Tennessee TDOSHS Motorcycle Practice Test 28

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

Minimum age: 15 years for the Class PM learner permit; 16 years for the Class M licence

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

  1. 1. At a four-way stop you and an opposing driver arrive together. You are going straight and the other driver is turning left across your path. Who goes first?

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    Answer B: You do, because the left turn crosses your path

    When two opposing drivers arrive together, the one going straight goes first and the left-turning driver yields.

  2. 2. A sign showing a walking figure inside a red circle with a diagonal slash stands at the start of a bridge. What does it mean?

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    Answer C: People on foot may not use that roadway

    The no pedestrians sign excludes people on foot from that roadway altogether, which is common on high-speed bridges and freeways.

  3. 3. You need to reverse direction on a busy street. Which choice is usually safest?

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    Answer D: Driving around the block and using the intersections instead

    Going around the block uses normal turns at controlled intersections instead of stopping across live traffic lanes.

  4. 4. Where does a rider find the correct chain slack figure for a particular motorcycle?

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    Answer B: In the owner manual for that motorcycle

    Correct slack varies from model to model, so the manufacturer specification in the owner manual is the only reliable figure.

  5. 5. A bicycle symbol topped by two chevrons is painted in the middle of a travel lane. What does that marking indicate?

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    Answer D: Bicyclists share the lane with motor vehicles and may ride away from the curb

    A shared lane marking shows drivers where bicyclists are likely to ride in a lane used by both bicycles and motor vehicles.

  6. 6. You are stopped at a red light ready to turn right when a person pushing a stroller steps into the crosswalk. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Stay stopped until they have crossed your path

    A turn on red gives way to every pedestrian in the crosswalk, and someone pushing a stroller has even less room to react.

  7. 7. An exit ramp is separated from the highway by a triangle of pavement painted with white stripes. What may you do there?

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    Answer C: Nothing; keep off it and choose either the lane or the ramp

    The striped area between a ramp and the through lanes is not for driving, stopping or last-second changes of direction.

  8. 8. What is the correct position for the feet while riding?

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    Answer C: Firmly on the footrests with the toes level

    Toes kept level stay clear of the pavement when the motorcycle leans and leave the foot ready to reach the brake pedal or shift lever.

  9. 9. How can loose spokes be found on a spoked wheel?

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    Answer B: By tapping each spoke and listening for a dull sound instead of a clear ring

    A correctly tensioned spoke rings when tapped, while a loose one gives a flat, dull note that stands out from the rest of the wheel.

  10. 10. What do the grooves in a tire tread do on a flooded road surface?

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    Answer B: They give the water a way to escape so the tread can touch the road

    Tread grooves pump water out from under the tire so rubber can meet pavement. A worn tread moves less water, so hydroplaning starts sooner.

  11. 11. What should you do with the key and your belongings when you leave the vehicle in a public lot?

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    Answer D: Take the key with you, lock up and put valuables out of sight

    Most vehicle thefts are opportunistic: a key left behind or a bag in plain view is the invitation.

  12. 12. Why is a drive chain adjusted with too little slack a problem?

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    Answer A: It strains the chain, the sprockets and the output shaft bearings

    Suspension movement changes the distance between the sprockets, so a chain pulled tight at rest is stretched hard over bumps and wears everything it touches.

  13. 13. What should a pre-ride check of the drive chain or belt look for?

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    Answer C: Correct slack, adequate lubrication and no worn or damaged links

    A chain that is too tight, too loose, dry or damaged can break or jump the sprocket and lock the rear wheel while the motorcycle is moving.

  14. 14. A driver ahead of you extends the left arm straight out horizontally through the window. What is being signaled?

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    Answer C: A left turn

    The left arm held straight out is the standard hand signal for a left turn.

  15. 15. A center lane is bordered by a solid yellow line on the outside and a broken yellow line on the inside, with left-turn arrows painted in it. How may you use that lane?

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    Answer A: Only to make a left turn or to prepare for one from either direction

    That marking identifies a two-way left turn lane, which may only be used for left turns or to prepare for a left turn and never for travel or passing.

  16. 16. You are driving through a neighborhood where several children are riding bicycles. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Slow down and expect sudden, unpredictable moves

    Young riders lack the judgment and the mirror habits of adults and may swerve or cross without looking, so lower speed is your only reliable margin.

  17. 17. Why is the front brake avoided during a very slow, tightly leaned turn?

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    Answer D: It can upset the balance of a leaned machine and drop it at low speed

    At low speed and full lock there is little momentum holding the motorcycle up, and the sudden weight shift from the front brake easily topples it.

  18. 18. You have a green light and are turning right. Pedestrians are stepping off the curb into the crosswalk you are about to cross. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Wait and let them cross before completing your turn

    A green light does not release a turning driver from yielding to pedestrians already in the crosswalk of the street being entered.

  19. 19. A sign reads END SCHOOL ZONE. What does it tell a driver?

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    Answer A: The regular limit for that road applies again

    An end of restriction sign marks the downstream limit of a special zone, after which the ordinary speed limit for that road governs again.

  20. 20. You are traveling at 55 mph and see a vehicle ahead moving at about 15 mph. What is the hazard?

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    Answer A: You reach it far sooner than you expect

    At a 40 mph difference you cover the gap in a few seconds, which is why drivers strike slow vehicles they saw in plenty of time.

  21. 21. A sign showing a walking figure carries a plaque below it with an arrow slanting down to the right. What does the plaque add?

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    Answer B: The crossing is at that very spot

    A downward-slanting arrow plaque marks the crossing itself, whereas an AHEAD or distance plaque would place it further along the road.

  22. 22. You are approaching a driveway where a car waits to pull out and the driver is looking your way. What should you assume?

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    Answer D: The driver may not have seen you, so cover the brakes and be ready to slow

    Looking in your direction is not proof that a driver has registered a motorcycle, so cover the brakes and be ready to slow until the car is clearly staying put.

  23. 23. Why is texting considered one of the most dangerous distractions?

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    Answer B: It combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction at the same time

    Reading or writing a message takes your eyes off the road, at least one hand off the controls and your attention off driving simultaneously.

  24. 24. A sign on a divided highway reads Keep Right Except to Pass. What does it require of you?

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    Answer A: Use the left lane only to overtake, then return to a lane on the right

    The left lane on such a highway is reserved for overtaking, so a driver who has finished a pass must move back to the right.

  25. 25. Which of these is never a legal place to park?

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    Answer C: In a crosswalk, on a sidewalk or within an intersection

    Crosswalks, sidewalks and intersections must stay clear so that pedestrians can cross and drivers can see approaching traffic.

  26. 26. There is a stop sign but no stop line and no crosswalk. Where must you stop?

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    Answer A: Before entering the intersection, where you can see cross traffic

    With no line or crosswalk, stop before you enter the intersection at the point where you can see traffic on the cross street.

  27. 27. You are stopped at a red light waiting to turn right where the turn is allowed. Besides traffic from the left, what must you check?

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    Answer D: Both crosswalks, and anyone approaching along your right side

    A right turn on red crosses the crosswalk in front of you and enters the one on the cross street, and cyclists often approach along your right.

  28. 28. 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.

  29. 29. You are traveling in the same direction as a funeral procession and want to get ahead of it. What should you not do?

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    Answer B: Driving in between the vehicles of the procession

    Most states prohibit driving into or through a funeral procession, and cutting into the line leaves the drivers behind with no lead vehicle to follow, so go around only where passing is permitted.

  30. 30. A vehicle is sitting in your blind spot and you need to change into that lane. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Adjust your speed to open a clear gap, then check again and move over

    Changing your speed either drops the other vehicle behind you or lets it move ahead, which turns the blind spot back into open space.