Missouri DOR Permit Practice Test 50
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. The rear of your vehicle begins to slide sideways on a slippery surface. What is the correct correction?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go
Looking and steering toward your intended path lines the front wheels up with the direction of travel, while sudden braking or a sharp opposite input usually makes the slide worse.
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2. You drive away and the car feels sluggish while a warning light glows on the dash. What is a likely cause?
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Answer B: The parking brake was left partly applied
Driving with the parking brake partly on overheats the rear brakes and can ruin them, so release it fully and check that the warning light goes out.
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3. Another vehicle is passing you on a two-lane road. What should you do with your speed?
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Answer A: Hold your speed or ease off slightly to shorten the pass
Speeding up strands the passing driver in the oncoming lane, while a steady speed or a slight lift lets the pass finish quickly and safely.
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4. A grade crossing is marked only with a crossbuck and has no lights or gates. What does the crossbuck require of you?
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Answer C: Yield to rail traffic and cross only when no train is approaching
The crossbuck requires road users to yield the right-of-way to rail traffic, so you must look and listen and be ready to stop.
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5. The signal ahead has a sign prohibiting left turns, and your route needs a left. What should you do?
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Answer D: Go straight on and find a legal place to turn and come back
A turn prohibition applies to every driver, so you continue through and reach your route by another legal turn.
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6. You are waiting to turn left across two oncoming lanes when a driver in the near lane stops and waves you through. What should you do?
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Answer D: Turn only after checking the far lane yourself
The waving driver cannot give away the right of way of the traffic in the second lane, which may not be stopping at all.
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7. 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.
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8. A regulatory message is normally carried on a sign whose shape is
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Answer A: a rectangle standing taller than it is wide
Regulatory signs that state a law, such as speed limits and turn restrictions, use a vertical rectangle with a black legend on a white background.
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9. You and a driver coming from the opposite direction reach a four-way stop at the same time and you are both going straight ahead. What happens next?
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Answer D: Both of you may move off together, because your paths do not cross each other
Opposing vehicles that are both going straight do not cross paths, so they can move off together once the intersection is clear.
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10. 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.
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11. Which warning sign keeps its yellow background even when it is used inside a work zone?
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Answer D: The grade crossing advance warning sign
The round grade crossing advance warning sign keeps its black legend on yellow inside temporary traffic control zones because the railroad hazard it describes is not temporary.
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12. You have stopped at a stop line but parked cars hide the cross street. What comes next?
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Answer C: Edge forward to where you can see, stopping again if needed
The legal stop at the line is only the first stop; you then move up slowly to a point where you can see, and stop again if traffic requires it.
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13. Heavy trucks have worn deep ruts into a highway lane and rain has filled them. What is the danger?
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Answer D: Water collects in them, so the tires can lose contact with the road
Ruts hold standing water long after the rest of the lane has drained, which makes them the most likely place to start hydroplaning.
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14. May you park across the entrance to a fire station?
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Answer D: No, an emergency exit must never be blocked
Emergency vehicles must be able to leave the moment a call comes in, so their entrances and exits are kept clear at all hours.
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15. 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.
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16. You are parking facing uphill on a street with a curb. What is the correct wheel position?
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Answer B: Turn the front wheels away from the curb and let the vehicle roll back until a tire touches it
Facing uphill the vehicle would roll backward, so the wheels point away from the curb and the tire is rested against it to act as a block.
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17. 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.
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18. Traffic has built up behind you while you wait for a gap to turn left. How should that affect your decision?
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Answer C: It should not change it; wait for a gap that is genuinely safe
Pressure from behind does not make a small gap bigger, and rushing a left turn across traffic is a common cause of serious crashes.
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19. In which situation should you increase your usual following distance?
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Answer B: On wet roads, at night, in fog, when towing a trailer, or when following a motorcycle
Reduced traction, reduced visibility, a heavier load and a vehicle that can stop faster than yours all require extra space to keep the same margin of safety.
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20. A black on white regulatory sign at an intersection reads NO TURNS. What may a driver do there?
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Answer B: Only continue straight through the intersection
The NO TURNS sign bans turns in every direction at that intersection, so the only lawful movement from that approach is straight through.
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21. 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.
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22. A large electronic advertising sign beside the road catches your eye. What should you do?
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Answer A: Glance briefly and return your eyes to the road
Bright changing displays are designed to hold attention, so treat them like any roadside object and give them no more than a brief glance.
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23. You are turning onto a street that has two lanes going your way. Which lane should you enter?
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Answer B: The lane closest to you, changing lanes later if you need to
Turn into the nearest lane going your direction and make any lane change afterwards, when you have signaled and checked that it is clear.
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24. What habit prevents the hood from flying up while you are driving?
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Answer D: Press the hood down at the front and check that the latch has caught
Most hoods fly up because they were left on the safety catch, so check that the main latch is fully closed after any work under the hood.
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25. Your car has side curtain airbags. What should you avoid doing?
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Answer B: Resting your head against the window or the door pillar
A side airbag deploys from the pillar or roof rail, so a head leaning against that area is directly in its path.