Minnesota CDL — General Knowledge Practice Test
The Minnesota CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has 50 questions, and you need 40 correct (80%) to pass. Practice free with questions written from the official Minnesota 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 · July 7, 2026
What's on the Minnesota written test
The Minnesota CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has 50 questions; you need 40 correct (80%) to pass.
Based on the official Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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.
Minnesota CDL — General Knowledge test — frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Minnesota CDL — General Knowledge test?
The Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota driver handbook, practice by topic to target weak areas, and finish with full-length tests until you consistently pass.
Other Minnesota practice tests
Take the CDL — General Knowledge test in another state
Every Minnesota question is written from the official Minnesota 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
Minnesota CDL — General Knowledge questions with answers
20 sample questions from the Minnesota CDL — General Knowledge question bank — each with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the section of the official handbook it comes from.
1. A tank endorsement is required for a tank with an individual rated capacity of more than how many gallons?
Correct answer: More than 119 gallons
A tank endorsement is required for any tank with an individual rated capacity of more than 119 gallons and an aggregate capacity of 1,000 gallons or more.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Lists of Regulated Products)
2. What is the minimum age to apply for a Minnesota commercial learner permit?
Correct answer: 18 years old
You must be at least 18 years old and hold a valid Minnesota driver's license to obtain a commercial learner permit.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Part A (Commercial Driver's License Tests)
3. Why do drivers of rental trucks deserve extra caution from a commercial driver?
Correct answer: They are often unaccustomed to the truck's limited side and rear vision
Rental-truck drivers are often not used to the limited vision they have to the sides and rear of the truck, making them a hazard.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Blocked Vision)
4. Why is it important to always have an escape plan when you spot a hazard?
Correct answer: So you are ready to act if the hazard becomes an emergency
You look for hazards so you have time to plan a way out of any emergency they might turn into, making you a prepared, defensive driver.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Always Have a Plan)
5. When driving in heavy traffic, what is generally the safest speed?
Correct answer: The speed of the surrounding traffic
In heavy traffic the safest speed is the speed of other vehicles, as long as it is legal and safe, since vehicles going the same speed rarely collide.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Speed and Traffic Flow)
6. A blue sign mounted on a railroad crossing post or on the metal control box near the tracks provides what?
Correct answer: A 24-hour phone number to report crossing emergencies
The blue Emergency Notification System sign gives a round-the-clock phone number and the crossing's DOT number so problems at the crossing can be reported.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Part A (Emergency Notification System for Highway-Rail Grade Crossings)
7. Why should you never let traffic conditions trap you into stopping on railroad tracks?
Correct answer: Because you could be stuck in the path of a train
Never stop on the tracks; be sure you can get all the way across before you start, because a raised crossing or stall can leave you stuck in a train's path.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Crossing the Tracks)
8. With the controlled braking method, how hard do you apply the brakes?
Correct answer: As hard as possible without locking the wheels
In controlled braking you apply the brakes as hard as you can without locking the wheels, keeping steering movements small.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Controlled Braking)
9. Before turning across a bicycle lane, what must a driver do regarding approaching bicyclists?
Correct answer: Yield the right-of-way to approaching bicyclists
You must yield the right-of-way to approaching bicyclists, then signal and move into the bike lane only when it is clear.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Part A (Sharing the Road with Bicyclists)
10. When you must pull off and stop on a road or shoulder, within how many minutes must your emergency warning devices be out?
Correct answer: Ten minutes
If you stop on a road or shoulder you must put out your emergency warning devices within ten minutes.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (When Parked at the Side of the Road)
11. A 12-ounce glass of 5% beer, a 5-ounce glass of 12% wine, and a 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof liquor share what in common?
Correct answer: They each contain the same amount of alcohol
All three of these standard drinks contain the same amount of alcohol.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (What Is a Drink?)
12. How does Minnesota's implied consent law apply to a driver operating a CMV on public roads?
Correct answer: You have consented to a test of your blood, breath, or urine
By driving a CMV on Minnesota public roads you have automatically agreed to a test of your blood, breath, or urine to check for alcohol or drugs.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Part A (Implied Consent Law)
13. How long is a commercial learner permit valid before it must be renewed?
Correct answer: 180 days
Commercial learner permits are valid for 180 days and may be renewed, but not beyond one year from the initial issuance date.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Part A (Commercial Driver's License Tests)
14. If you are being tailgated, what is one recommended way to reduce the risk of a crash?
Correct answer: Increase your own following distance ahead
Increase your following distance in front of you, which lets you avoid sudden changes and makes it easier for the tailgater to get around you.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Dealing with Tailgaters Safely)
15. When it is hard to see at dawn, dusk, or in rain, which lights should a driver use?
Correct answer: Low-beam headlights
Turn on the headlights, using the low beams rather than just the identification or clearance lights, so others can see you.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (When It's Hard to See)
16. At what speed can hydroplaning begin when a lot of water is on the road?
Correct answer: As low as 30 mph
Hydroplaning can occur at speeds as low as 30 mph if there is a lot of water, and is more likely with low tire pressure or worn tread.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Hydroplaning)
17. What does a crossbuck sign at a highway-rail grade crossing require of a commercial driver?
Correct answer: Yield the right-of-way to a train that is coming
The crossbuck marks the grade crossing and requires the driver to give the right-of-way to any approaching train.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Warning Signs and Devices)
18. When you must leave the roadway to avoid a collision, how should you handle braking?
Correct answer: Avoid braking until about 20 mph, then brake gently
Avoid using the brakes until your speed has dropped to about 20 mph, then brake gently to avoid skidding on the loose surface.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Leaving the Road)
19. For a cargo fire in a van or box trailer, what should you do with the doors?
Correct answer: Keep them shut to avoid feeding the fire oxygen
Keep the doors shut, especially with hazardous materials, because opening them supplies the fire with oxygen and can make it burn faster.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Keep the Fire from Spreading)
20. When two turning lanes are available for a left turn, which one should a large-vehicle driver use?
Correct answer: The right-hand turn lane
Always take the right-hand turn lane; starting in the inside lane may force you to swing right to make the turn.
Source: Minnesota CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Left Turns)