Tennessee TDOSHS Motorcycle Practice Test 44

  • 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. Traffic is heavy and crawling where a sign warns that your lane ends and two lanes must become one. What is the best practice?

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    Answer C: Use the lane to the end, then take turns merging one by one

    In stop-and-go traffic the zipper merge, using both lanes up to the merge point and then alternating, keeps the queue shorter and traffic moving; in free-flowing traffic move over as soon as it is safe.

  2. 2. Where does loose sand and gravel most often collect on a paved road?

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    Answer D: Along the edges of the road and on curves and highway ramps

    Traffic sweeps loose material toward the outside of the travel path, so it builds up at the road edges and on curves and on entrance and exit ramps.

  3. 3. A square sign with a red field, a wide white horizontal bar and the words DO NOT ENTER tells a driver that

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    Answer B: the roadway ahead must not be entered from that point

    The do not enter sign is posted at the end of a one-way roadway or ramp to keep traffic from driving into it against the flow.

  4. 4. A pedestrian signal changes to a flashing upraised hand. What does that indication mean?

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    Answer C: Do not start crossing, but finish a crossing already begun

    The flashing upraised hand is the pedestrian change interval: nobody may start to cross, but a pedestrian already in the crosswalk may continue to the far side or to a median.

  5. 5. Oil is visible running down the front fork tubes. What does that mean?

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    Answer C: A fork seal has failed and the suspension needs repair

    Fork oil escaping past a seal means the front suspension is losing its damping, and the oil can also reach the front brake and ruin its grip.

  6. 6. You are about to carry a passenger for the first time. Where should you begin?

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    Answer C: In a quiet area away from traffic, at low speed

    A passenger changes balance, braking and steering feel, and those differences are best learned somewhere there is nothing else to deal with.

  7. 7. After turning right you see a sign showing that your lane ends a short way ahead. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Signal and merge into the next lane while there is still room

    Merge early and smoothly while a gap is still available, rather than running out of pavement or forcing your way in at the last moment.

  8. 8. You have a green left-turn arrow but a pedestrian is still walking in the crosswalk you must cross. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Wait until the crosswalk is clear before turning

    A green arrow protects you from other vehicles, but it never removes the duty to yield to a person already in the crosswalk.

  9. 9. Which statement best describes what the basic speed law requires of you?

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    Answer C: That you never drive faster than is reasonable and safe for the conditions

    Nearly every state has a basic speed law that makes the conditions the real limit: weather, traffic, light and road surface can all require a speed well below the posted number.

  10. 10. Railroad tracks cross the road at a slight angle. What is normally the safest way to cross them?

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    Answer B: Ride straight across while staying inside your own lane

    Riding straight ahead within your lane is usually safe on tracks that cross the road, because swerving to square them up can carry you into another lane or into oncoming traffic.

  11. 11. A driver is following your motorcycle much too closely. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Ease off the throttle and open more space ahead so the driver can pass

    Slowing gradually and opening a bigger gap in front encourages the tailgater to pass and gives the rider room to stop gently instead of hard.

  12. 12. A pedestrian is crossing a wide four-lane street and has reached the lanes on the far side. When may you go on?

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    Answer C: Only after the person has finished crossing the roadway

    Waiting until the pedestrian has finished crossing is correct in every state and removes any doubt about how much clearance your state demands.

  13. 13. Your passenger has ridden on other people's motorcycles before. What should you do before setting off?

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    Answer A: Brief them anyway, because your machine and your instructions differ

    Handholds, footrests, exhaust position and the signals a rider uses all vary from machine to machine, so every passenger is briefed on the machine they are about to ride on.

  14. 14. A pedestrian near the curb is staring at a phone and not looking at traffic. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Slow down and be ready to stop, because the pedestrian may step out without looking

    Distracted pedestrians step into the street without checking. Assume they have not seen you and give yourself time and space to stop.

  15. 15. What is the correct order of steps for taking a turn or a curve?

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    Answer D: Slow, look, press, roll

    Reduce speed before the turn, look through it to where you want to go, press the handgrip to lean, then roll on the throttle to steady the motorcycle.

  16. 16. What must you do before changing lanes, in addition to signaling and checking your mirrors?

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    Answer D: Glance over your shoulder to check the blind spot the mirrors do not cover

    Mirrors leave an area beside and behind the vehicle that they cannot show, so a quick head check is needed before the vehicle moves sideways.

  17. 17. Why should the leader of a group signal turns and lane changes early?

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    Answer D: So the message has time to reach the riders at the back of the group

    An early signal gives the whole formation, including the riders far back in the line, time to see the change and prepare for it.

  18. 18. A face shield keeps fogging up in cool, damp weather. What helps?

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    Answer A: Cracking the shield open slightly, or using an anti fog shield

    Fog forms when warm breath meets a cold shield, so moving a little air behind the shield or using an anti fog design is the safe fix.

  19. 19. Four vehicles reach a four-way stop from all four directions at the same instant. How is the deadlock resolved?

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    Answer C: Each driver yields to the vehicle on the right and they go one by one

    Yielding to the right applies to every driver, so the group untangles itself as drivers take turns rather than moving together.

  20. 20. You realize your tires are running on ice. Which set of inputs is safest?

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    Answer C: Gentle steering, no sudden braking, and no sudden acceleration

    Whatever grip is left is used up at once by any sudden input, so every movement of wheel, brake and accelerator must be slow and small.

  21. 21. A diamond-shaped sign is used to

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    Answer A: warn of a condition on or next to the road that may call for caution

    The diamond is the standard shape of the warning series, which alerts drivers to conditions that would otherwise not be obvious in time to react.

  22. 22. You are turning left from a two-way street onto a one-way street. Which lane should you enter?

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    Answer C: The first lane open to traffic on the left side of the one-way street

    Turn left from the lane closest to the center line and finish in the first available lane on the left of the one-way street, then change lanes if you need to.

  23. 23. Why is passing on a curve prohibited even when the traffic seems light?

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    Answer C: You cannot see far enough around it to know the lane is clear

    A pass is only as safe as the distance you can see, and a curve hides the very lane the maneuver uses.

  24. 24. You reach a four-way stop after another driver has already stopped there. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Let the driver who stopped first proceed before you go

    At a four-way stop the vehicles proceed in the order they arrived, so a driver who stopped before you goes first.

  25. 25. You are behind a slow vehicle on a two-lane road and a marked passing lane begins a mile ahead. What is the sensible choice?

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    Answer D: Wait for the passing lane rather than using the opposing lane

    A passing lane lets you overtake without ever entering the lane used by oncoming traffic, which is far safer than a pass a minute earlier.

  26. 26. What does the RESERVE position on a fuel supply valve do?

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    Answer C: It draws on the small amount of fuel left at the bottom of the tank

    A fuel supply valve normally offers OFF, ON, RESERVE and PRIME, and RESERVE taps the last of the fuel so the rider can reach a station.

  27. 27. Why do many crashes happen on routes the driver knows very well?

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    Answer D: Familiar roads let attention slip into routine

    When a route is automatic the mind wanders and hazards get missed, which is why a well known road deserves the same attention as a strange one.

  28. 28. What does a flashing yellow traffic light mean?

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    Answer B: Slow down and proceed with caution

    A flashing yellow lets you enter the intersection cautiously after yielding to pedestrians and to conflicting traffic that is already there.

  29. 29. A Tennessee driver is convicted of illegal racing on a public road. What insurance consequence follows?

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    Answer A: The driver must file SR-22 proof of financial responsibility

    A racing or speed competition conviction is among the offenses that require the driver to carry SR-22 coverage.

  30. 30. You are following closely behind a vehicle you intend to pass on a two-lane road. What should you do first?

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    Answer D: Drop back to give yourself room to build speed before you pull out

    From close behind you cannot see far enough ahead and you have no room to gather speed, so the pass takes longer and starts blind.