Free CDL practice test

Real numbers

What the rules say

Sources: FMCSA (49 CFR 383, official CDL manual) + O*NET OnLine / U.S. BLS OEWS — verified 2026-09-21. State-specific numbers per the state DMV's published guidance.

Federal rules set the floor but states decide the details: question counts for the written exam vary from state to state, and so do passing scores. That is why the same topic can feel different at a Texas DPS office versus a New York DMV — the underlying 20 knowledge areas stay the same, but the emphasis shifts. Practising against the federal baseline first gives you a portable foundation, then drill your own state's flavour closer to test day.

How to use this page: answer each question, note whether you got it right, and read the explanation either way. The explanations are where most of the learning happens — they connect each question to the underlying rule so you can answer a differently-worded version of the same idea on exam day.

The written exam and the skills test are separate hurdles. Passing the knowledge test qualifies you for a permit; the skills test, which FMCSA defines as three parts — Vehicle Inspection, Basic Controls and Road Test — comes later and must be passed in a vehicle of the class you are applying for.

One practical tip: time yourself loosely even though most states do not set a strict time limit on the written test. A comfortable pace on practice sets translates into calm pacing at the DMV, and calm pacing is what prevents careless mistakes on questions you actually know.

Aim to score above your state's passing mark on three consecutive practice sets before booking the real exam. If you keep landing just at 80%, spend another session on the topics you missed — the questions you get wrong are the best study material you have.

One more note on scoring: if you answer a question wrong, the explanation on this page tells you the rule behind the right answer. Re-reading the explanations after a set, rather than jumping straight to the next quiz, is the fastest way to close the gap between practice scores and the real thing. Most drivers who follow that loop see their scores climb within a few sessions.

Finally, treat this page as a warm-up rather than a substitute for the official handbook. The questions here mirror the exam's style and topics, but the handbook remains the authoritative source for every rule tested. Use the practice sets to find your weak areas, then close them with a focused read of the corresponding handbook section.

If you are new to CDL written tests, here is what the whole path looks like. First, study the topics: the knowledge test covers the 20 general areas from the federal regulations, which every state builds its exam on. Then practise until you are scoring above your state's passing mark on several sets in a row. Once you pass the written test, you receive a commercial learner's permit, which lets you practise driving under supervision. The final step is the skills test, made up of the vehicle inspection, basic control and road test components that the federal rules define. The permit period is also when most drivers complete any required entry-level training, so the written pass is genuinely the door-opener for everything that follows. A realistic timeline looks like this: two to four weeks of study and practice for most applicants, then the permit period that your state sets, then the skills test appointment. The drivers who fail are rarely the ones who struggled with the material — they are usually the ones who went in under-prepared on one specific area, often air brakes or combination vehicles. Using practice sets to find those gaps early is the difference between one visit to the DMV and two.

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