Indiana BMV Motorcycle Practice Test 38

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age16 years and 90 days

Minimum age: 16 years and 90 days for a motorcycle endorsement; a valid Indiana driver's license is required for a motorcycle learner's permit

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 20 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. 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.

  2. 2. What does this sign warn a driver about?

    A yellow diamond showing two black lines joining into one as they go up
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    Answer A: Traffic from another roadway will enter the same lane ahead

    Two traffic streams come together into one lane beyond this point, so drivers on both roadways have to adjust speed and spacing to fit together.

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

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    Answer B: Prepare to move out of that lane

    A steady yellow X warns that the lane is about to close, so drivers should get ready to vacate it in favor of an open lane.

  4. 4. The rider ahead of you has just passed a slow vehicle on a two lane road. What does that tell you about your own pass?

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    Answer C: Nothing, because you must judge the oncoming traffic yourself

    Every pass uses up part of the gap, so the space that was ample for the rider ahead may be far too short by the time it is your turn.

  5. 5. A streetcar is coming along tracks in the middle of the street as you wait to turn across them. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Let the streetcar pass before you cross the tracks

    Rail vehicles cannot steer around you and need a long distance to stop, so drivers yield to a streetcar or light rail train.

  6. 6. You see a shield for a three-digit Interstate whose first digit is even. What does that tell you about the route?

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    Answer C: It loops around a city and rejoins its parent route

    A three-digit Interstate beginning with an even digit is a loop or beltway that connects back to the main route at both ends, while an odd first digit marks a spur.

  7. 7. What is the most common cause of rear-end collisions?

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    Answer C: Following too closely to stop in time

    A driver who leaves too little space has no room to perceive, react and brake when the vehicle ahead slows, which is why space management prevents rear-end crashes.

  8. 8. Where is a U-turn generally the most reasonable choice?

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    Answer B: At an intersection where it is permitted and you can see well both ways

    A U-turn needs a legal place and a long clear view in both directions, which is why a permitted intersection with open sight lines is the usual choice.

  9. 9. 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.

  10. 10. On a multi-lane street, a yield line is painted well back from an unsignalized crosswalk rather than right at it. Why?

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    Answer D: So drivers in the other lanes can see the pedestrian

    Setting the yield line back keeps a stopped vehicle from hiding a crossing pedestrian from drivers in the next lane, which is a common cause of these crashes.

  11. 11. A driver extends the left arm out the window and bends it upward at the elbow. What does this signal mean?

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    Answer B: A right turn

    The left arm bent upward at the elbow is the standard hand signal for a right turn.

  12. 12. Which rain suit is the better choice for a rider?

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    Answer A: A bright one with reflective panels, since rain cuts visibility

    Drivers see less in the rain, so rain gear is exactly where bright color and reflective material pay off most.

  13. 13. How do the traffic laws apply to riders traveling in a group?

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    Answer D: Every rider is responsible for obeying the law on their own machine

    Riding in company changes nothing legally, and each rider answers individually for speed, signals and every other rule of the road.

  14. 14. The throttle sticks open and will not close when you roll it back. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Squeeze in the clutch and shut the engine down with the cut-off switch

    Pulling in the clutch cuts power to the rear wheel immediately, and the cut-off switch stops the engine without the rider letting go of the handlebars.

  15. 15. How should you use your mirrors while another vehicle overtakes you on a multilane road?

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    Answer C: Follow it from the inside mirror to the side mirror and then to your own view

    Handing the vehicle from one mirror to the next keeps it in sight through the blind spot instead of losing it there.

  16. 16. Well before an intersection, an overhead sign shows a diagram of the lanes with an arrow above each one. What is its purpose?

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    Answer C: To let drivers pick the correct lane in good time

    Advance intersection lane control signs display the lane assignment far enough back that drivers can move over calmly instead of at the last moment.

  17. 17. Which family of signs normally uses a rectangle that is wider than it is tall?

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    Answer B: Guide signs, which name routes and destinations

    Guide signs are laid out as horizontal rectangles because they have to carry route numbers, place names and distances side by side.

  18. 18. 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.

  19. 19. You are circulating in a roundabout and a vehicle is waiting to enter ahead of you. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Keep going, because circulating traffic does not stop for entering vehicles

    Stopping in the circle to be polite surprises the drivers behind you and defeats the design; entering traffic is the side that waits.

  20. 20. A yellow diamond shows two lanes narrowing into one. What does it require of a driver?

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    Answer D: Adjusting speed and merging before the lane disappears

    The lane ends sign gives notice that one lane will be dropped, so drivers should adjust speed and blend into the continuing lane in good time.

  21. 21. What is the role of the sweep rider in a group?

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    Answer B: To ride last, watch the group, and notice when a rider drops back or has trouble

    The sweep rider takes the last position so that any rider who slows, stops or has a problem is noticed instead of being left behind.

  22. 22. Just before the front wheel reaches an obstacle, what should you do with the throttle?

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    Answer C: Roll it on slightly to lighten the front end

    A small amount of throttle shifts weight rearward and lightens the front wheel so it rides over the obstacle more easily.

  23. 23. You leave a brightly lit service area onto a dark rural road. Why should you slow down for a while?

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    Answer C: Your eyes need time to adjust, so at first you see less

    Eyes take a few minutes to adapt from bright light to darkness, and during that time you can see much less than your headlights actually show.

  24. 24. A yellow horizontal rectangular sign showing one large arrow pointing left or right, facing traffic on the far side of a sharp bend, tells the driver

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    Answer C: which way the roadway turns at that point

    The large arrow sign is mounted on the outside of a sharp change in alignment so that a driver approaching head on immediately sees which way the road goes.

  25. 25. A flagger in a work zone turns a paddle so that the red octagonal face reading STOP is toward you. What must you do?

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    Answer A: Stop completely and wait for the flagger to signal you forward

    The STOP face of a flagger paddle requires a complete stop, and you may move again only when the flagger directs you to.