South Carolina SCDMV Motorcycle Practice Test 27
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. How should the mirrors be set before setting off?
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Answer B: So that each mirror shows the lane behind and part of the lane beside
Mirrors aimed too far inward show mostly the rider, wasting the view that is meant to cover the traffic behind and to the side.
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2. What happens to a South Carolina rider who fails the motorcycle skills test three or more times at an SCDMV branch?
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Answer C: The rider must complete an SCDMV-authorized motorcycle safety course and retake the test as part of that course
After three or more failed attempts the applicant must successfully complete an SCDMV-authorized motorcycle safety course and take the test within it rather than at a branch office.
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3. You are on a country road with no sidewalk and two people are walking toward you on your side of the shoulder. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and move over to give them room
Where there is no sidewalk, people are expected to walk on the shoulder facing traffic, and drivers must slow and give them space.
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4. Before pulling out to pass on a two lane road, which lane position gives the best view of the road ahead?
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Answer B: The left portion of your lane
Moving to the left of your own lane lets you see past the vehicle ahead and judge the oncoming lane before committing any part of the machine to it.
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5. What does a swerve actually consist of?
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Answer B: Two quick presses on the grips, one to go around and one to come back
A swerve is two separate countersteering inputs made back to back, so the machine leaves the original path and then returns to it.
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6. Your front wheel drops off the edge of the pavement onto a lower shoulder. What is the safest way back?
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Answer D: Ride straight, slow down, then turn back sharply enough to cross the edge
Trying to climb a raised pavement edge at a shallow angle lets the tire slide along it, so the rider settles first and then crosses the edge at a sharp angle.
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7. Why is a shoulder check especially important on a road with motorcycles and bicycles?
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Answer D: A narrow vehicle can disappear completely in the blind spot
A motorcycle or a bicycle is small enough to be hidden entirely by a door pillar or by the blind spot the mirrors do not cover.
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8. You are about to pull out from a stop sign. Which scanning habit is correct?
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Answer A: Look to the left, then to the right, then to the left again before moving
Traffic from the left reaches you first, and a second look left catches anything that arrived while you were looking right.
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9. Why do experienced riders cover the clutch lever and the brake lever in heavy traffic?
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Answer B: It shortens the time needed to react if they suddenly have to stop
With fingers already resting on the levers the rider skips the time it takes to reach for them, which shortens overall stopping distance.
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10. Why must a rider pay attention to the turn signal after completing a turn or lane change?
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Answer A: Many motorcycle signals do not cancel themselves and can mislead other drivers
A signal left flashing tells other drivers the rider is about to turn again, and a driver may pull out in front of the motorcycle because of it.
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11. You are already leaned over in a curve when you see loose gravel spread across the road ahead. What is the best response?
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Answer B: Slow gently, bring the bike more upright, and cross the gravel with steady throttle
A leaned tire has little grip left for braking or for loose stones. Reduce speed smoothly, get the motorcycle as upright as the curve allows, and hold a steady throttle across the gravel.
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12. What protective gear should a passenger wear?
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Answer C: The same protective gear recommended for the operator
A passenger is exposed to the same crash forces, weather and road debris as the operator, so the same head, eye, hand, body and foot protection applies.
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13. How should a load be distributed between the two saddlebags?
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Answer B: Evenly, so the weight is balanced from side to side
An uneven load pulls the motorcycle toward the heavy side and makes it behave differently in left turns than in right turns.
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14. Yellow signs each showing one large black arrowhead, installed in a row along the outside of a curve, are
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Answer D: chevron alignment signs marking the change of direction of the curve
Chevron alignment signs are placed on the outside of a curve so that several are in view at once, letting the driver judge how sharply the road turns.
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15. You have just had bad news and you feel very upset. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait until you have calmed down, or else let somebody else drive
Strong emotion takes attention away from the road as surely as alcohol or fatigue, so it is a reason not to drive yet.
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16. A streetcar is coming along tracks in the middle of the street as you wait to turn across them. What should you do?
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Answer A: Let the streetcar pass before you cross the tracks
Rail vehicles cannot steer around you and need a long distance to stop, so drivers yield to a streetcar or light rail train.
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17. An oncoming driver flashes their headlights while you are waiting to turn left. What should you do?
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Answer D: Judge the situation yourself, since the flash may mean something else
A flash is not a legal signal and may mean many things, so the decision to turn stays yours and must be based on what you can see.
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18. What does the Lights and Electrics step of T-CLOCS include?
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Answer A: The battery, the headlight, the brake light and the wiring
This step covers the battery and its terminals, the headlight, tail and brake lights, the turn signals, the switches, the mirrors and the wiring.
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19. 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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20. You are stopped at a stop sign on a two-way stop intersection and the cross street has no stop signs at all. What does that mean for you?
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Answer A: You yield to all cross traffic no matter how long that takes
At a two-way stop only your direction is controlled, so there is no taking turns; you wait for a gap big enough to enter safely.
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21. You are approaching a traffic light that has been green for a long time. How should you treat it?
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Answer C: Expect it to change and be ready to stop
A light that has been green for a while is called a stale green light. Cover the brake and decide in advance where you could still stop safely.
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22. A fire truck with lights and siren has just passed you and is heading down the same road. How closely may you follow it?
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Answer B: Well back, because following a responding emergency vehicle closely is illegal
Following a responding emergency vehicle closely is prohibited; the exact minimum distance is set by each state, so stay far enough back to keep the scene and other responders clear.
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23. A driver's destination lies along the street to the right, and this sign stands at that corner. How should the driver reach it?
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Answer D: By going on and using a later intersection where turning is allowed
When a movement is barred at one corner the driver has to reroute, normally by continuing and coming back to the destination from a permitted approach.
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24. A small plaque mounted under this sign shows a numeral such as 2 or 3. What does that numeral report?
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Answer A: How many sets of tracks the crossing carries
The plaque states the number of tracks at that location, which is a warning that a second train may be running on another track behind the first.
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25. You are stopping for a red light in the rain and your stopping point is on a wide painted stop line and crosswalk. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow earlier and gently, since wet paint offers much less grip than pavement
Painted stop lines and crosswalks turn slick when wet, so start braking early and squeeze gently rather than braking hard on the markings.
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26. In most states, when are headlights required apart from times of poor visibility?
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Answer A: From about half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise
Most states require lights from about half an hour after sunset until about half an hour before sunrise, and some simply say sunset to sunrise; lights are also required whenever visibility is poor.
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27. Is it acceptable to drive with your vehicle straddling the line between two lanes?
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Answer D: No, you must drive as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane
A vehicle astride the line takes up two lanes and leaves the drivers around it unable to predict where it will go.
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28. Why is it harder to read the road surface at night once it has rained?
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Answer B: The wet surface throws light away and hides holes and markings
Light from your headlight bounces off wet pavement instead of coming back to you, and reflections of other lights mask the surface, so slow down and open up your following distance.
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29. How long should a head check before a lane change last?
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Answer D: A quick glance, so you do not lose track of what is happening ahead
Traffic ahead can change in a second, so the blind spot check is a fast glance and the rider returns attention to the road immediately.
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30. A sign showing a walking figure inside a red circle with a diagonal slash stands at the start of a bridge. What does it mean?
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Answer C: People on foot may not use that roadway
The no pedestrians sign excludes people on foot from that roadway altogether, which is common on high-speed bridges and freeways.