New Mexico DMV Practice Test 2

4.8 out of 5 (89 votes)
80% Passing score
20 Questions
4 Mistakes allowed
The New Mexico MVD practice test is best treated as a focused rehearsal for the knowledge test, not a quick skim of random road trivia. The official exam is based on the New Mexico Driver Manual, and it expects you to know the material in a practical way: traffic laws, signs, signals, pavement markings, right-of-way rules, school zones, speed limits, safe driving habits, DWI laws, and how to share the road with pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, emergency vehicles, and larger vehicles that do not exactly stop on a dime. This NM learners permit practice test keeps the attention where it belongs: on the kinds of rules and judgment calls that show up when you are actually preparing to pass. The questions are multiple choice, so yes, part of the work is knowing the rule. But part of it is also learning how New Mexico driving questions tend to frame things, where the tempting wrong answer sits, and when a detail in the wording changes the whole answer. A four-way stop, a school zone, a flashing signal, a lane marking, a DWI scenario — none of these is exotic material, but they are exactly the sort of ordinary topics people rush through and then regret rushing through. The real New Mexico permit knowledge test typically includes 25 multiple-choice questions. You need 18 correct answers to pass, a 72% score, which means you can miss up to 7. Road sign questions are mixed into the knowledge test, so studying signs separately and then forgetting to connect them with right-of-way, speed, and safety rules is not a great plan. It feels organized, maybe, but it is not how the test behaves. Licensing details matter too, although they are not all the same for every applicant. Drivers under 18 go through New Mexico’s Graduated Driver Licensing process and generally must be at least 15, enrolled in or finished with an approved driver education program, and able to pass the required vision screening and knowledge test. First-time applicants ages 18 to 24 must complete the “None for the Road” DWI Awareness Class before applying for a first New Mexico license. Adults 25 and older follow the adult licensing process, with DWI education requirements applying in certain cases. Use this New Mexico free MVD practice test alongside the driver manual and, when required, driver education. Take it more than once. Miss things here, fix them here, and walk into the real test with fewer surprises.
FREE DMV Practice Test App
Study for your New Mexico permit test or driver’s license with the NextDoorDriving app. 700+ DMV questions and answers, 100% free!
Download on the App Store

Sample New Mexico Permit Test Questions

Question 1

Compared with wearing only a lap belt, properly wearing both the lap and shoulder portions:

  1. A Provides less protection at low speeds
  2. B Provides greater protection in a collision
  3. C Prevents the collision from occurring
  4. D Is useful only in heavy traffic

Correct answer: B – Provides greater protection in a collision

A two-part safety belt is designed to restrain both the lower and upper body. Wearing only the lap portion or only the shoulder portion reduces the protection the system provides. Both portions should be worn correctly whenever the vehicle is moving.

Source: New Mexico Driver Manual — “Safety Belts and Child Restraints”

Question 2

You should switch to low-beam headlights when you are within 200 feet of a vehicle:

  1. A You are following
  2. B Approaching you from behind
  3. C You passed several minutes earlier
  4. D Parked off the roadway with no occupants

Correct answer: A – You are following

New Mexico requires drivers to dim high beams when following another vehicle within 200 feet. Low beams reduce glare reflected through the other driver’s mirrors. High beams should also be dimmed when approaching oncoming traffic within the distance specified by law.

Source: NMSA 1978 § 66-3-831 – Use of Multiple-Beam Road-Lighting Equipment, New Mexico Driver Manual — “Use Your Lights”

Question 3

What does a red-and-white downward-pointing triangular sign require?

  1. A Stop only when an emergency vehicle approaches
  2. B Cross without reducing speed after looking both ways
  3. C Come to a full stop every time
  4. D Slow down and yield, stopping if necessary

Correct answer: D – Slow down and yield, stopping if necessary

This is a yield sign. Reduce speed and give the right-of-way to traffic in the intersection or on the roadway you are entering. You must stop when necessary to yield safely, but a full stop is not automatically required when the way is clear.

Source: New Mexico Driver Manual — “Traffic Signs—Yield Sign”

Question 4

Before moving left to overtake another vehicle, what should you do?

  1. A Wait for the other driver to wave you around
  2. B Move abruptly so the other driver notices you
  3. C Signal and verify that the pass can be completed safely
  4. D Tailgate to shorten the passing distance

Correct answer: C – Signal and verify that the pass can be completed safely

A driver must not move right or left until the movement can be made with reasonable safety and an appropriate signal has been given. On a two-way road, begin a pass only when the left side is visible and free of traffic for enough distance to complete it safely. The passing driver must return to the right before coming within 100 feet of an oncoming vehicle.

Source: NMSA 1978 § 66-7-325(A) – Turning Movements and Required Signals, NMSA 1978 § 66-7-312(A) – Limitations on Overtaking on the Left, New Mexico Driver Manual — “Sharing Space—Space to Pass”

Question 5

Why should you check mirrors and look over your shoulder before turning or changing lanes near bicycles?

  1. A Bicyclists always have priority over every vehicle
  2. B A bicyclist may be in a blind spot and difficult to see
  3. C Bicyclists are required to ride against traffic
  4. D Speed limits do not apply to bicyclists

Correct answer: B – A bicyclist may be in a blind spot and difficult to see

Bicycles are smaller and may be harder to see than cars and trucks. Before turning, entering a roadway, or changing lanes, check the mirrors and look over the appropriate shoulder for traffic in the blind spot. Continue watching for bicyclists while completing the maneuver.

Source: New Mexico Driver Manual — “Scanning—When Changing Lanes”, New Mexico Driver Manual — “Sharing the Road—Bicycles Are Vehicles”

Question 6

In New Mexico, what can happen if a lawfully arrested driver refuses a requested chemical test under the Implied Consent Act?

A police officer stops you because he suspects you are DUI. You refuse to take a chemical test. What happens now?
  1. A The driver’s license or driving privilege will be revoked
  2. B The only consequence is an additional traffic fine
  3. C The driver permanently loses the right to request a hearing
  4. D The vehicle must automatically be forfeited

Correct answer: A – The driver’s license or driving privilege will be revoked

A person who drives in the state is deemed to have consented to chemical testing under the conditions established by the Implied Consent Act. Refusal after the required warning is grounds for revocation of the person’s license or nonresident driving privilege. The refusal revocation lasts one year or until all reinstatement conditions are satisfied, whichever is later.

Source: NMSA 1978 § 66-8-107 – Implied Consent to Submit to Chemical Test, NMSA 1978 § 66-8-111 – Refusal to Submit to Chemical Tests—Testing—Grounds for Revocation of License or Privilege to Drive

More New Mexico DMV Practice Tests