Mississippi DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 42
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum ageSee note
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1. How long should a rider stay in the oncoming lane while passing?
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Answer D: Only as long as completing the pass safely requires
Every extra second in the oncoming lane is exposure with no benefit, so the rider passes decisively and returns as soon as the road behind is clear.
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2. What is meant by keeping a space cushion?
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Answer C: Keeping open space on all sides of your vehicle so you always have somewhere to go
Open space ahead, behind and to the sides gives you time to react and an escape path when a hazard appears, which is the core idea of defensive driving.
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3. A pedestrian using a white cane or walking with a guide dog starts to cross the street ahead of you. What must you do?
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Answer A: Yield and stay stopped until the person has finished crossing
A white cane or guide dog identifies a pedestrian who may not be able to see your vehicle, so you must yield and wait rather than maneuver around the person. The horn can confuse the pedestrian or the dog.
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4. What is the usual result of driving well above the flow of traffic on a typical trip?
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Answer B: Very little time saved, with much greater risk
Signals, traffic and short distances swallow the theoretical gain, while crash risk and crash severity both climb sharply with speed.
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5. Where is the clutch lever located on a standard motorcycle?
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Answer D: On the left handlebar
Squeezing the lever on the left handlebar disengages the clutch and interrupts power between the engine and the rear wheel.
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6. How should a driver respond to this sign?
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Answer C: Slow down before reaching the rough spot and cross it at a steady, low speed
Losing speed before a sharp rise in the pavement keeps the vehicle settled, while braking or accelerating on top of it unsettles the suspension and costs grip.
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7. A rider uses only the rear brake for a quick stop. What is the result?
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Answer B: A much longer stop, and a rear wheel that locks easily
With weight thrown forward the rear tire has little grip left, so it gives up only a small share of the available braking and skids under heavy pressure.
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8. The throttle sticks open and will not close when you roll it back. What should you do?
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Answer B: Squeeze in the clutch and shut the engine down with the cut-off switch
Pulling in the clutch cuts power to the rear wheel immediately, and the cut-off switch stops the engine without the rider letting go of the handlebars.
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9. The sign over the leftmost lane reads LEFT LANE MUST TURN LEFT. You are in that lane and want to go straight. What should you do?
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Answer C: Move out of the lane before the intersection if it is safe
A mandatory movement lane control sign makes the turn compulsory for that lane, so a driver who wants another movement must change lanes in advance.
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10. The engine begins to lose power, makes a loud noise and starts to seize. What should the rider do?
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Answer C: Pull in the clutch at once and coast off the road to a safe place
A seizing engine can lock the rear wheel, and pulling in the clutch separates it from the wheel so the motorcycle keeps rolling under control.
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11. 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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12. Why should a rider glance down at the sidestand before pulling away?
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Answer A: A stand left down can catch the road and lever the rear wheel off the ground
A sidestand that is still down will dig into the pavement in a left turn and can lift the rear tire clear of the road.
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13. A diamond-shaped sign is used to
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Answer A: warn of a condition on or next to the road that may call for caution
The diamond is the standard shape of the warning series, which alerts drivers to conditions that would otherwise not be obvious in time to react.
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14. What should a rider do before riding an unfamiliar or borrowed motorcycle?
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Answer B: Locate and try the controls, then ride cautiously until used to the machine
Turn signals, horn, headlight switch, fuel valve and engine cut-off switch sit in different places on different models, and hunting for them in traffic is dangerous.
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15. What is the main function of the guide sign series?
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Answer D: To identify routes and lead road users to their destinations
Guide signs identify routes, name destinations and give distances, so drivers can navigate without stopping to consult a map.
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16. A large panel mounted on a trailer at the roadside displays a flashing arrow pointing left. What does it tell you?
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Answer B: Move into the lane to your left
An arrow panel directs traffic out of a closed lane, so the arrow shows the direction you must move rather than the shape of the road ahead.
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17. Your passenger keeps leaning out to one side to see the road ahead. What should you do?
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Answer B: Ask them to stay in line with you and look over your shoulder instead
Leaning out shifts the combined weight sideways and unsettles the machine, and a passenger can see far enough by looking past the rider's shoulder.
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18. Mississippi equipment law requires two headlights on most vehicles. How many does it require on a motorcycle?
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Answer A: One
The Mississippi vehicle equipment rules require two headlights on a motor vehicle but expressly allow one headlight on a motorcycle.
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19. A Mississippi officer seizes a license because the driver's alcohol concentration is over the limit. How long does the receipt serve as a temporary permit?
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Answer D: Thirty days
When the reading reaches or exceeds the limit the officer takes the license and issues a receipt that serves as a temporary permit for thirty days.
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20. In T-CLOCS, what does the letter O stand for?
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Answer B: Oil and other fluid levels
The O step covers engine oil, along with coolant, hydraulic brake fluid and any final drive fluid, plus a look underneath for leaks.
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21. Under Mississippi's zero tolerance rule, what BAC exposes a driver under 21 to a Zero Tolerance DUI?
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Answer B: .02 percent or more
A Mississippi driver under 21 registering .02 percent or more but less than .08 percent faces a Zero Tolerance DUI; at .08 percent or more it becomes a regular DUI.
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22. Why is parking against the flow of traffic dangerous even when nobody complains?
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Answer D: Because you had to cross traffic to get there and must cross again to leave
Parking on the wrong side means driving against traffic at both ends of the stop, and your reflectors and lights face the wrong way while you are there.
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23. You are parked legally, but a police officer tells you to move the vehicle. What should you do?
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Answer B: Move it as directed, because an officer overrides the signs
Directions from a police officer or a firefighter take precedence over signs and markings, whether they are directing traffic or clearing a street.
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24. A driver slows to walking pace at this sign, never stops rolling and eases into the intersection. How is that treated?
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Answer B: It is a violation, because the vehicle never came to a complete halt
What is required is a full halt with the wheels no longer turning, so slowing down, however carefully, does not satisfy it.
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25. You are waiting to enter a two-lane roundabout and traffic is circulating in both lanes. What must you do?
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Answer A: Yield to traffic in both circulating lanes before you enter
Every entry to a roundabout is a yield point, and at a two-lane roundabout that means giving way to vehicles in either circulating lane.
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26. The traffic signal is green, but the crossing lights on the tracks inside the intersection begin to flash. What must you do?
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Answer C: Stop clear of the tracks and wait, even though the signal is green
Active crossing warning devices outrank the green indication, so you stop short of the rails and wait until the warning stops.
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27. Below a speed limit sign is a smaller panel with white numbers on a black background and the word NIGHT. What does it show?
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Answer D: The limit that applies after dark
A night speed limit panel sets a separate legal maximum for the hours of darkness, and its reversed colors mark it as the night figure.
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28. What is the best way to handle fatigue on a long ride?
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Answer C: Take rest breaks regularly and dress to keep wind and cold out
Wind, vibration and cold tire a rider faster than a driver, and the safe answer is planned breaks and protective clothing rather than pressing on.
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29. 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.
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30. The neutral light is on, but you are not sure the transmission is really out of gear. How can you confirm it?
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Answer B: Release the clutch and rock the motorcycle to see whether it rolls freely
A machine that rolls without resistance while the clutch is released is genuinely in neutral, which a burnt out or faulty neutral switch cannot tell you.