Montana Permit Practice Test 1
This free Montana practice test has 30 multiple-choice questions covering road signs, right-of-way, speed limits, and safe driving — the same topics the MVD tests. Check the MVD site for the current question count and passing score.
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. How does the alcohol in a regular beer compare with a standard glass of wine or a single shot of liquor?
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Correct answer: B. A standard beer, glass of wine, and shot of liquor each deliver about the same alcohol, so switching drinks does not protect you. Your body counts drinks, not drink types. One is one, whatever the glass looks like.
2. A center lane is bordered on each side by a solid yellow line with a broken yellow line inside it, and white left-turn arrows are painted for both directions. How may you use this lane?
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Correct answer: A. A two-way left-turn lane is shared by both directions for left turns only. Enter just before your turn, watch for opposing drivers using the same lane, and never travel or pass in it. Turn, do not cruise.
3. You are driving a car on a two-lane Montana highway with no posted special speed zone. What are the daytime and nighttime limits?
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Correct answer: B. Montana still sets separate day and night limits on two-lane highways: 70 in daylight and 65 after dark for cars. Reduced visibility justifies the lower figure. Hook: on two-lane roads, drop five when the sun goes down.
4. If coffee is not enough, what short-term drowsy-driving step does NHTSA list?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drowsy-driving guidance says Drinking coffee or energy drinks alone is not always enough. They might help you feel more alert, but the effects last only a short time. Pull over for a short 20-minute nap in a safe place.
5. A white rectangular sign reads WRONG WAY. You have just entered a ramp. What is the safest first move?
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Correct answer: C. WRONG WAY means you are driving toward oncoming traffic. Stop without blocking others if you can, then leave the roadway the way you came or wait for help. Continuing forward is how head-on crashes start.
6. You must park on a hill where the road has no curb. Which way should you turn your wheels?
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Correct answer: A. With no curb to catch the car, always turn your wheels toward the road's edge, uphill or downhill. A runaway car then rolls off the travel lanes instead of into traffic. No curb: aim for the shoulder.
7. You are driving through a residential district in Montana and see no speed limit signs. What is the default speed limit?
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Correct answer: C. Where no sign is posted, Montana's default residential limit is 25 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.
8. You are entering a roundabout. Which statement describes the correct way to use it?
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Correct answer: B. Entering drivers yield to vehicles already circulating in the roundabout, then merge and travel counterclockwise to the exit. Because everyone flows one way and entries wait, roundabouts avoid head-on conflicts. Traffic already in the circle goes first.
9. How does NHTSA say a lap and shoulder belt should sit?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA seat-belt guidance says Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck. The lap belt rests across your hips, not your stomach. NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm.
10. Headed uphill at a curb, which way does the official CA handbook (nationally taught hill technique) turn the front wheels?
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Correct answer: A. Official California Driver Handbook parking technique — taught the same way nationwide — says Headed uphill: Turn your front wheels away from the curb (left-towards the center of the road) and let your vehicle roll back a few inches. The wheel should gently touch the curb.
11. Which MUTCD warning-sign group includes the Deer sign W11-3?
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Correct answer: A. Official MUTCD 2009 Part 2C lists Non-Vehicular 2C.50, 51 Pedestrian, Deer, Cattle, Snowmobile, Equestrian, Wheelchair, Large Animals, Playground as W11-2,3 and related signs. Testers invent leftover dusk-group folklore. Learn that official wording, then answer the knowledge test from those words.
12. A pedestrian with a white cane or guide dog is crossing in Montana. What does the manual require?
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Correct answer: A. Montana gives pedestrians using a guide dog or carrying a white cane absolute right-of-way. Do not use the horn; it can confuse or frighten a blind pedestrian.
13. In Montana, 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 Montana, that number is 0.08%. No other proof of bad driving is needed at that level, and alcohol can still impair you below it.
14. Why do speed limits drop in highway work zones?
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Correct answer: A. Work zones squeeze traffic past workers, machinery, narrowed lanes, and sudden stops, so limits drop to give everyone more reaction time. Many places also raise fines there. Slow down where people are standing next to moving traffic.
15. A friend in Montana says, 'I feel fine, so I can drive.' Feelings aside, the law sets the illegal BAC for drivers 21 and older at which number?
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Correct answer: B. Feeling fine proves nothing; alcohol dulls the very judgment you use to check yourself. In Montana, 0.08% is the per-se limit for adults, and measurable impairment often shows up well before a driver reaches it.
16. When must Montana headlights be on, and when must you dim high beams for an oncoming vehicle?
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Correct answer: A. Montana requires headlamps from a half hour after sunset and anytime you cannot see persons or vehicles for 500 feet. Dim high beams within 1,000 feet of a meeting vehicle and within 500 feet when overtaking. Never drive on parking lights alone.
17. A person with a white cane is about to cross the street ahead of you. What must you do?
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Correct answer: A. A white cane or guide dog marks a pedestrian who is blind, and that person has the right-of-way every time. Stop if needed and do not honk, which can confuse them. White cane means your brakes, not your horn.
18. An officer in Montana 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 Montana 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.
19. What does NHTSA say texting does to your eyes on the road?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA distracted-driving guidance says Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that is like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving.
20. You are passing a slow truck on a Montana highway posted at the state's maximum limit. Even while passing, your legal ceiling stays at which speed?
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Correct answer: B. Passing grants zero extra speed allowance; in Montana the ceiling on those top-posted highways stays 80 mph. If you cannot complete the pass within the limit, wait for a better gap. The limit binds every maneuver.
21. Traffic around you on a Montana highway posted at the state maximum starts flowing faster than the signs allow. Your personal legal limit remains which speed?
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Correct answer: C. Other drivers speeding does not raise your limit; on Montana's fastest highways it stays 80 mph. Move right and let them pass instead of matching them. Speed limits bind each driver individually, whatever the surrounding traffic does.
22. At a crosswalk signal, what is the difference between the walking-person symbol and the raised-hand symbol?
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Correct answer: C. The walking-person symbol invites pedestrians to begin crossing, while the raised hand warns them not to start; a flashing hand means finish crossing if already in the street. Drivers should expect people in the crosswalk during these phases.
23. You are counting down the days until you can start driving in Montana. The earliest age you can hold a learner's permit is which of these?
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Correct answer: D. The countdown ends at 14½, the minimum learner's permit age in Montana. Starting at the minimum is smart: more months of supervised practice before licensure means more experience with traffic, weather, and night driving while coached.
24. Your 20-year-old cousin is the designated driver tonight in Montana. To obey the zero-tolerance law, they must keep their BAC below what threshold?
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Correct answer: A. In Montana, drivers under 21 violate the zero-tolerance law once their BAC reaches 0.02%. A true designated driver drinks nothing at all; that is the whole job, and it keeps every passenger legally and physically safe.
25. Leaving a one-way street, you see a yellow diamond sign with two vertical arrows pointing in opposite directions. What is it warning you about?
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Correct answer: A. The two-way traffic sign warns that the one-way section is ending and vehicles will now come toward you. Keep to the right and use extra care when passing. Two opposite arrows mean the road now flows both ways.
26. In which situations should you add extra following distance behind the vehicle ahead?
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Correct answer: C. Add following distance whenever stopping gets harder or seeing gets worse: slick roads, tailgaters behind you, big trucks blocking your view, or motorcycles that can stop quickly. More risk calls for more room ahead of you.
27. Can you take the official Montana Written test (also called the knowledge test) from home on the internet?
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Correct answer: A. The MVD administers the Montana Written test (also called the knowledge test) in person. Practice tests online are study tools, not the official exam. Show up with the documents the MVD lists, and do not expect a home browser to replace the office test.
28. A yellow diamond shows a bicycle and the words SHARE THE ROAD. What is it asking you to do?
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Correct answer: B. Share-the-road warnings remind you that bicyclists are legal traffic. Slow, wait for a clear gap, and pass with generous space. The sign exists because drivers otherwise squeeze bikes toward the gutter.
29. You are passing a slower vehicle on a two-lane road. May you go over the speed limit to finish the pass quickly?
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Correct answer: D. The speed limit applies at all times, including while passing another vehicle. If you cannot complete a pass legally and safely, do not start it. Passing is a choice; speeding is not the tool that makes it legal.
30. A signal shows a flashing yellow arrow for a left turn. What does that allow?
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Correct answer: A. A flashing yellow arrow is a yield-and-turn: you may go left after judging gaps, because oncoming traffic still has a green. It is not a protected arrow. Flash yellow means you choose the gap; solid green arrow means the gap is held for you.
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