New Mexico Road Signs Test 2

5 out of 5 (41 votes)
80% Passing score
20 Questions
4 Mistakes allowed
The New Mexico DMV road signs practice test gives you a focused way to study one of the most important parts of the MVD knowledge exam: signs, signals, markings, and all the little visual rules that drivers are expected to understand without needing a long explanation. In New Mexico, road sign questions are part of the main written knowledge test for a standard Class D permit, so they are not something to treat as separate from the rest of your prep. They sit right alongside traffic laws, right-of-way rules, speed limits, school zones, pavement markings, DWI laws, and safe-driving questions. This practice test keeps the attention where it belongs. You get 20 multiple-choice questions built around road sign recognition, including regulatory signs, warning signs, guide signs, construction and work-zone signs, traffic signals, and lane-use markings. Some questions come down to color. Some come down to shape. Some, and this is where people get a little too casual, come down to knowing the difference between a sign that tells you what is ahead and a sign that tells you what you must do now. Red signs, yellow warnings, green direction signs, pavement markings that seem obvious until they are not—yes, all of that matters. The official New Mexico permit knowledge test has 25 multiple-choice questions, and you need 18 correct answers to pass, which works out to 72%. This NM DMV practice test uses a 20-question format with a target score of 16 correct answers. That is an 80% mark, so it gives you a bit of cushion instead of letting you coast at the bare minimum. Not a dramatic cushion, but a real one. Because the test is untimed, you can slow down and actually study the answer choices instead of rushing through them like you are trying to escape the MVD lobby. Use the New Mexico Driver Manual with it, review the misses, and pay attention to the patterns. That is usually where the confidence comes from—not memorizing one perfect set of questions, but recognizing what the sign is asking you to do before the road does.
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Sample New Mexico Permit Test Questions

Question 1

What information is normally provided by a yellow, diamond-shaped traffic sign?

A yellow and black diamond-shaped sign:
  1. A A warning about a hazard or condition ahead
  2. B Directions to cities or highway destinations
  3. C A traffic law that drivers must obey
  4. D Information about an active work zone

Correct answer: A – A warning about a hazard or condition ahead

Most yellow diamond signs warn of a special situation or hazard on or near the roadway. They alert drivers to slow down or prepare to stop if necessary. Work-area signs are generally orange, while regulatory signs are commonly white, red, or black.

Source: New Mexico Driver Manual — Rules of the Road, “Traffic Signs—Warning Signs”, New Mexico Driver Manual — Rules of the Road, “Work Area Signs”

Question 2

A white rectangular sign showing an arrow passing to the right of an obstruction directs you to:

This white sign means:
  1. A Keep to the right of the divider or island
  2. B Yield before making a right turn
  3. C Move right only if you are driving slowly
  4. D Turn right at the next intersection

Correct answer: A – Keep to the right of the divider or island

This regulatory sign directs vehicles to pass on the right side of a traffic island, divider, or other obstruction. It controls the path traffic must follow; it does not require a turn at the next intersection. Follow the arrow and remain on the designated side.

Source: New Mexico Driver Manual — Rules of the Road, “Traffic Signs—Regulatory Signs”

Question 3

Before entering an intersection where the traffic signal is completely dark, you should:

When a traffic signal light is not working, you should:
  1. A Continue at the normal speed if you are on the larger road
  2. B Stop or yield only when another vehicle is visible
  3. C Approach cautiously, yield as required, and enter only when safe
  4. D Follow the color that was displayed before the signal went dark

Correct answer: C – Approach cautiously, yield as required, and enter only when safe

A nonoperating signal provides no direction to proceed. Approach cautiously, apply the intersection right-of-way rules, and enter only when your path is clear. New Mexico law also requires a driver to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk when traffic-control signals are not operating.

Source: NMSA 1978 § 66-7-334(A) – Pedestrians’ Right of Way in Crosswalks, New Mexico Driver Manual — Rules of the Road, “Right-of-Way”

Question 4

After a red light changes to green, which condition must you verify before moving?

  1. A Your vehicle entered the intersection first
  2. B Vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection have cleared your path
  3. C Every pedestrian on the cross street has stopped
  4. D You are traveling straight rather than turning

Correct answer: B – Vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection have cleared your path

When a stopped driver receives a green signal, crossing traffic must be allowed to clear before the driver proceeds. Drivers must also watch for pedestrians when turning. In New Mexico, a green light permits movement only after these immediate conflicts have been addressed.

Source: New Mexico Driver Manual — Rules of the Road, “Traffic Signals”, NMSA 1978 § 66-7-105 – Traffic-Control Signal Legend

Question 5

You intend to turn left on a solid green light, but oncoming vehicles are close enough to create a hazard. You must:

  1. A Turn at the next intersection instead
  2. B Stop on the crosswalk and wait
  3. C Yield to the oncoming vehicles and turn only when safe
  4. D Turn first because the signal is green

Correct answer: C – Yield to the oncoming vehicles and turn only when safe

A driver turning left must yield to an approaching vehicle that is within the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard. Wait until the turn can be completed safely. New Mexico’s manual also states that oncoming traffic has the right-of-way when you turn left on a steady green signal.

Source: NMSA 1978 § 66-7-329 – Vehicle Turning Left at Intersection, New Mexico Driver Manual — Rules of the Road, “Traffic Signals”

Question 6

Why should you check both directions before entering an intersection on a newly green signal?

  1. A To confirm that crossing traffic has cleared the intersection
  2. B Because you may look only straight ahead after entering
  3. C Because cross traffic will receive a green arrow at the same time
  4. D Because all pedestrians on the cross street may begin crossing

Correct answer: A – To confirm that crossing traffic has cleared the intersection

The driver manual directs a stopped driver to allow crossing traffic to clear after the signal turns green. Looking to both sides helps you verify that the intersection is open before you enter. Continue watching for vehicles and pedestrians while proceeding through the intersection.

Source: New Mexico Driver Manual — Rules of the Road, “Traffic Signals”, New Mexico Driver Manual — Driving Safely, “Scanning—Look to the Sides”

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