Highway & Freeway Driving — North Dakota

North Dakota motorcycle permit practice test: 339 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Highway & Freeway Driving: 18 questions. Updated

Entering and exiting freeways, lane changes, overtaking and HOV lane rules.

This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.

Topic / MetricValue
TopicHighway & Freeway Driving
License testNorth Dakota Motorcycle permit test
Topic questions18 (5% of 339 total)
Review statusThis topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.

Official handbook

Not yet verified Motorcycle manual link not yet collected

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Questions (18)

1. When preparing to pass a vehicle on the left, it is important to ride on the left side of your lane because:
  1. The right side could be slippery.
  2. It will give you the best chance of spotting hazards in the next lane. ✓
  3. People don’t usually expect to be passed on their left.
  4. It will place you in the rearview mirror of the car in front of you.

Answer: B. It will give you the best chance of spotting hazards in the next lane.

Official handbook: Official handbook
2. Before changing lanes, motorcycle riders should turn their heads to look over their shoulders because:
  1. Motorcycles have blind spots, just like other vehicles. ✓
  2. They can catch the attention of other drivers by turning their heads.
  3. Mirrors are not really helpful.
  4. They should try to make eye contact with surrounding drivers.

Answer: A. Motorcycles have blind spots, just like other vehicles.

Before changing lanes, turn your head and look to the side because motorcycles have blind spots just like cars. The manual says mirrors alone are not enough. A motorcycle has blind spots, just as other vehicles do, so a rider must turn the head and look to the side before changing lanes. On a road with several lanes, the rider should also check the far lane and the lane next to them, since someone in the distant lane may want the same space. This head check is part of normal scanning, not a way to signal to others.
3. When changing lanes, riders should:
  1. Rely only on their mirrors to identify other vehicles.
  2. Turn their head to look for traffic behind them. ✓
  3. Not worry about other traffic.
  4. Slam on the brakes to allow any vehicles in their blind spot to pass.

Answer: B. Turn their head to look for traffic behind them.

When changing lanes, turn your head to look for traffic behind and beside you. The manual says checking your mirrors is not enough because motorcycles have blind spots just like cars. Before you change lanes, you should turn your head and look to the side for other vehicles. On a road with several lanes, you also check the lane next to you and the far lane, since a driver in that distant lane may be heading for the same space you want. A head check lets you know what is around you before you move over.
4. You should choose the lane position that can:
  1. Minimize your space cushion and allow you to be seen by others.
  2. Maximize your space cushion and allow you to be seen by others. ✓
  3. Maximize your potential for encountering road hazards and allow others to pass you.
  4. Minimize your potential for encountering road hazards and allow you to closely follow another vehicle.

Answer: B. Maximize your space cushion and allow you to be seen by others.

Choose the lane position that maximizes your space cushion and lets other drivers see you. The manual says to place yourself in the part of the lane where you are most likely to be seen and where you can keep a space cushion around the motorcycle. It also notes that, when traffic allows, the center portion of the lane is usually the best place to be seen by drivers ahead and to keep others from moving into your space. That matches the choice that maximizes your cushion and visibility, rather than shrinking your room or raising your chance of meeting hazards.
5. When a group of riders is passing another vehicle on a two-lane road, the riders should:
  1. Pass in pairs.
  2. Pass in a staggered formation with several riders passing at the same time.
  3. Pass one at a time. ✓
  4. Avoid passing.

Answer: C. Pass one at a time.

Riders should pass one at a time. The manual says that on a two-lane highway, riders in a staggered formation should pass one at a time. It describes the lead rider pulling out to pass when safe, then returning to the left position and keeping passing speed to open room for the next rider. The next rider moves up to the left position and waits for a safe chance. It also warns that just because the lead rider passed, conditions may have changed and it may not still be safe for others.
6. When passing another vehicle:
  1. You may ride on the shoulder.
  2. You may complete the pass in a no passing zone.
  3. You must start and complete the pass within a passing zone. ✓
  4. You should sound your horn to get the other driver to slow down.

Answer: C. You must start and complete the pass within a passing zone.

You must begin and finish the pass inside a passing zone. The manual's passing steps walk you through moving into the left lane, accelerating past the vehicle, and then signaling and head-checking your way back to your lane. Its closing point is that passes have to be finished within the posted speed limits and only in places where passing is allowed, and it tells you to know your signs and roadway markings. A pass is legal only where the signs and markings permit it, so both the start and the finish of the pass belong in a passing zone.
7. When preparing to pass another vehicle on the left, which portion of the lane should you ride in?
  1. The left portion ✓
  2. The center portion
  3. The right portion
  4. The shoulder

Answer: A. The left portion

Before you pass on the left, ride in the left portion of your lane. The manual's passing steps start with lane position: stay in the left portion of the lane at a safe following distance. That spot widens what you can see ahead and puts you where other drivers are more likely to notice you. From there you signal, watch for oncoming traffic, and use your mirrors plus a head turn to clear your blind spot, and only then move into the left lane. So the left portion is the setup position for the pass, not the center or right part of the lane.
8. When being followed too closely by another vehicle, you should:
  1. Speed up.
  2. Move onto the shoulder.
  3. Allow the other driver to pass you. ✓
  4. Exit the roadway.

Answer: C. Allow the other driver to pass you.

Official handbook: Official handbook
9. Passing and being passed when riding a motorcycle is not much different than when driving a car. However:
  1. A motorcycle's visibility is more critical than that of a car. ✓
  2. A motorcycle's visibility is not as important as that of a car.
  3. Passing should be done on the shoulder instead of on the main roadway.
  4. It is critical to make eye contact with the other driver when riding a motorcycle.

Answer: A. A motorcycle's visibility is more critical than that of a car.

The answer is that a motorcycle's visibility is more critical than a car's. The manual explains that a motorcycle is less visible than a car because its profile is narrower. It also says that riding requires greater awareness of where you are among other road users. So even though passing and being passed work much like they do in a car, you have to treat being seen as a bigger concern on a motorcycle. The passages do not give shoulder-passing rules or eye-contact instructions, so those choices are not supported here.
10. When being passed, you should not move to the portion of the lane farthest from the passing driver because it:
  1. Discourages the passing driver from cutting into your lane too early.
  2. Encourages the passing driver to cut into your lane too early. ✓
  3. Encourages the passing driver to complete the pass as quickly as possible.
  4. Encourages other drivers to pass you.

Answer: B. Encourages the passing driver to cut into your lane too early.

You should not move to the lane portion farthest from the passing driver because that encourages the passing driver to cut into your lane too early. The manual says that when you are being passed from behind, you should stay in the center portion of your lane, not hug the edge. It also warns that moving to the right side can encourage another rider to cut back in before there is enough space cushion. Applied here, drifting to the far side opens room that can prompt the passing driver to pull in early. Staying centered keeps your space and reduces the chance of a sideswipe.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source

Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook