New Hampshire NH DMV Permit Practice Test 30
- Questions40
- Correct to pass32
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. You are driving in fog so thick that you can barely see the vehicle ahead. Which pavement marking is the best guide for staying in your lane?
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Answer A: The white edge line on the right side of the road
The right edge line keeps you positioned away from oncoming traffic and is easy to follow at low speed. Following tail lights closely tempts you to drive faster than you can see.
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2. What speed applies in New Hampshire where highway agency employees or contractors are working on the roadway or close enough to be endangered by passing traffic?
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Answer D: A limit at least 10 mph below the usual posted limit, displayed on signs
RSA 265:60 requires drivers to travel at least 10 miles per hour below the usual posted limit through a work area where employees or contractors are exposed to traffic, and the reduced speed must be displayed on signs.
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3. You stop at a rest area because you are sleepy. How long a nap is usually recommended?
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Answer D: About fifteen to twenty minutes
A short nap of fifteen to twenty minutes restores useful alertness without leaving the grogginess a longer sleep can bring, and you should wait a few minutes before driving on.
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4. What do the numbers on a pedestrian countdown display show?
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Answer A: The seconds remaining to finish a crossing already under way
The countdown runs during the pedestrian change interval and shows how many seconds are left before the crossing time ends.
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5. How does a full load of passengers and luggage affect your braking?
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Answer B: It lengthens the stopping distance, so you should brake earlier
More weight means more energy to get rid of, so a loaded vehicle takes longer to stop and needs earlier, gentler braking.
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6. A center lane is bordered by a solid yellow line on the outside and a broken yellow line on the inside, with turn arrows painted inside it. What is that lane for?
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Answer C: Left turns made by traffic traveling in either direction
That marking pattern identifies a two-way left-turn lane, which drivers approaching from both directions may use to prepare for a left turn.
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7. Why are sign shapes and colors standardized across the whole country?
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Answer D: So a driver knows the kind of message before reading it
Uniform shapes and colors let a driver classify a sign as regulatory, warning or guide from a distance, before the legend can be read.
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8. Why does the situation ahead of this sign deserve extra care from a motorcyclist?
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Answer C: Because a narrow machine is easy to overlook in a mirror or a blind spot
A motorcycle fills very little of a mirror and disappears easily into a blind spot, so the rider should adjust speed and lane position to stay visible where the streams come together.
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9. What minimum speed limit must be posted and observed on the interstate highway system in New Hampshire?
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Answer B: 45 mph
RSA 265:64 forbids driving so slowly that normal traffic is impeded and sets a posted minimum of 45 miles per hour on the interstate system.
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10. The light ahead is green, but traffic beyond the intersection is backed up so far that you could not clear it. What is the correct action?
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Answer D: Wait behind the stop line until there is room on the far side
Entering an intersection you cannot clear blocks cross traffic and pedestrians, so you should hold your position until space opens on the other side.
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11. A yellow diamond reading DIP warns a driver about
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Answer A: a short, sharp depression in the road surface
A dip is an abrupt low point that can jolt a vehicle or scrape its underside, so speed should be reduced before reaching it.
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12. Where is this sign installed in relation to the hazard it announces?
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Answer A: Far enough before the hazard that a driver can slow down and stop short of it
This is an advance warning sign, placed on the approach so a driver has time to react before reaching a crossing that a curve or a crest may be hiding.
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13. A freeway sign shows a minimum speed limit. What does it require?
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Answer B: That you keep up with it unless conditions make that unsafe
A minimum speed limit keeps very slow vehicles off the highway, but weather, traffic or a mechanical problem may make a lower speed necessary and lawful.
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14. Why is hard braking the wrong response to a tire blowout at speed?
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Answer C: Because it can pull the vehicle further out of line and start it spinning
With one tire gone the braking forces are uneven, so heavy braking increases the pull to one side and can spin the vehicle.
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15. Where is a three-point turn most clearly a bad idea?
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Answer A: On a busy street near a curve, where approaching drivers cannot see you
The maneuver leaves you blocking the road for several seconds, so it needs light traffic and a long clear view; a blind curve gives neither.
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16. What is the basic rule for entering a roundabout?
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Answer B: Traffic already circulating goes first, and you wait for a gap
Entering traffic yields to vehicles already going around the circle, which is what keeps a roundabout moving instead of locking up.
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17. You pull onto a soft grass verge to park. What is the main risk?
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Answer A: The wheels can sink and the car can slide toward the ditch
Soft ground gives way under the weight of a vehicle, and a car that settles or slides sideways can end up stuck or in the ditch.
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18. You are towing a loaded trailer for the first time. How should you drive?
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Answer A: Slow earlier and keep a longer following gap
A trailer adds weight and length, so stopping takes longer and every maneuver needs more room and more warning.
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19. What is lane splitting?
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Answer B: A motorcycle riding between two lanes of traffic moving the same way
Lane splitting means riding along the line between two lanes of traffic going in the same direction rather than staying within a lane.
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20. The red oil pressure warning light comes on while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer C: Pull over safely as soon as possible and shut off the engine
Loss of oil pressure means the engine is no longer being lubricated and can be destroyed within minutes. Stop, shut down and check before restarting.
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21. At an intersection where turning on a red arrow is not permitted, the signal shows a red left arrow next to a steady green ball. What may you do?
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Answer D: Go straight or turn right if permitted, but not left
An arrow controls only the movement it points to, so here the red arrow stops the left turn while the green ball still allows the other movements.
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22. You are turning right where a paved trail crosses the road just past the corner. What should you look for?
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Answer B: Cyclists and walkers arriving from either direction on the trail
A shared use path carries two-way traffic on foot and on bicycles, so scan both directions along the trail before crossing it.
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23. You reach an intersection showing a steady red light, and a stop line is painted across your lane. Where must you bring the vehicle to a complete stop?
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Answer C: Before the stop line
A steady red requires a complete stop before the marked stop line. Where there is no stop line you stop before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.
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24. What is the sensible way to handle a meal on a long drive?
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Answer D: Eat before you leave or stop to eat
Eating takes hands, eyes and attention, and the only version with no cost to your driving is the one that happens while the car is parked.
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25. 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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26. At a stop sign with a painted stop line and a crosswalk, where must you stop?
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Answer D: At the stop line, before it and before the crosswalk
You stop at the stop line first, and only if there is no stop line do you stop before the crosswalk, and only if there is neither do you stop before entering the intersection.
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27. Why would a restriction like this one be applied to a stretch of road?
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Answer A: Because there is not enough visible road ahead to complete a pass safely
Limits on overtaking are set where a hill, a curve or an obstruction leaves too little sight distance for a driver to pull out, pass and return before meeting oncoming traffic.
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28. How can you tell that a child safety seat is installed tightly enough?
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Answer C: It moves less than an inch side to side or front to back at the belt path
A correctly installed seat is nearly immovable where the belt or lower anchors pass through it. Excess movement lets the child's body travel farther in a crash.
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29. You have a green light and an ambulance with lights and siren enters the intersection against its red. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stop and let the ambulance go through
An emergency vehicle answering a call may cross against a red, and every other driver yields to it whatever their own signal shows.
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30. You reach a stretch of road covered by moving flood water of unknown depth. What is the correct decision?
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Answer D: Turn around and take another route
About a foot of moving water is enough to carry away most cars, and the roadbed under the water may already be washed out, so the only safe choice is to turn around.
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31. A yellow diamond shows an arrow that doubles back on itself. What kind of curve lies ahead?
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Answer C: A turn of 135 degrees or more, nearly doubling back
The hairpin curve sign is used where the road changes direction by 135 degrees or more, and it is normally backed up by chevrons or a large arrow through the bend.
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32. The signal turns green as you approach an intersection. What is the safest practice?
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Answer B: Look left, then right, then left again, and make sure the intersection is clear before entering
A green light gives permission but does not guarantee the intersection is empty, and a quick scan catches a vehicle running the red or a pedestrian still crossing.
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33. A set of reversible express lanes is closed off with gates and signs while it runs the other way. What must you never do?
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Answer C: Enter past a closed gate or a sign showing the lanes are closed
When reversible lanes are closed they may already be carrying traffic in the opposite direction, so entering past a gate can put you head-on into that traffic.
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34. Why can a motorcycle ahead of you slow down without any warning light showing?
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Answer B: The rider may slow by downshifting or rolling off
Riders often lose speed by closing the throttle or changing down, which does not switch on the brake light, so watch the machine itself and keep back.
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35. You carry reflective warning triangles in your car. How should they be used after a breakdown?
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Answer B: Set out behind the vehicle, far enough back to warn traffic before it arrives
A warning device works only if drivers see it in time to react, so it is placed well back along the road they are traveling.
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36. Two left-turn lanes are available and you must turn right again a short distance after the turn. Which of the two should you use?
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Answer D: The right one, so you finish nearer the right side of the new street
Each turn lane feeds the matching lane of the new street, so choosing the right-hand of the two left-turn lanes leaves you closer to the side you will need.
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37. How often may a New Hampshire driver renew a license online rather than in person?
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Answer B: Only once in every other renewal cycle
RSA 263:10 allows online renewal only once in every other license renewal cycle, and the following cycle requires the applicant to appear in person.
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38. Once you have parallel parked, how close to the curb should your wheels be?
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Answer C: Within the distance your state allows, commonly 12 to 18 inches
Parking close to and parallel with the curb keeps the vehicle out of the traffic lane without damaging the tires; each state sets the exact maximum, usually 12 inches and 18 inches in some states.
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39. A bicyclist is riding in the middle of a narrow travel lane ahead of you. What is the correct response?
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Answer D: Slow down and wait until you can pass with wide clearance, changing lanes if needed
A bicyclist has the same right to use the lane as a driver, and a narrow lane may not leave safe passing room, so wait for a gap that lets you move over and pass with a wide margin.
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40. An overhead sign shows that the right lane is EXIT ONLY. What does that mean if you intend to stay on the highway?
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Answer B: You have to move out of that lane before the exit
An exit only lane leaves the highway completely, so a driver continuing on the highway has to change lanes before it does.