Maryland Permit Practice Test 2
A second full-length Maryland practice test: 30 fresh multiple-choice questions with zero repeats from Test 1. The real MVA Knowledge Test (25-question noncommercial Class C test for the Learner's Instructional Permit) has 25 questions, and you need 22 correct (88%) to pass.
Tap an answer. The explanation opens so you can learn it, then go on. Keyboard: A–D or 1–4 to answer, then Enter or Space.
Question 1 of 30
1. In Maryland, a driver who is 21 or older commits a per-se drunk-driving offense once their blood alcohol concentration reaches which level?
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Correct answer: B. 'Per se' means the number alone proves the offense. In Maryland, that number is 0.08%. No other proof of bad driving is needed at that level, and alcohol can still impair you below it.
2. A friend says every US interstate is 80 mph. In Maryland, the highest posted highway limit is actually:
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Correct answer: A. Interstate limits vary. Maryland tops out at 70 mph where posted. Learn the number for your state, then obey the sign in front of you, which is often lower.
3. You are turning left at an intersection on a green light while an oncoming car heads straight toward the intersection. What is the rule?
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Correct answer: C. A driver turning left must yield to oncoming vehicles going straight or turning right, crossing only when there is a safe gap. Straight traffic keeps its speed and path, so the turning driver waits. Left turn equals lower priority.
4. In Maryland, what is the youngest age at which you can apply for a learner's permit?
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Correct answer: B. Maryland issues learner's permits starting at age 15 years, 9 months. The permit opens the first stage of graduated licensing, where you build skills with a supervising adult before earning fuller privileges. Know your state's number; it varies nationwide.
5. You merge onto an interstate in Maryland posted at the state's maximum speed limit. The fastest you may legally drive there is which speed?
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Correct answer: C. Maryland caps highway speed at 70 mph, its statewide maximum. Even on wide-open pavement, the posted number is the ceiling, and rain, fog, or traffic can make a much lower speed the only safe and legal choice.
6. Which official NHTSA NDR code records driving with an expired or missing license?
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Correct answer: A. Official 23 CFR 1327 Appendix A lists B51 Expired or no driver license (includes DL, CDL, and Instruction Permit). The leftover impound-and-delay sentence is state sanction wording; this nearby official national code is.
7. Along a curb you see a white sign with a large letter P inside a red circle and slash. What does it tell you?
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Correct answer: C. A P covered by a red circle and slash is the international no-parking symbol, banning parking where the sign applies. It keeps curbs clear for visibility, hydrants, and traffic flow. Any symbol wearing the red slash is something you cannot do.
8. A traffic light turns steady yellow as you approach the intersection. What does this signal tell you?
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Correct answer: A. A steady yellow light warns that the signal is about to turn red. Stop if you can do it safely; if you are too close to stop smoothly, continue through with caution. Yellow means prepare, not race.
9. What does the term "no-zone" mean when you drive near a large truck?
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Correct answer: C. No-zones are the huge blind spots in front of, behind, and beside a large truck where the driver simply cannot see you. A quick test: if you cannot see the driver's face in the truck's mirror, you are invisible.
10. While you wait to turn, the green arrow changes to a steady yellow arrow. What is the signal telling you?
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Correct answer: D. A steady yellow arrow warns that the protected turning phase is about to end. Stop if you can do so safely; drivers already at the point of no return may finish the turn cautiously. Yellow arrow means wrap up, not speed up.
11. A yellow diamond sign ahead displays a bold T symbol. What does this sign mean you will have to do soon?
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Correct answer: D. A T-symbol warning means your road dead-ends at a cross street, so you must slow, yield to crossing traffic, and turn left or right. The letter T shows exactly how the roads meet ahead.
12. Why is texting on a handheld phone one of the most dangerous things a driver can do?
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Correct answer: A. Texting combines all three types of distraction at once: visual, manual, and cognitive, since your eyes, hands, and thoughts all leave the road together. A driver who is not looking, holding, or thinking is barely driving at all.
13. Besides nighttime, when should you turn on your headlights?
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Correct answer: D. Turn on your headlights whenever conditions cut visibility, including rain, fog, snow, dusk, or dawn, because lights help other drivers spot you as much as they help you see. Handy habit: wipers on or gray sky means lights on.
14. A classmate in Maryland claims the adult DUI line is 0.10%. The official per-se BAC for drivers 21 and older is which value?
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Correct answer: C. Your classmate is using an outdated number. Maryland treats 0.08% as the adult per-se line. Memorize the current figure from the official handbook, not a rumor from an older relative.
15. You are studying for the Maryland permit knowledge exam and want to schedule it as early as the law allows. You can hold a learner's permit beginning at which age?
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Correct answer: C. In Maryland, 15 years, 9 months is the earliest age for a learner's permit, so plan your knowledge exam around that date. Study the official handbook, since permit questions come from it, and arrive with the required documents ready.
16. A Maryland traffic signal is not working. Where must you stop?
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Correct answer: A. Maryland says everyone must obey traffic-control devices, and when a signal is not working you must stop at a clearly marked stop line. Then proceed only when the way is clear. Do not roll through a dark head as if it were green.
17. What is the minimum age to apply for a learner's permit in Maryland?
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Correct answer: A. Maryland lets you apply for a learner's permit at 15 years, 9 months, according to the MVA. You still have to pass the knowledge and vision screens and meet any parent-consent rules. Age opens the door; it does not skip the test.
18. When do reduced school zone speed limits typically apply?
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Correct answer: D. School zone limits usually apply during posted times, when the zone's beacons flash, or whenever children are present. Kids are small, quick, and unpredictable near schools. When you see the zone active, drop your speed and cover the brake.
19. The posted limit is unchanged, but traffic, weather, and light have all gotten worse. What does the basic speed rule require?
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Correct answer: C. The basic speed rule says you may not drive faster than conditions safely allow, no matter what the sign posts. Rain, darkness, and crowds shrink your margin for error. Conditions set the real limit; the sign sets the ceiling.
20. A Maryland signal shows a flashing red arrow. After you stop, may you go that way?
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Correct answer: A. Maryland’s flashing red arrow means come to a complete stop before the stop line, crosswalk, or intersection, yield to all other traffic and pedestrians, then proceed in the direction of the arrow when the way is clear. That is different from a steady red arrow, which holds you until the signal changes.
21. You are driving through a residential district in Maryland and see no speed limit signs. What is the default speed limit?
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Correct answer: C. Where no sign is posted, Maryland's default residential limit is 30 mph. Homes mean driveways, pets, and kids near the road, so the default stays low. A posted sign overrides the default, so watch for one.
22. Which parking spot is illegal no matter how briefly you plan to stay?
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Correct answer: D. Parking within the cleared space around a fire hydrant is illegal, because firefighters may need instant access to connect hoses. Blocking a hydrant can cost lives during a fire. If you see a hydrant, leave the whole area open.
23. Which shape is used only for yield signs, so you can recognize the sign even when you cannot read its face?
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Correct answer: D. Only yield signs use the downward-pointing triangle, just as only stop signs use the octagon. Unique shapes let drivers react from the outline alone in fog or darkness. Picture the point aiming down, telling you to back off and give way.
24. Several vehicles reach a four-way stop at different times. Who has the right-of-way?
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Correct answer: B. At an all-way stop, the vehicle that arrives and stops first proceeds first, with others following in arrival order. This first-come, first-served system prevents confusion. Think of it as taking a number at a busy counter.
25. An officer in Maryland stops a driver who is 18. A test shows a very small amount of alcohol. The under-21 threshold that can trigger a violation is:
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Correct answer: C. Under-21 drivers in Maryland are not judged by the adult 0.08%-style line. The threshold is 0.02%. That is why testers keep asking the youth number separately from the adult number.
26. On a two-lane road, the center line nearest your lane is broken yellow, while the line on the far side is solid yellow. When may you cross it to pass?
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Correct answer: C. A broken yellow line on your side means passing is permitted from your direction, but only when oncoming traffic is far enough away to pass safely. Broken means you may cross; solid means stay put.
27. Can a small amount of alcohol affect driving, according to NHTSA?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drunk-driving guidance says even a small amount of alcohol can affect driving ability. Even small amounts of alcohol affect one’s brain and the ability to drive. Testers invent leftover one-beer-is-nothing courtesy.
28. Maryland also uses lane-use signals over some lanes. What are those signals for?
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Correct answer: A. Maryland notes that on some roads, traffic in some lanes can change with lane-use signals. A red X closes the lane; a green arrow opens it. Do not stay in a lane under a red X just because it was open this morning.
29. What is the first official NHTSA TireWise step if you have a tire blowout while driving?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA TireWise blowout guidance says Hold the steering wheel with both hands. Gradually release the accelerator. Once your vehicle has stabilized, continue to slow down and pull off the road where and when you judge it’s safe to do so. Any overreaction – including slamming on the brakes – can result in a loss of control over the vehicle.
30. On a highway you pass a white regulatory sign reading MINIMUM SPEED 40. Why is that sign posted?
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Correct answer: D. A minimum speed sign requires you to travel at least the posted speed when conditions allow. Highways post it because vehicles moving far below the flow cause rear-end and lane-change crashes. Too slow can be as dangerous as too fast.
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