off.

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

    Show answer

    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.

  15. 15. You are about to open your door after parking on the traffic side of the street. What should you do first?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Check the mirror and look back for approaching vehicles and bicyclists before opening the door

    A door opened into traffic can strike a passing bicyclist or vehicle, so you check behind you first and keep the door open no longer than necessary.

  16. 16. A curb sign reads No Standing. What does it allow you to do?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers

    No Standing bars waiting for any purpose except the brief moment needed to let passengers in or out, which is stricter than No Parking.

  17. 17. The added lane warning sign tells a driver that

    Show answer

    Answer A: an extra lane begins ahead, so entering traffic does not have to merge into an existing lane

    Where a lane is added, traffic entering the roadway gets a lane of its own, so merging is not required, although drivers should still watch the vehicles beside them.

  18. 18. Where should you be looking as you back into a parallel parking space?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Over your shoulder through the rear window, glancing all around

    Mirrors and cameras leave blind areas, so turn and look through the rear window while checking the front of your car and both sides as it swings.

  19. 19. You and an oncoming driver are both turning left at the same intersection. What is the usual rule?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Both turn in front of each other unless markings show otherwise

    The normal practice is to pass driver side to driver side, turning in front of one another, unless pavement markings or signs direct a different path.

  20. 20. You have a green left-turn arrow but a pedestrian is still walking in the crosswalk you must cross. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Wait until the crosswalk is clear before turning

    A green arrow protects you from other vehicles, but it never removes the duty to yield to a person already in the crosswalk.

  21. 21. In slow summer traffic the temperature gauge climbs into the red. What should you do first?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Turn off the air conditioner and turn on the heater to draw heat from the engine

    The heater core acts as an extra radiator, and shutting off the air conditioner reduces engine load. If the gauge keeps climbing, pull over and shut off the engine, and never open a hot radiator cap.

  22. 22. Whose policy satisfies the proof of insurance a Mississippi driver must file after an uninsured accident?

    Show answer

    Answer D: An insurance company licensed to do business in Mississippi

    The proof must come from a liability insurance company licensed in Mississippi and must show the minimum coverage the state requires.

  23. 23. What is the sensible way to handle a meal on a long drive?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Eat before you leave or stop to eat

    Eating takes hands, eyes and attention, and the only version with no cost to your driving is the one that happens while the car is parked.

  24. 24. What will the driver have to do at the point this sign refers to?

    A yellow diamond showing a small downward pointing triangle above a black arrow pointing at it
    Show answer

    Answer C: Slow down and let conflicting traffic go first, stopping if that is what it takes

    Further along, the driver has to let conflicting traffic and pedestrians go first, reducing speed and stopping whenever that is necessary to avoid interfering with them.

  25. 25. Permanent signs must be retroreflective or lighted so that

    Show answer

    Answer A: they show the same shape and color at night as by day

    Retroreflective sheeting throws headlight light back to the driver, so a sign keeps its daytime shape and color after dark.

  26. 26. You are on a one-way street with two marked lanes. May you pass a slower vehicle on the right?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Yes, using the right lane, provided that the move is safe and signaled

    On a roadway with two or more marked lanes in your direction, moving into the free lane and going by is a normal lane change rather than an unlawful pass.

  27. 27. Why should you avoid swinging wide to the left before making a right turn in a car?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Another driver may think you are turning left and try to pass on your right

    Swinging left first misleads other road users about your intention and invites someone to move up on your right, exactly where you are about to go.

  28. 28. About how far does a vehicle travel in one second at 60 mph?

    Show answer

    Answer A: About 88 feet

    At 60 mph you cover about 88 feet every second, which is why a glance of only two or three seconds means driving the length of several vehicles blind.

  29. 29. What does black ice usually look like from the driver seat?

    Show answer

    Answer C: A patch of pavement that simply looks wet or slightly glossy

    Black ice is clear, so you see the dark road through it and read it as a wet patch. In freezing weather, treat any wet looking patch as ice.

  30. 30. You come around a bend and find loose sand spread across your lane. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Ease off the gas, avoid sudden braking or steering, and keep straight

    Loose material acts like ball bearings under the tires; smooth inputs preserve what little grip remains, while sudden braking or steering breaks it.