Maine Permit Practice Test 5

5 out of 5 (73 votes)
80% Passing score
20 Questions
4 Mistakes allowed
A Maine BMV practice test should do more than toss 20 questions at you and call it preparation. The real written knowledge test sits early in the licensing process, before the learner’s permit, before the road test, before any of the more satisfying parts where you are actually driving somewhere on your own. So this Maine permit practice test is built around the material that tends to matter: rules of the road, safe-driving judgment, and, very deliberately, Maine’s blood alcohol content limits and impaired-driving laws. That BAC focus is not there for decoration. Maine expects permit applicants to understand how alcohol affects reaction time, decision-making, and basic control of the vehicle, which sounds obvious until the question gives you a situation with just enough detail to make the easy answer feel a little less easy. The questions here are written with real driving scenarios in mind, not just clean little handbook facts lined up in a row. You get practice reading the situation, noticing what is actually being asked, and choosing the answer that fits Maine law rather than the one that merely sounds responsible. The licensing process after that depends on your age, and this is where people sometimes get their wires crossed. Applicants ages 18 to 20 do not have to complete driver education, but if they receive a permit, they must hold it for 6 months and complete 70 hours of practice driving, including 10 hours after dark, before applying for the road test. Their supervising driver must be at least 20 and must have held a license for at least 2 years. Applicants 21 and older have a cleaner path after the permit: no driver education requirement, no required driving-hour log, and no 6-month holding period before the road test. Still, adult first-time applicants must pass the written test, pass the vision screening, obtain the permit, and pass the road test before getting licensed. And permit holders are not allowed to use a handheld electronic device or mobile phone while driving, which is worth remembering because Maine does not treat that as a tiny technicality. This drivers permit practice test is untimed, which is exactly how it should be for studying. Slow down. Read the whole question, even the dull bit at the end. Use each mistake as a little warning flare before the official Maine permit test, when guessing feels much less charming.
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Sample Maine Permit Test Questions

Question 1

Which action demonstrates an effective defensive-driving search pattern?

  1. A Keeping a fixed one-car-length gap at every speed
  2. B Watching only the rear of the vehicle ahead
  3. C Moving your eyes and checking for developing hazards
  4. D Doing all of these

Correct answer: C – Moving your eyes and checking for developing hazards

Safe visual searching includes checking ahead, to the sides, and behind your vehicle. Keeping your eyes moving helps you detect possible problems before they require an abrupt response. Staring at the vehicle ahead can cause you to miss pedestrians, traffic signs, or hazards developing elsewhere around you.

Source: Maine Driver’s License Manual — § 8, “Seeing What’s Critical”

Question 2

In Maine, a chemical alcohol test is used to determine a driver’s:

  1. A Reaction time
  2. B Alcohol level
  3. C Visual sharpness
  4. D Overall driving skill

Correct answer: B – Alcohol level

A chemical alcohol test measures the quantity or level of alcohol in a sample of breath or blood. The implied-consent statute more broadly authorizes analysis of blood, breath, or urine to determine alcohol level and the presence of drugs or drug metabolites. A breath test is normally administered unless the officer determines that it is unreasonable.

Source: 29-A M.R.S. § 2521.1, .2 – Implied consent to chemical tests, Maine Driver’s License Manual — § 3, “Alcohol Level Testing”

Question 3

A truck moves left before beginning a right turn. Which action should you avoid?

  1. A Entering the space between the truck and the curb
  2. B Waiting until the truck has finished turning
  3. C Maintaining a safe following distance
  4. D Watching the truck’s turn signal and position

Correct answer: A – Entering the space between the truck and the curb

Large trucks and buses may swing left to obtain enough room for a right turn. A vehicle entering the open space on the truck’s right may move directly into its turning path and may also be within a large blind spot. Stay back and wait until the larger vehicle has completed the turn.

Source: Maine Driver’s License Manual — § 10, “Large Vehicles”

Question 4

Even with a green light, when should you wait before entering an intersection?

  1. A Only when you do not have the right-of-way
  2. B When traffic ahead prevents you from clearing it
  3. C Only when cross traffic cannot drive around you
  4. D When another vehicle is waiting behind you

Correct answer: B – When traffic ahead prevents you from clearing it

A green light does not make it safe to enter a blocked intersection. The Maine manual directs drivers not to start across when vehicles are blocking the path ahead because they may become trapped when the signal changes and obstruct traffic. Wait until there is enough open space to clear the intersection.

Source: Maine Driver’s License Manual — § 8, “Space to Cross or Enter”

Question 5

Before changing lanes, how should you check an area that your mirrors do not show?

  1. A Use only the inside rearview mirror
  2. B Move closer to the side mirror
  3. C Turn your head and look over the appropriate shoulder
  4. D Look straight ahead and listen for another vehicle

Correct answer: C – Turn your head and look over the appropriate shoulder

Blind spots are areas around a vehicle that cannot be seen adequately through the mirrors. Before moving into another lane, check the mirrors and then turn your head to look over the shoulder in the direction of travel. This direct check can reveal a vehicle, motorcycle, or bicycle beside your rear corner.

Source: Maine Driver’s License Manual — § 7, “Changing Lanes”

Question 6

When parking an automatic-transmission vehicle on any hill, you should:

  1. A Place one rear tire against the curb
  2. B Set the parking brake and shift into Park
  3. C Leave the front wheels straight when there is no curb
  4. D Always point the front wheels toward the curb

Correct answer: B – Set the parking brake and shift into Park

Secure an automatic-transmission vehicle by shifting into Park and setting the parking brake. A manual-transmission vehicle should be left in first gear or reverse. Wheel direction depends on the hill and curb: turn right when facing downhill or when there is no curb, and turn left when facing uphill beside a curb.

Source: Maine Driver’s License Manual — § 7, “Parking”

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