Tennessee TDOSHS Motorcycle Practice Test 20
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. The queue for an exit ramp has backed up into the right lane of the highway. What should you do if you want that exit?
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Answer B: Join the back of the queue in the lane instead of cutting in later
Passing a queue and forcing in at the front stops the whole line, and using the shoulder puts you where broken-down vehicles are expected to be.
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2. You are already inside a roundabout when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren. What should you do?
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Answer B: Continue to your exit, leave the roundabout, then pull over and stop
Stopping inside a roundabout blocks the circulating roadway, so you should exit first and then pull over clear of the intersection.
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3. The vehicle ahead of you has pulled out to pass a truck. May you follow it out and pass as well?
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Answer B: No, wait until it is done and judge the road for yourself
You cannot see past the vehicle ahead of you, and if it has to abort the pass there is nowhere for either of you to go.
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4. When should a helmet be replaced?
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Answer B: After a crash, or if the shell is cracked or the straps are frayed
The energy absorbing liner is designed to crush once, so a helmet that has taken an impact or shows damage no longer offers full protection.
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5. You are fitting a tank bag to your motorcycle. What must you check?
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Answer B: That it does not foul the handlebars or block your view of the instruments
A bag that catches the bars at full lock or hides the instruments interferes with control of the motorcycle exactly where the rider needs it most.
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6. Which sign shape is reserved for one message only, the requirement to stop?
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Answer A: The octagon
The octagon is used for the stop sign and for no other message, so the outline alone identifies the requirement even when the legend is hard to read.
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7. An overhead sign shows that the right lane is EXIT ONLY. What does that mean if you intend to stay on the highway?
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Answer B: You have to move out of that lane before the exit
An exit only lane leaves the highway completely, so a driver continuing on the highway has to change lanes before it does.
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8. As a center two-way left-turn lane reaches an intersection, the markings change into a single left-turn lane. What does that mean for you?
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Answer D: From that point it serves one direction only, so use it just to turn left
Where the shared lane becomes a marked turn bay it belongs to one direction of travel, and only vehicles making that left turn may occupy it.
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9. Your lane is ending ahead in slow, heavy traffic and drivers in the next lane are already bumper to bumper. What is the recommended way to merge?
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Answer C: Take turns, one vehicle from each lane at the merge point
Alternating one for one at the merge point keeps both lanes moving and is the safest way to combine slow traffic.
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10. 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.
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11. You have stopped after a crash. Why should the engines of the vehicles involved be switched off?
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Answer A: To reduce the risk of a fire starting around any fuel that has spilled
Crashes often break fuel lines, and a running engine is a source of ignition, so switching off lowers the risk of fire.
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12. On an overhead guide sign, the small exit number panel sits above the left-hand end rather than the right. What does that placement tell you?
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Answer A: The exit leaves from the left side of the roadway
The exit number plaque is placed on the side from which the ramp leaves, which gives advance notice of the unusual left-hand exit.
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13. What does research say about the effect of a full coverage helmet on a rider's ability to see and hear traffic?
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Answer B: It leaves the view and the useful hearing a rider needs largely intact
Certified helmets leave far more peripheral vision than a rider needs to check traffic, and riders wearing them still hear the sounds that matter.
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14. Many signs use a symbol instead of words. The main advantage is that a symbol
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Answer C: can be read from farther away and by more people
A symbol is recognized at greater distance than a line of text and does not depend on the reader knowing English.
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15. You are approaching a blind right hand curve. Which starting lane position gives the best view through it?
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Answer C: The left portion of the lane, toward the outside of the curve
Starting at the outside of a curve opens up the line of sight through it, and the rider then moves toward the inside as the exit comes into view.
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16. Why is the staggered formation abandoned in a curve?
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Answer D: Because each rider needs the full width of the lane to choose a line through the curve
In a curve every rider must be free to use the whole lane to set up an entry and an exit line, which is impossible while holding a fixed side position.
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17. How should cargo be carried on a motorcycle?
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Answer D: Kept low, in saddlebags or at about seat level
Keeping the load low preserves the center of gravity and the normal handling of the motorcycle, while a high load makes it top heavy and unstable.
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18. You need to leave the road and pull onto the shoulder. What should you check first?
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Answer A: Whether the shoulder surface is firm enough to support the motorcycle
Soft or loose shoulder material can grab the wheels or let the side stand sink, so confirm the surface is firm, signal, and then pull well clear of traffic.
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19. Why would a restriction like this one be applied to a stretch of road?
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Answer A: Because there is not enough visible road ahead to complete a pass safely
Limits on overtaking are set where a hill, a curve or an obstruction leaves too little sight distance for a driver to pull out, pass and return before meeting oncoming traffic.
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20. You and the driver facing you both have stop signs at a two-way stop. You are going straight and that driver is turning left. Who has the right of way?
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Answer B: You do, and the turning driver must wait
Between two opposing drivers who both stopped, the one going straight goes first and the left-turning driver yields.
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21. What is the function of a regulatory sign?
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Answer A: To inform road users of traffic laws or regulations that apply at that location
Regulatory signs state requirements that carry the force of law where they are posted, so disregarding one is a violation rather than a lapse of judgment.
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22. You reach an intersection showing a steady red light, and a stop line is painted across your lane. Where must you bring the vehicle to a complete stop?
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Answer C: Before the stop line
A steady red requires a complete stop before the marked stop line. Where there is no stop line you stop before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.
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23. In heavy stop-and-go traffic, why does using both lanes right up to a merge point help?
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Answer D: It stores the queue in two lanes, so the backup is shorter
Filling both lanes halves the length of the queue and keeps it away from the traffic upstream, which is why alternating at the merge point works better when traffic is slow.
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24. What should you do as you approach your exit from a roundabout?
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Answer A: Signal right and check the crosswalk for pedestrians before leaving
A right signal tells following drivers and waiting drivers that you are leaving, and pedestrians cross at the exit leg, so the crosswalk must be checked.
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25. You arrive at an intersection where the traffic signal is completely dark because of a power failure. How should you proceed?
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Answer C: Treat the intersection as an all-way stop
When a signal shows no indication at all, drivers on every approach must stop and then take turns, exactly as at an all-way stop.
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26. A broken white line separates your lane from the lane on your right. What does it permit?
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Answer C: Changing lanes when it is safe to do so
A normal broken white line marks a boundary between lanes traveling the same way that road users may cross when it is safe.
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27. You have driven at 70 mph for an hour and then exit onto a town street. What is the common risk?
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Answer B: Your sense of speed adapts, so 35 mph feels slow and you drive too fast
After a long stretch at high speed the brain adapts, so town speeds feel unnaturally slow; check the speedometer instead of trusting the feeling.
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28. A Tennessee applicant wants one credential covering both the Class D operator privilege and the Class M motorcycle privilege. What does the combined Class DM license cost?
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Answer C: 55 dollars
The combined Class DM license, covering both car and motorcycle privileges on one card, is priced at 55 dollars for the eight year term.
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29. You are approaching a sharp curve. When should you reduce your speed?
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Answer D: Before you enter the curve, so you can accelerate gently through it
Braking hard inside a curve uses up the traction that is already being demanded for cornering, so the slowing must be finished before you enter.
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30. Driving at night you notice that the raised markers along the line beside you are throwing back red light. What does that tell you?
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Answer C: You are facing traffic and must get off that roadway
Red retroreflection is shown only toward traffic that should not be there, so a red return means the vehicle is heading the wrong way.