South Carolina SCDMV Motorcycle Practice Test 30
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. What must you be sure of before you pull out to pass on a two-lane road?
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Answer A: That the road ahead is clear far enough for the whole pass
You need enough clear road to pull out, pass and return before any oncoming vehicle arrives, and you must judge that distance before you start.
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2. Which surfaces usually offer less grip than the pavement around them when wet?
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Answer B: Painted markings, metal plates and bridge decks
Paint, steel and bridge decks all shed grip when wet or cold, so brake before you reach them rather than on top of them.
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3. Smoke and flames appear from the engine compartment after you stop. What should you do?
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Answer A: Get everyone well away from the vehicle first, and then call the fire service
A vehicle fire can spread within seconds, so people come out first and firefighting is left to the fire service.
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4. Why may the mirrors and the headlight need readjusting when a passenger is carried?
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Answer D: Because the added weight changes the angle at which the motorcycle sits
Weight on the rear of the motorcycle raises the front, which aims the headlight and the mirrors higher than the rider intends.
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5. A sign on a freeway restricts trucks to the two right-hand lanes. What should a car driver expect in those lanes?
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Answer A: More heavy vehicles and slower changes of speed
A truck lane restriction concentrates heavy vehicles on the right, and those vehicles accelerate, brake and change lanes far more slowly than cars.
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6. Is a windshield an adequate substitute for eye protection?
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Answer A: No, because air and debris still reach the rider's eyes around and over the screen
Airflow passes over and around a windshield, so a face shield or goggles are still needed to keep the rider's vision clear.
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7. A South Carolina driver's proof of financial responsibility was cancelled, and the driver applies for a new license within three years of when proof was first required. What must the driver do?
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Answer A: Re-establish proof of financial responsibility for the remainder of the three-year period
Section 56-9-620 requires the applicant to re-establish proof for the balance of the original three-year period if they apply within that window.
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8. You turn from asphalt onto a loose gravel road. What should you do about your speed?
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Answer D: Lower it, since grip is reduced and stopping takes longer
Loose gravel gives far less grip than pavement, so speed must come down for both steering and stopping.
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9. You are in a passing zone that continues over the crest of a hill ahead. May you start a pass?
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Answer B: Only if you can finish it well before the crest
Beyond the crest you cannot see oncoming traffic, so any part of the pass that happens there is being made blind.
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10. The divided highway ends warning sign means that
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Answer D: the median separating the directions ends and the road returns to two-way operation
Beyond this sign opposing traffic is no longer separated by a median, so the driver must keep right and expect vehicles approaching in the adjacent lane.
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11. You are waiting in a center two-way left-turn lane. What should you expect from oncoming traffic?
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Answer A: Oncoming drivers may enter the same lane to prepare their own left turns
Both directions share a two-way left-turn lane, so an oncoming vehicle may be waiting in it and you must never treat it as yours alone.
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12. Two left-turn lanes are marked at the intersection and you are in the left one. What must you do?
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Answer A: Stay in your own lane all the way around the turn
With dual turn lanes each driver must hold a lane through the whole turn and come out in the matching lane of the new street.
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13. A friend who has been drinking insists on driving home. What is the right thing to do?
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Answer B: Take the keys and arrange a sober ride, even if the friend objects
An impaired driver is dangerous on any street at any speed, and coffee does not lower blood alcohol. Keeping the keys and finding another way home is the only safe choice.
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14. You are leaving a freeway at an exit that has a deceleration lane. Where should you slow down?
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Answer C: After you have moved fully into the exit lane
Braking in a through lane surprises the traffic behind you, so you move into the exit lane at highway speed and then slow down inside it.
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15. Does a South Carolina moped operator's license depend on the applicant's eligibility for, or the status of, any other driver's license?
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Answer C: No, eligibility for a moped operator's license stands on its own, without regard to any other license or permit
Section 56-1-1730(A) makes moped license eligibility independent of the status of any other driver's license or permit.
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16. You have turned onto a ramp at night and your headlights pick out large white arrows painted on the pavement pointing straight back at you. What do they mean?
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Answer C: You are traveling against the flow and must turn back
Wrong-way arrows are laid so that a driver going the correct way never sees them head on, so an arrow pointing at you means you are on the ramp backwards.
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17. A rider uses only the rear brake for a quick stop. What is the result?
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Answer B: A much longer stop, and a rear wheel that locks easily
With weight thrown forward the rear tire has little grip left, so it gives up only a small share of the available braking and skids under heavy pressure.
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18. A passenger is getting on at the roadside. Which side should they use if the exhaust and the sidestand allow it?
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Answer B: The side away from moving traffic, clear of the hot exhaust
Getting on and off away from passing vehicles keeps the passenger out of traffic, and the side chosen must also keep their leg clear of the hot exhaust.
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19. You are passing a tractor-trailer on a wet freeway and its wheels throw heavy spray. What is the best technique?
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Answer B: Increase your wipers and pass steadily without hesitating
Spray blinds you for as long as you stay beside the truck, so prepare the wipers first and then spend as little time in the spray as possible.
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20. The word SCHOOL is painted in large letters across the roadway. What is it doing?
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Answer D: Backing up the signs marking a school zone
Word markings on the pavement reinforce a message that is already signed, and a driver looking at the road ahead cannot miss them.
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21. You make eye contact with a driver waiting to pull out of a side street. What should you assume?
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Answer D: The driver may still not have seen you, so stay ready to slow or stop
Drivers can look directly at you and still not register your vehicle, especially a small one. Eye contact helps, but never rely on it.
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22. What is the safest way to pass a bicyclist on a road with two lanes going your way?
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Answer D: Change lanes completely, as you would for a car
A bicycle is entitled to the room a vehicle needs, and moving into the next lane gives the rider space to swerve around a drain or a pothole.
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23. On a typical motorcycle, which of these controls does the rider operate with the right hand?
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Answer C: The front brake lever
The front brake lever sits on the right handlebar and is squeezed with the right hand, while the clutch lever is on the left handlebar.
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24. A person in a wheelchair is traveling in the roadway because the sidewalk is blocked by construction. What should you do?
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Answer B: Pass slowly with plenty of room, or wait
A blocked sidewalk leaves the person no choice but the road, and a chair cannot move aside quickly, so pass wide and slow or wait for room.
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25. You realize your tires are running on ice. Which set of inputs is safest?
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Answer C: Gentle steering, no sudden braking, and no sudden acceleration
Whatever grip is left is used up at once by any sudden input, so every movement of wheel, brake and accelerator must be slow and small.
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26. An emergency vehicle with flashing lights and a siren is approaching from behind on a two-way street. What should you do?
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Answer C: Pull over to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes
Clearing a path by pulling to the right and stopping gives the emergency vehicle a predictable route, while stopping in mid-lane or inside an intersection blocks that path.
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27. Why should a rider avoid painting a helmet or cleaning it with strong solvents?
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Answer D: Chemicals can weaken the shell and the liner without showing it
Solvents and some paints attack the shell and the foam, so use mild soap and water and follow the maker's instructions to keep the helmet's protection intact.
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28. A black on white regulatory sign at an intersection reads NO TURNS. What may a driver do there?
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Answer B: Only continue straight through the intersection
The NO TURNS sign bans turns in every direction at that intersection, so the only lawful movement from that approach is straight through.
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29. You have shut the engine off with the kill switch because the throttle stuck open. What comes next?
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Answer D: Keep the clutch in, brake to a stop off the road, and find the cause
With the engine off and the clutch pulled in the motorcycle is only coasting, so brake to a stop clear of traffic and inspect the throttle cable and grip before restarting.
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30. Every signal head at an intersection is flashing red in all directions. How should you treat the intersection?
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Answer C: As an all-way stop, stopping and then going in turn
Red flashing in every direction means each approach must stop, so the intersection works exactly like an all-way stop.