Maine Permit Practice Test 1
This free Maine practice test has 30 multiple-choice questions covering road signs, right-of-way, speed limits, and safe driving — the same topics the BMV tests. The real BMV Knowledge Test has 30 questions, and you need 24 correct (80%) to pass.
Question 1 of 30
1. The posted limit is unchanged, but traffic, weather, and light have all gotten worse. What does the basic speed rule require?
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Correct answer: C. The basic speed rule says you may never drive faster than conditions safely allow, no matter what the sign posts. Rain, darkness, and crowds shrink your margin for error. Conditions set the real limit; the sign sets the ceiling.
2. How many of Maine's required 70 supervised practice-driving hours must you complete after dark?
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Correct answer: B. Ten of Maine's 70 required practice hours must happen after dark. Night driving cuts visibility and reaction time, so the state wants proven experience. Think 70 total, 10 at night — the smaller number is the dark hours.
3. Setting cruise control on a rural Maine interstate posted at the state maximum, you should set it no higher than which speed?
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Correct answer: B. The state maximum in Maine is 75 mph, so cruise control should never be set above it where that limit is posted. Think of the posted limit as a ceiling for ideal conditions, never a required speed.
4. Where does modern guidance tell you to place your hands on the steering wheel?
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Correct answer: D. Hold the wheel near the 9 and 3 o'clock positions, level on each side. This grip gives balanced control and keeps your arms out of the path of a deploying airbag. Think low and wide, clear of the bag.
5. You are delivering food to a house on an unposted residential street in Maine. Unless a sign changes it, what speed limit applies?
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Correct answer: A. Unposted residential streets in Maine carry a default limit of 25 mph. The rule exists so drivers can stop for the unexpected, like a car backing out of a driveway. When a sign is posted, obey the sign instead.
6. You see a five-sided sign shaped like a schoolhouse outline, in fluorescent yellow-green, showing two walking figures. What does the pentagon shape identify?
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Correct answer: D. The pentagon shape is reserved for school signs, warning of a school zone or crossing where children may be walking. The fluorescent yellow-green color grabs attention near schools. Think of the five-sided shape as a little schoolhouse to remember it.
7. You pass a round yellow sign marked with a large black X and the letters R R. What is it telling you?
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Correct answer: A. The round yellow RXR sign is the advance warning for a railroad crossing, posted well before the tracks. It gives you time to slow, quiet distractions, and scan for trains. Round and yellow means railroad ahead, not at, the sign.
8. You hold only a learner's permit and your supervising adult is unavailable. When may you drive by yourself?
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Correct answer: C. A permit never allows solo driving; a qualified supervisor must ride with you every time. Getting caught alone can mean tickets, permit suspension, and a longer wait for your license. Shortcuts here only stretch out the process.
9. A sign at an intersection shows a left-curving arrow inside a red circle with a diagonal slash. What must you do there?
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Correct answer: D. A slashed left arrow forbids left turns at that intersection, often because turning across oncoming traffic there causes crashes or blocks flow. Plan another route, such as continuing straight and circling the block. The slash cancels only the movement shown.
10. Two solid yellow lines run down the center of the road. What do they prohibit?
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Correct answer: D. Double solid yellow lines ban passing for traffic in both directions, because sight distance or traffic makes passing unsafe there. Crossing is generally allowed only to turn into a driveway or side road, never to overtake.
11. A teen walks into a Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) office in Maine to apply for a first learner's permit. The office can accept the application once the teen is what age?
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Correct answer: B. The BMV accepts learner's permit applications at age 15 in Maine. Bring proof of identity, residency, and usually a parent's signature, then pass the knowledge and vision screenings. Age is simply the first box to check.
12. 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 never the tool that makes it legal.
13. A yellow diamond sign shows two arrows curving apart around an oval island. What is this sign telling you about the road ahead?
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Correct answer: D. The divided highway begins sign means opposing traffic will soon be separated by a median or barrier. Stay right of the divider and do not cross it. Picture the two arrows as lanes splitting around an island you must not enter.
14. Why is it illegal to park on a sidewalk or in a crosswalk?
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Correct answer: B. Sidewalks and crosswalks are reserved walking space; a parked car there pushes pedestrians, strollers, and wheelchairs out into traffic lanes. The law keeps walking paths continuous and safe. If people walk there, your car never belongs there.
15. You are passing a slow truck on a Maine 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 Maine the ceiling on those top-posted highways stays 75 mph. If you cannot complete the pass within the limit, wait for a better gap. The limit binds every maneuver, always.
16. Outside business, residential, and built-up areas, what is the default speed limit on unposted Maine public ways?
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Correct answer: B. Outside business, residential, and built-up areas, Maine's default limit on public ways is 45 mph unless posted otherwise. Rural roads still hide curves, wildlife, and driveways. No signs on a Maine back road? Assume 45.
17. An ambulance with flashing lights and a siren comes up behind you on a two-way street. What should you do?
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Correct answer: C. When an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren, pull to the right edge of the road and stop, avoiding blocking intersections. A predictable move to the right opens a clear lane. Everyone right, everyone stopped, help gets through.
18. After two drinks at a barbecue in Maine, you consider driving home. For a driver 21 or older, that becomes illegal starting at which BAC?
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Correct answer: A. Driving in Maine becomes a per-se DUI at a BAC of 0.08%. Drinks affect people differently, so you cannot reliably guess your number. When you have been drinking, the smart decision is simply to skip driving.
19. A friend in Maine 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 Maine, 0.08% is the per-se limit for adults, and measurable impairment often shows up well before a driver reaches it.
20. What should you do when you approach an intersection with a flashing yellow light?
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Correct answer: C. A flashing yellow light does not require a stop; it tells you to slow down, scan the intersection, and proceed carefully. It marks spots with extra risk, so treat flashing yellow as a caution flag, not a green light.
21. You are parking facing uphill on a street with a curb. Which way should you turn your front wheels?
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Correct answer: B. When parking uphill with a curb, turn the wheels away from the curb and let the car roll back until a tire rests against it. The curb then works as a block. Up and away is the memory cue.
22. Under Maine's zero-tolerance law, what BAC level counts as a violation for a driver under 21?
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Correct answer: B. Maine's zero-tolerance law sets the under-21 threshold at any detectable amount, far stricter than the adult standard. Underage drinking is illegal to begin with, so the safest and simplest rule is zero alcohol before driving, always.
23. After passing a large truck, why is it dangerous to merge back quickly and then brake?
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Correct answer: B. A heavy truck needs far more stopping distance than a car, so cutting in close and braking leaves the trucker no room and no options. Merge back only when the whole truck appears in your rearview mirror.
24. In Maine, what is the youngest age at which you can apply for a learner's permit?
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Correct answer: B. Maine issues learner's permits starting at age 15. The permit opens the first stage of graduated licensing, where you build skills with a supervising adult before earning fuller privileges. Know your state's number; it varies nationwide.
25. A moose steps onto a dark Maine road and you cannot avoid hitting it. What does MaineDOT advise?
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Correct answer: B. MaineDOT advises braking while steering straight, easing off the brakes just before impact so the vehicle's nose rises, aiming for the animal's tail end, and ducking low. A rising front end helps keep the moose off your windshield.
26. Smoke and flames start coming from under your hood while you drive. What should you do?
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Correct answer: C. Stop away from buildings and fuel, shut off the engine, and move everyone well back. Opening the hood feeds the flames air, and burning vehicles can explode, so fight nothing bigger than a tiny fire. Distance saves lives.
27. In places where marijuana can be bought legally, how do the laws treat driving while high?
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Correct answer: D. Legal to use never means legal to drive impaired. Marijuana slows reactions and distorts judgment of time and distance, so impaired-driving laws still apply everywhere. Treat being high exactly the way you would treat being drunk.
28. You are heading to a party where you plan to drink. What is the safest plan for getting home?
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Correct answer: B. The safest plan is decided before the first drink: a sober designated driver, rideshare, taxi, or staying over. Once alcohol dulls your judgment, you cannot trust yourself to choose wisely. Plan the ride first, then the party.
29. Unless signs show a different limit, how fast may you drive in a business or residential district in Maine?
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Correct answer: B. Unless signs say otherwise, Maine law sets 25 mph in business or residential districts and other built-up areas. Pedestrians, driveways, and parked cars demand slow speeds. Where buildings cluster in Maine, think quarter-of-100: 25.
30. Your headlights suddenly go dark while you are driving at night. What should you do first?
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Correct answer: C. First flick the headlight switch and dimmer, since the problem may be a loose connection; then use parking, hazard, or turn lights to stay visible while you leave the road. Never keep driving blind hoping the lights return.
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