Massachusetts Road Signs Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.

The numbers to remember

• 25 multiple-choice questions on the exam — no separate section just for signs.
• 25 minutes total to finish, which is about a minute per question.
• Pass at 18 of 25 correct (72%) — miss more than 7 and you'll need to retest.
• Road signs, rules of the road, alcohol misuse, suspensions, and JOL violations are all named tested topics, so signs are one strong pillar among several, not the whole exam.

Sign shapes at a glance

• Red octagon = stop, always — no other sign uses that shape.
• Red-and-white downward triangle = yield.
• Round yellow = railroad crossing ahead.
• Yellow diamond = general warning; orange diamond = construction/work zone.
• White rectangle, black text = regulatory (speed limits, turn rules, parking).
• Green rectangle = guide sign (distance, exits, destinations).
• Pentagon = school zone/crossing.
• Shape and color register before text does — use them as your first filter on any unfamiliar sign.

Right-of-way in one breath

• First vehicle to arrive at an uncontrolled stop goes first; if it's a tie, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
• Pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks generally beat turning and through traffic.
• Entering traffic (driveway, parking lot, unpaved road) yields to the through road.
• Vehicles already circulating in a rotary have the right-of-way over vehicles entering it.
• Always yield to emergency vehicles running lights and sirens, and pull right when it's safe.
• Read every scenario as "who is already established here" — that framing solves most tricky wording.

Top traps

• Assuming a posted speed limit is always safe — poor weather, fog, or low visibility means the safe speed drops below the posted number even though the sign doesn't change.
• Confusing yield (triangle) with stop (octagon) under time pressure — shape is the fastest tell, don't second-guess it.
• Forgetting that alcohol misuse and JOL violations are directly tested topics, not side notes — don't skip that review just because it isn't a "sign."
• Running out of time: with 25 minutes for 25 questions, don't get stuck rereading one hard sign question — make your best call and move on.
• Treating the practice test as a one-and-done — retake it under the real 25-minute clock close to your test date so the 18-correct bar feels routine, not stressful.
• Skipping JOL-specific rules (passenger limits, curfews, cellphone bans) because they feel like "teen rules" rather than exam material — they are explicitly tested.