Tennessee TDOSHS Motorcycle Practice Test 30

  • 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. A driver's destination lies along the street to the right, and this sign stands at that corner. How should the driver reach it?

    A white square showing an arrow turning right inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
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    Answer D: By going on and using a later intersection where turning is allowed

    When a movement is barred at one corner the driver has to reroute, normally by continuing and coming back to the destination from a permitted approach.

  2. 2. How does eating a large meal before drinking affect impairment?

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    Answer D: It slows absorption but the alcohol still reaches the blood and impairs you

    Food delays how quickly alcohol enters the bloodstream, which can make the peak arrive later, but all of the alcohol is eventually absorbed.

  3. 3. Your motorcycle starts to wander while you ride over rain grooves or a bridge grating. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Relax, hold a steady speed and ride straight across

    The wandering feeling on grooved surfaces and gratings is unsettling but generally not hazardous, while zigzagging to fight it is far more dangerous.

  4. 4. Why should baggage be kept as low as possible on a motorcycle?

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    Answer C: A high load raises the center of gravity and makes the machine unstable

    Weight carried high changes the balance of the motorcycle and makes it feel top heavy in turns and in crosswinds.

  5. 5. A white regulatory sign shows the silhouette of a truck inside a red circle with a diagonal slash. What does it mean?

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    Answer A: Trucks are not allowed to use that road

    The circle and slash over a symbol always means the movement or vehicle shown is prohibited, so trucks must keep off that roadway.

  6. 6. Heavy rain has left water standing on the highway. What is the main risk to a rider?

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    Answer D: The tires can ride up on the water and lose contact with the road surface

    At higher speeds a tire can no longer push standing water aside and starts to hydroplane, so the rider slows and eases off rather than braking or turning hard.

  7. 7. A driver reaching a stop sign is required to do what?

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    Answer D: Come to a complete stop and then proceed only when it is safe

    A stop sign requires a full stop before the stop line, crosswalk or intersection, after which the driver may go on once the way is clear.

  8. 8. About how far behind a tractor-trailer does the driver's rear blind spot reach?

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    Answer C: Around 30 feet

    The area behind a large truck is hidden for roughly 30 feet, so a driver tucked in there cannot be seen at all.

  9. 9. An overhead lane-use control signal shows a steady red X above the lane you are traveling in. What does it require?

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    Answer D: Leave that lane, because it is closed to you

    A steady red X means road users are not permitted to use the lane beneath it, so you must move into a lane that is open.

  10. 10. You are in the right-hand of two left-turn lanes and the vehicle beside you starts to drift toward your lane during the turn. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Slow slightly, keep to your own lane and give the other vehicle room

    Drivers commonly drift wide in dual turn lanes, so hold your own line, ease off and leave space rather than racing or crowding the other vehicle.

  11. 11. May you park at the curb immediately next to a railroad crossing?

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    Answer A: No, you must leave the crossing and its approach clear

    Parking beside a crossing hides the tracks and the signals from approaching drivers and leaves no room for a vehicle that has to clear the rails.

  12. 12. The lane control signal above your lane changes to a steady yellow X. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Prepare to leave the lane, because it is about to be closed

    A steady yellow X is the warning that the lane below it is about to close, giving drivers time to move over before the red X appears.

  13. 13. The engine has warmed up and idles smoothly. What should be done with the choke?

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    Answer C: Turn it off

    A warm engine running on a rich mixture wastes fuel, runs poorly and can foul the spark plugs, so the choke is closed once it is no longer needed.

  14. 14. You are on an entrance ramp joining a busy freeway. What should you do with your speed in the acceleration lane?

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    Answer D: Build it up to about the speed of the traffic you are joining

    Merging works when your speed matches the traffic stream, because a large speed difference forces the drivers already on the freeway to brake or swerve.

  15. 15. How does a NO OUTLET sign differ from a DEAD END sign?

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    Answer B: It warns that a whole group of streets has no way out

    No Outlet is posted where the road leads into a network of streets from which there is no through route, while Dead End refers to the single street itself.

  16. 16. You are stopped at a T-intersection and a driver on the through road is signaling a right turn into your road. What is the safe assumption?

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    Answer B: The driver may not actually turn, so wait until the vehicle slows and starts turning

    A blinking signal may have been left on by mistake or may be for the next street, so wait until the vehicle actually slows and turns.

  17. 17. What should a passenger hold on to while the motorcycle is moving?

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    Answer B: The operator's waist, hips or belt, or a handhold provided for the passenger

    Holding the operator's waist, hips or belt, or a handhold designed for the passenger, keeps the passenger secure under acceleration and braking without pulling the operator off balance.

  18. 18. Which item does most to keep a rider comfortable in cold weather beyond a jacket and gloves?

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    Answer B: A close fitting neck cover that stops air entering at the collar

    Cold air funnelled in at the neck chills the whole body, so a snug neck tube or balaclava makes a large difference, while a loose scarf is a hazard because it can catch.

  19. 19. You are pulling away from a stop with a passenger for the first time. What should you expect?

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    Answer D: You will need a little more throttle and a slower clutch release

    The extra weight makes the motorcycle harder to get rolling, and a rushed clutch release with a passenger aboard is a common way to stall or lurch.

  20. 20. You are driving on a rural road with no sidewalk. Where should you expect to meet pedestrians?

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    Answer A: Walking toward you on your side of the road

    Where there is no sidewalk, pedestrians are taught to walk facing traffic, so they appear on your side of the road coming toward you.

  21. 21. Where is ice most likely to form first on a cold day?

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    Answer B: In shaded areas and on bridges and overpasses

    Shaded spots stay cold longer and bridges and overpasses lose heat from below as well as above, so ice appears there before it appears elsewhere.

  22. 22. What happens to a motorcycle's ground clearance when a passenger is carried?

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    Answer A: It is reduced, so parts touch down at a smaller lean angle

    The extra load compresses the suspension and lowers the machine, so footrests and other parts can drag on the road sooner in a turn.

  23. 23. Red pavement markings are used on a roadway to show that

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    Answer A: it must not be entered from that direction

    Red markings identify a roadway that is not to be entered or used, and they also mark the pavement of truck escape ramps.

  24. 24. Two lanes at the corner are marked for right turns. What does that require of you?

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    Answer A: Keep your own lane through the turn and into the matching new lane

    Dual turn lanes work only if each vehicle stays in its own lane all the way round and finishes in the corresponding lane of the new street.

  25. 25. How should a rider take curves while carrying a passenger?

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    Answer A: More slowly than when riding alone

    The extra weight raises the center of gravity and makes the motorcycle respond more slowly, so curves have to be taken at a lower speed.

  26. 26. You are about to pass another vehicle at night with your high beams on. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Switch to low beams as you come up behind it and while you are alongside

    High beams shining into the mirrors of the vehicle ahead blind the very driver whose reaction you depend on during the pass.

  27. 27. You are stopped at an intersection where bushes block your view of cross traffic. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Edge forward slowly until you can see, then proceed when clear

    Creeping forward a little at a time lets you gain a view without committing to the crossing. Never enter an intersection you cannot see into.

  28. 28. How many points does Tennessee assess for following another vehicle too closely, listed as following improperly?

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    Answer A: 3 points

    Following improperly, the schedule's term for tailgating, is worth 3 points.

  29. 29. When should tire pressure be measured?

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    Answer B: Before riding, while the tires are still cold

    Riding heats the air inside a tire and raises the reading, so pressure is set cold to match the figure the manufacturer specifies.

  30. 30. You are driving through patchy fog on a highway. What should you be ready for?

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    Answer B: Sudden dense banks where visibility drops within a few car lengths

    Patchy fog can go from clear to nearly blind in a moment, so keep your speed low enough that a sudden bank does not leave you without room.