SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) — The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles announced that the learner’s permit exam is offered in seven additional foreign languages.
The Class D, passenger car, and Class M, motorcycle, learner’s permit tests are available in 35 languages. The even new foreign languages added as of Monday include:
- Albanian
- Cape Verdean Creole
- Hungarian
- Kiswahili
- Pashto
- Turkish
- Ukrainian
“MassDOT is focused on equitably supporting all communities in Massachusetts,” said Transportation Secretary & CEO Gina Fiandaca. “This announcement demonstrates MassDOT’s continued focus on identifying ways in which customer service offerings can be improved to be more accessible, inclusive, equitable and convenient for residents across the Commonwealth.”
To apply for a learner’s permit, the fee is $30 and the age requirement is at least 16 to take an online test with 25 random questions. They cover roadway signage, rules of the road, the dangers and penalties of driving while impaired, and specific topics like sharing the road with bikes and hands-free driving. To pass the exam, 18 questions must be answered correctly within the a 25-minute time limit.
“The RMV is pleased to automate the learner’s permit in these seven new additional foreign languages,” said Colleen Ogilvie, Registrar of Motor Vehicles. “The change supports commonly requested languages, supports new residents from Afghanistan and Ukraine, and assists the established Cape Verdean community in Southeastern Massachusetts.”
In total, the learner’s permit is available in 35 languages: Albanian, Arabic, Armenian, Burmese, Cape Verdean Creole, English, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Khmer/Cambodian, Kiswahili, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese. The RMV is also finishing up development on an American Sign Language permit exam to be offered in this spring.