A freeway lane is marked with a white diamond symbol and HOV signs. Who may drive in it?

Vehicles carrying the posted number of people

Any driver who wants to pass slow traffic

Only police and emergency vehicles on a call

Only trucks and other large commercial vehicles

What does a yellow traffic light mean?

Stop at once, no matter how close you are

The light is about to turn green

Your brake pedal suddenly sinks to the floor. Which action may build up brake pressure again?

Pumping the brake pedal quickly

When parking uphill with a curb, which direction do you turn your front wheels?

Straight ahead, parallel to the curb

Either way, if the parking brake is set

Free Mississippi DPS Practice Permit Test - Practice Test 1 2026

25 questions80% to passExplanations includedFree

—Real test questions

80%Pass score

This Practice Test 1 is modeled on the Department of Public Safety (DPS) written knowledge exam, whose length the agency does not publish; to pass you need 80% correct. These 25 questions rotate through traffic laws, road signs, and right-of-way - the core topics the DPS tests most heavily. Every question includes an explanation, so you learn the rule behind each answer - not just whether you got it right.

Question 1 of 25

What does a green light on a traffic signal that is shaped like an arrow mean?

Tip: Press 1-4 to select, Enter to submit, F to flag

Inside this test

What's on the Mississippi Practice Test 1

The DPS does not publish how many questions are on the real Mississippi knowledge test, and to pass you need 80% correct. Practice Test 1 is a 25-question set drawn from 53 questions, scored against a practice target of 80%.

Topics in this test's question pool

Road signs 20
Traffic laws 14
Safe driving 5
Parking 4
Right of way 4
Speed limits 2
Emergencies 2
Vehicle equipment 1
Alcohol & drugs 1

53 questions in the pool, 11 of them written specifically for Mississippi. Each attempt shows 25 in a new order.

Sample questions from this test, with answers

Want to test yourself first? Take the test above before reading these. Every answer below is checked against the source shown.

1. The nighttime limits for a Mississippi regular license holder under 18 do not apply when the driver is:
- A. Going directly to or from work, school, or activities (correct)
- B. Driving with friends who are all 18 or older
- C. Driving on a Friday or Saturday night only
- D. Driving under 45 mph on local roads only
Why: Miss. Code 63-1-21 lets a regular license holder under 18 drive unsupervised at any time when traveling directly to or from work or another educational or extracurricular activity.
Source: Miss. HB 550 (2021), amending Miss. Code 63-1-21(3)(a)
2. What is the maximum speed on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi, unless a lower limit is posted?
- A. 55 mph
- B. 45 mph
- C. 65 mph
- D. 50 mph (correct)
Why: The Natchez Trace Parkway is run by the National Park Service. Its top speed is 50 mph, or lower where posted, and rangers use radar.
Source: official Mississippi driver handbook, p.90 (PDF p.90), Appendix B: The Natchez Trace
3. When are you required to use headlights?
- A. Only at night on roads without streetlights
- B. At night and when visibility is reduced (correct)
- C. Only when it is fully dark, not in bad weather
- D. Only on highways at night, not on city streets
Why: Every state requires headlights at night and when visibility is reduced. The exact period varies: some states say sunset to sunrise, many say 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise. Many states also require headlights whenever your wipers are on or you cannot see a set distance (often 500 or 1,000 feet) ahead.
Source: official Mississippi driver handbook
4. At a 4-way stop sign, two cars arrive at exactly the same time. Who goes first?
- A. The car going straight
- B. The car on the right (correct)
- C. The car on the left
- D. The car that signals first
Why: When two vehicles arrive at a 4-way stop simultaneously, the driver on the LEFT must yield to the driver on the RIGHT. This is the standard right-of-way rule.
Source: official Mississippi driver handbook
5. How do most state handbooks tell you to measure a safe following distance?
- A. Count car lengths - one car length is enough at any speed
- B. Count the seconds between it and you passing a fixed point (correct)
- C. Stay close enough to read the license plate of the car ahead
- D. Follow at a distance in feet equal to your speed in mph
Why: Handbooks teach a time-based gap: pick a fixed object and count the seconds after the vehicle ahead passes it. The minimum differs by state (2, 3 or 4 seconds), with most recommending 3 to 4 seconds in good conditions; add time in rain, at night or behind large vehicles. Check your state handbook for its exact number.
Source: official Mississippi driver handbook
6. What does this warning sign mean?
- A. Your lane ends; merge left
- B. Two roads join; both must merge
- C. A lane is added; no merge needed (correct)
- D. A divided highway begins
Why: The added-lane sign shows that the road gains a lane where another road joins. Traffic entering has its own lane and does not have to merge.
Source: p.63 (PDF p.66), Warning signs

More Mississippi facts, the full requirements table and the printable PDF are on the Mississippi permit practice test page.

Mississippi DPS Test Info

Questions on real test: Not published by the DPS
Passing score: 80%
Correct needed: 80% correct
Minimum age: 15 years old
Testing agency: Department of Public Safety

Official MS DPS Website ↗

More Mississippi Tests

Study Tip

Don't just aim to pass this Mississippi Practice Test 1 once - keep taking it until you score 80% or higher two or three times in a row. Read the explanation after every question, even the ones you get right, to lock in the rule before your DPS exam.