Free Delaware DMV CDL — General Knowledge Practice Test 2026
The Delaware CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions, and you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass. Practice free with questions written from the official Delaware driver handbook — every one has a clear explanation, and you can retake as often as you like with no sign-up.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
What's on the Delaware written test
The Delaware CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions; you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass.
Based on the official Delaware exam format — always confirm current details with your state DMV.
Practice by topic
Focus on one area at a time — each topic has its own set of Delaware practice questions.
Learn the shapes, colors, and meanings of regulatory, warning, and guide signs — from stop and yield to construction and school-zone signs.
Speed limits, turning and signaling rules, headlight and seat-belt requirements, and the everyday laws every driver must follow.
How to read traffic signals, lane lines, and pavement markings — including yellow and white lines, arrows, and flashing lights.
Who goes first at intersections, four-way stops, roundabouts, and crosswalks, and how to yield to pedestrians and emergency vehicles.
Following distance, scanning, blind spots, using your lights, and the habits that prevent crashes and keep you in control.
Driving safely around motorcycles, bicycles, large trucks, pedestrians, and school buses — and knowing who has the right of way.
Blood alcohol limits, zero-tolerance and implied-consent laws, and how alcohol and drugs — legal or not — affect your driving.
Legal and illegal parking, colored curbs, distances from hydrants and crossings, and how to park safely on hills.
Choosing a safe speed, keeping a space cushion, adjusting for weather and traffic, and understanding stopping distance.
What to do when things go wrong — brake failure, tire blowouts, skids, and stalling on railroad tracks.
The point system, license suspension, provisional-license rules, insurance requirements, and other licensing basics.
How to pass the first time
- Read the official Delaware driver handbook at least once before test day.
- Practice by topic to find your weak spots, then fix them.
- Take full-length practice tests until you pass comfortably every time.
- Read every explanation — understanding beats memorizing.
Delaware CDL — General Knowledge test — frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Delaware CDL — General Knowledge test?
The Delaware CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions, and you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass. Our practice tests mirror that format.
How many questions can I miss on the Delaware CDL — General Knowledge test?
You can miss up to ~10 of the ~50 questions and still pass — you need ~40 correct, which is 80%.
Can I retake the practice test?
Yes — practice as often as you like, completely free. The questions and answer choices are shuffled each time.
Can I take the Delaware practice test in Spanish?
Yes. Every question here is available in English and Spanish — switch languages anytime. Many states also offer the real knowledge test in languages other than English; confirm what Delaware offers with your DMV.
Can I practice on my phone?
Yes. The practice tests work in any mobile or desktop browser — no app or sign-up needed — so you can study anywhere.
Are these the real DMV test questions?
No. Our questions are original, written from the current official Delaware driver handbook to match the real test's topics and style. We are not affiliated with any DMV or government agency.
What's the best way to study?
Read the Delaware driver handbook, practice by topic to target weak areas, and finish with full-length tests until you consistently pass.
Other Delaware practice tests
Take the CDL — General Knowledge test in another state
Every Delaware question is written from the official Delaware driver handbook and checked against its current edition. DMV Test Free is a free, independent study resource — not affiliated with any DMV or government agency. About DMV Test Free
Delaware CDL — General Knowledge questions with answers
20 sample questions from the Delaware CDL — General Knowledge question bank — each with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the section of the official handbook it comes from.
Show all 20 questions with answers
1. After a quick evasive turn you must counter-steer. How does the manual describe the relationship between the two moves?
Correct answer: They are two parts of a single driving action
Unless you are ready to turn the wheel back the other way, you will not do it fast enough. The manual says to treat emergency steering and the counter-steer as one action in two parts.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.17.1, Steering to Avoid a Crash
2. Delaware's list of major violations includes an 'administrative per se' finding for operating any motor vehicle, not just a CMV, at or above what blood alcohol concentration?
Correct answer: .08
The list has two administrative per se entries: .04 for operating a CMV and .08 for operating a motor vehicle of any kind.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Important Information for CDL Holders, Major Violations
3. You realize you have driven past your exit and cannot recall the last several traffic signs. According to the manual, what is this a warning sign of?
Correct answer: Fatigue
Missing exits or traffic signs, and trouble remembering the last few miles, are on the manual's list of fatigue warning signs. They mean it is time to stop and rest.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.11.2, Driver Factors
4. On a freeway exit that curves, when should your speed already be low enough?
Correct answer: Before you reach the curved part of the ramp
Braking and turning together can be dangerous, and posted ramp speeds may suit cars but not large or heavily loaded vehicles. The manual says to be going slowly enough before the curved section.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.8.2, Hazardous Roads
5. Which of these does the manual treat as an optional item to check for, not as required safety equipment?
Correct answer: An accident reporting kit
Spare fuses, warning devices, and a charged, rated fire extinguisher are the safety equipment to check. Chains, tire changing equipment, an emergency phone list, and an accident reporting kit are listed as optional items.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.1.5, Seven-step Inspection Method
6. Before you climb out to check the low beams and flashers in the seven-step inspection, how should you leave the vehicle?
Correct answer: Confirm the parking brake is set, shut off the engine, and take the key
Step 4 has you make sure the parking brake is on, turn the engine off, and keep the key with you. Then you switch on the low beams and four-way flashers and get out.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.1.5, Seven-step Inspection Method
7. It is night, and you are about to pass another vehicle where it is legal to signal. Instead of the horn, what does the manual suggest?
Correct answer: Flash your headlights from low beam to high beam and back
By day the manual suggests a light tap on the horn where legal. At night it suggests flashing the lights from low to high and back, while still driving carefully in case you were not noticed.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.5.2, Communicating Your Presence
8. During a Delaware traffic stop, what may an officer require of the passengers in a vehicle?
Correct answer: To give their information and to step out of the vehicle if asked
The manual says passengers, like the driver, have to give their information and get out of the vehicle when the officer requests it.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — What to Do and Expect When Stopped by Law Enforcement
9. Under Delaware's summary of out-of-service order violations, who sets the actual length of the disqualification within the stated range?
Correct answer: The court
The summary gives ranges, such as 180 days to one year for a first offense, and says the court decides the disqualification period.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Important Information for CDL Holders, Violating Out-of-Service Orders
10. On the road test you finish a right turn in the second lane from the curb because it happened to be open. How does the lane usage standard view this?
Correct answer: As an error; a right turn should finish in the right-most (curb) lane
Lane usage is scored on the road test. A right turn should end in the curb lane, and you then stay in the right-most lane unless it is blocked.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 13.1.14(d), Lane Usage
11. Why does the manual warn against letting your vehicle roll back when you start from a stop?
Correct answer: You may hit someone behind you
A vehicle that rolls back can strike whoever is behind it. The manual says to use the clutch and the parking brake as needed so the vehicle holds its place until it moves forward.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.2.1, Accelerating
12. Your drive wheels spin on a very slippery surface. Why does the manual say to push in the clutch?
Correct answer: So the engine cannot stop the wheels from turning freely and gripping again
Coming off the accelerator usually stops an acceleration skid. When it is very slippery, the manual says to push the clutch in as well; otherwise the engine can hold the wheels back from rolling freely and regaining traction.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.19.1, Drive-wheel Skids
13. Which of these is NOT on Delaware's list of major violations?
Correct answer: Speeding at least 15 mph over the posted limit
Excessive speeding is on Delaware's list of serious traffic violations, not major ones. Test refusal, impaired driving, and leaving the scene are all major violations that bring at least a one-year disqualification.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Important Information for CDL Holders, Major Violations
14. Near a railroad crossing, an 'X' with the letters 'RR' is painted on the pavement. Its meaning is the same as which sign?
Correct answer: The round advance warning sign
The manual says the pavement markings carry the same message as the advance warning sign: slow down, look and listen, and be ready to stop if a train is coming.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.15.2, Warning Signs and Devices
15. Why is managing space especially important for large vehicles?
Correct answer: They take up more room and need more room to stop and turn
Every driver needs space, but the manual says it matters most for large vehicles because they occupy more of the road and require more space for stopping and turning.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.7, Managing Space
16. What can happen if the engine's v-belts are loose in hot weather?
Correct answer: The water pump or fan will not turn properly, and the engine overheats
Loose belts fail to drive the water pump and/or fan as they should, which leads to overheating. The manual says to learn how to check belt tightness and to look for cracks and wear.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.14.1, Vehicle Checks
17. In the forward offset tracking exercise, which tire must stay between the cone and the line?
Correct answer: The right-most rear tire
You drive forward and steer left into the other lane through the opening. The right-most rear tire has to track between the cone and the line, and that clearance is scored along with back-ups and encroachments.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 12.2.3, Exercise 3 – Forward Offset Tracking
18. Which of these is NOT one of the manual's three rules for using turn signals?
Correct answer: Switch the signal off midway through the turn
The three rules are to signal early, signal continuously, and cancel the signal afterward. The signal should stay on until the turn is finished, since both hands are needed on the wheel.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 2.5.1, Signal Your Intentions
19. You re-checked your cargo securement an hour ago and have driven only 40 miles since. You now take a meal break. When is the next check due?
Correct answer: After the break, before you continue driving
The cargo section says to inspect again after 3 hours or 150 miles and also after every break you take during driving. The break triggers a check even though neither the time nor the mileage has run out.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Section 3.1, Inspecting Cargo
20. You arrive for your Delaware CDL skills exam in a truck that is not insured. What happens?
Correct answer: The examiner cannot ride in the vehicle, so the exam cannot be given
If the test vehicle is unsafe, uninsured, or unregistered, Motor Vehicle examiners are not able to accompany the driver, which means the skills exam cannot be administered.
Source: Delaware Commercial Driver's Manual — Procedures for Obtaining a CDL