Illinois SOS Motorcycle Practice Test 57

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age16 years

Minimum age: 16 years; applicants aged 16 or 17 must also complete an IDOT-approved motorcycle training course

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 20 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. What should a driver expect a short distance beyond this sign?

    A yellow diamond showing a black cross
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    Answer C: Another road crossing the one being traveled

    Traffic may enter or cross from either side at the intersection ahead, so the driver should ease off, cover the brake and check both approaches.

  2. 2. You are clear of the tracks after your vehicle stalled on a crossing. Whom should you contact?

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    Answer C: The emergency number posted on the blue sign at the crossing, or 911

    Grade crossings carry an emergency notification sign with a railroad phone number and a crossing identification number so that approaching trains can be stopped, and 911 works if that sign is not visible.

  3. 3. You leave a brightly lit service area onto a dark rural road. Why should you slow down for a while?

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    Answer C: Your eyes need time to adjust, so at first you see less

    Eyes take a few minutes to adapt from bright light to darkness, and during that time you can see much less than your headlights actually show.

  4. 4. The school bus stop ahead sign is installed where

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    Answer C: a school bus stop cannot be seen from far enough away by approaching drivers

    This school warning sign is used in advance of a bus stop that lacks adequate sight distance and cannot be relocated, so drivers are warned before the stopped bus comes into view.

  5. 5. A turn restriction sign at the corner shows a range of times below the symbol. What does that mean?

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    Answer A: The turn is banned only during the hours shown on the sign

    Times posted under a regulatory symbol set the period during which the restriction applies; outside those hours the movement is permitted.

  6. 6. Cones and drums mark a shifted lane through a work zone. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Follow the path that they mark and stay inside it

    Channelizing devices define the temporary travel path, and the space on the other side of them belongs to the workers.

  7. 7. A driver's destination lies along the street to the right, and this sign stands at that corner. How should the driver reach it?

    A white square showing an arrow turning right inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through 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.

  8. 8. Why does full riding gear matter on a short trip around the neighborhood?

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    Answer D: Pavement takes skin off at 25 miles an hour just as it does at 55

    Serious injuries happen at ordinary street speeds and close to home, so gear that is worth wearing on a long trip is worth wearing on a short one.

  9. 9. Besides the certification label, what does a novelty helmet typically lack?

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    Answer B: A thick, firm liner of impact absorbing foam under the shell

    The energy absorbing layer is what makes a helmet work, and a novelty shell has little or none of it, so it offers almost no protection in a crash.

  10. 10. How is a third DUI conviction classified under Illinois law, and what is the minimum license revocation period?

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    Answer C: A Class 2 felony with a minimum ten-year revocation

    A third DUI conviction is a Class 2 felony in Illinois, carrying a minimum ten-year revocation of driving privileges and up to seven years in prison.

  11. 11. What makes a left turn protected rather than permissive?

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    Answer B: Oncoming traffic is held by a red signal while you have a green arrow

    A protected turn is one where the conflicting movements are stopped by their own signal, which is what the green arrow indicates.

  12. 12. What is the correct sequence for shifting into a higher gear?

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    Answer C: Roll off the throttle, squeeze the clutch, lift the lever, ease the clutch out

    Closing the throttle as the clutch comes in, then easing the clutch out as the throttle is reopened, keeps the change smooth and the chassis settled.

  13. 13. A train has just cleared a crossing that carries two sets of tracks. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Wait and look both ways for a second train

    A passing train hides a second train on the other track, so wait until the signals stop and you can see that both tracks are clear.

  14. 14. Why is backing up on a freeway or on its shoulder prohibited?

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    Answer A: Traffic arrives far too fast to expect a vehicle moving the wrong way

    Freeway traffic closes on a stopped or reversing vehicle at highway speed and has almost no time to react to something moving against the flow.

  15. 15. A pedestrian signal changes to a flashing upraised hand. What does that indication mean?

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    Answer C: Do not start crossing, but finish a crossing already begun

    The flashing upraised hand is the pedestrian change interval: nobody may start to cross, but a pedestrian already in the crosswalk may continue to the far side or to a median.

  16. 16. 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.

  17. 17. You are stopped at a stop sign waiting to turn onto a highway where traffic moves at 55 mph. How should you choose your gap?

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    Answer A: Wait for a much larger gap than the one you would accept on a city street

    Fast traffic covers ground while you are still accelerating, so the gap that feels adequate at 25 mph is dangerously short at highway speed.

  18. 18. A driver in the leftmost lane reaches this sign at an intersection. What must the driver do?

    A white square showing an arrow turning left inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
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    Answer B: Go straight on or turn right, and reach the destination another way

    The restriction holds whatever the traffic or the signal is doing, so the driver has to pass the intersection and plan a different route.

  19. 19. What do zero tolerance laws mean for a driver who is under 21?

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    Answer B: They commit a violation at an alcohol level far below the adult limit

    Drivers under 21 may not legally drink, so every state sets a limit far below the adult one and treats even a trace reading as a violation. The exact figure is set by each state, and the penalty usually includes losing the license.

  20. 20. Which combination best reduces the chance of hydroplaning?

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    Answer D: Good tread depth, correct tire pressure and lower speed in the rain

    Tread channels water away, correct pressure keeps the tire's shape, and lower speed gives the tire time to push water aside. Hydroplaning can begin at surprisingly modest speeds.

  21. 21. You are in the middle of an intersection when you hear a siren and see an emergency vehicle approaching. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Keep going, clear the intersection, then pull to the right and stop

    Stopping inside an intersection blocks the emergency vehicle. Clear the intersection first, then pull over to the right and stop.

  22. 22. You must cross tracks or pavement seams that run in nearly the same direction as your path of travel. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Move far enough away to cross at an angle of at least 45 degrees, then turn sharply across

    A shallow crossing lets the groove catch and steer the front wheel, so the rider sets up to cross at 45 degrees or more and makes one deliberate turn across it.

  23. 23. On a clear day with light traffic, a driver stays far below the maximum this sign sets. What can that cause?

    A white vertical rectangle with a black border and black legend
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    Answer B: Obstruction of the normal flow of traffic, which is prohibited in itself

    Driving so slowly that other traffic is impeded is an offense in its own right when nothing about safety, weather or the road calls for it.

  24. 24. On an overhead guide sign, the small exit number panel sits above the left-hand end rather than the right. What does that placement tell you?

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    Answer A: The exit leaves from the left side of the roadway

    The exit number plaque is placed on the side from which the ramp leaves, which gives advance notice of the unusual left-hand exit.

  25. 25. Where is the no passing zone pennant sign installed?

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    Answer A: On the left side of the roadway

    The pennant is placed on the left side of the roadway at the beginning of the no-passing zone, in the field of view of a driver who is thinking about overtaking.