How many logical partitions can the partition table in the master boot record accommodate on a physical drive?

The partition table in the master boot record (MBR) is designed to accommodate a maximum of four primary partitions on a physical drive. This limitation arises from the structure of the MBR, which contains a partition table with entries for up to four partitions. Each entry in the partition table describes a primary partition, which includes information such as the starting sector, size, and type of the partition.

If there is a need for more than four partitions, the common approach is to create one of those primary partitions as an extended partition. This extended partition can then host multiple logical drives, allowing the user to overcome the four-partition limitation of the MBR. However, in terms of primary partitions as specified in this question, the number is strictly four.

Thus, the maximum number of logical partitions that the MBR can directly accommodate is indeed four, making this the correct choice for the question.