Free North Carolina DMV CDL — General Knowledge Practice Test 2026
The North Carolina CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions, and you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass. Practice free with questions written from the official North Carolina 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 North Carolina written test
The North Carolina CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions; you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass.
Based on the official North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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.
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 North Carolina 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.
North Carolina CDL — General Knowledge test — frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the North Carolina CDL — General Knowledge test?
The North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina driver handbook, practice by topic to target weak areas, and finish with full-length tests until you consistently pass.
Other North Carolina practice tests
Take the CDL — General Knowledge test in another state
Every North Carolina question is written from the official North Carolina 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
North Carolina CDL — General Knowledge questions with answers
20 sample questions from the North Carolina 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. When you self-certify and operate in both interstate and intrastate commerce, which must you choose?
Correct answer: Interstate commerce
If you operate in both, you must self-certify as interstate commerce, which carries the federal medical certificate requirements.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 1: Introduction (1.2.1)
2. How does alcohol affect a driver's abilities?
Correct answer: It impairs coordination, reaction time, and judgment
Alcohol dulls coordination, slows reaction time, and weakens depth perception and night vision, while clouding the judgment that safe driving requires.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.22.1)
3. When placing warning triangles, how should you hold them for your own safety?
Correct answer: Between yourself and the oncoming traffic
Hold the triangles between yourself and oncoming traffic as you walk out to place them, so approaching drivers can see you.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.5.2)
4. Strong winds are usually the biggest problem for which type of vehicle?
Correct answer: Lighter vehicles
Lighter vehicles have the hardest time holding their lane in strong wind, which can be worst right as you exit a tunnel.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.7.3)
5. When applying for a commercial driving job, how many years of previous driving-job history must you provide?
Correct answer: 10 years
When you apply for a driving job, you have to list every driving position you have held over the previous 10 years.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 1: Introduction (1.4)
6. Which bridge and road condition should make you especially careful about ice?
Correct answer: Bridges freeze before the road does
Bridges freeze before the surrounding road because cold air reaches them from above and below, so be especially careful near 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.6.2)
7. After driving through deep water, how do you dry out wet brakes?
Correct answer: Apply light brake pressure while driving to heat and dry them
Keep a light pressure on the brakes while driving a short distance so the friction heats and dries them, then make a test stop when it is safe.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.13.2)
8. When flashing red lights begin at a railroad crossing, what must you do?
Correct answer: Stop and yield to the approaching train
When the red lights flash, a train is approaching and you must stop and yield the right-of-way; if there is more than one track, be sure all are clear before crossing.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.15.2)
9. What is 'controlled braking' in an emergency stop?
Correct answer: Braking as hard as possible without locking the wheels
With controlled braking you press as firmly as possible while stopping just short of locking the wheels, keep steering inputs tiny, and release if a wheel does lock.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.17.2)
10. A railroad crossing that has no traffic control device installed at it is called what kind of crossing?
Correct answer: A passive crossing
With no lights, bells, or gates to regulate you, nothing at the crossing tells you when a train is near, so recognizing the crossing and judging whether there is room to get across is entirely up to you.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.15.1)
11. When you signal a lane change, how should you change lanes?
Correct answer: Slowly and smoothly after signaling
Put on your turn signal before changing lanes, then change lanes slowly and smoothly so a driver you did not see has a chance to react.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.5.1)
12. What is the rule on texting while operating a commercial motor vehicle?
Correct answer: Prohibited
Texting while driving a CMV is prohibited; it takes your eyes off the road and involves both physical and mental distraction.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.9.5)
13. About how fast can the liver process alcohol?
Correct answer: About one-third of an ounce of alcohol per hour
The liver can process only about one-third of an ounce of alcohol per hour — less than a standard drink — and only time will sober you up.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.22.1)
14. On a one-way or divided highway, where do you place the three warning devices after stopping?
Correct answer: 10, 100, and 200 feet toward approaching traffic
On a divided or one-way road, set the three devices back toward oncoming traffic at roughly 10, 100, and 200 feet from the vehicle.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.5.2)
15. If a heavy load slows you down going uphill and you are being tailgated, what should you do?
Correct answer: Stay in the right lane
Keep to the right lane when a heavy load holds you back, and avoid passing another slow vehicle on an upgrade unless you can complete the pass quickly and safely.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.7.2)
16. Which three endorsements are the only ones a Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP) can carry?
Correct answer: P, S, and N
A CLP is limited to three endorsements: passenger (P), school bus (S), and tank (N).
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 1: Introduction (Endorsements)
17. In heavy traffic, what is generally the safest speed to travel?
Correct answer: The same speed as the surrounding traffic
In heavy traffic the safest speed is usually the speed of the traffic around you, as long as it is legal, since vehicles moving together are less likely to collide.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.6.5)
18. How far ahead does the manual recommend that good drivers look?
Correct answer: About 12 to 15 seconds
Good drivers look about 12 to 15 seconds ahead — roughly a block at low speed and about a quarter mile at highway speed — so they have time to react.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.4.1)
19. When going through an intersection, what should you do with pedestrians and traffic already in it?
Correct answer: Yield to pedestrians and traffic already in the intersection
Slow down and give way to pedestrians and any vehicles already in the intersection, keeping both hands on the wheel as you pass through.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 13: On-road Driving (13.1.2)
20. If you must leave the pavement to avoid a collision, when should you begin braking?
Correct answer: Not until your speed drops to about 20 mph
Hold off on the brakes until you have slowed to roughly 20 mph, then brake gently so you don't skid on the loose shoulder surface.
Source: North Carolina CDL Driver Handbook — Section 2: Driving Safely (2.17.1)