Free West Virginia DMV CDL — General Knowledge Practice Test 2026
The West Virginia CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions, and you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass. Practice free with questions written from the official West Virginia 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 West Virginia written test
The West Virginia CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions; you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass.
Based on the official West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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.
West Virginia CDL — General Knowledge test — frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the West Virginia CDL — General Knowledge test?
The West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia driver handbook, practice by topic to target weak areas, and finish with full-length tests until you consistently pass.
Other West Virginia practice tests
Take the CDL — General Knowledge test in another state
Every West Virginia question is written from the official West Virginia 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
West Virginia CDL — General Knowledge questions with answers
20 sample questions from the West Virginia 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. No speed limit sign is posted on a West Virginia open highway. What maximum speed does the law designate?
Correct answer: 55 mph
The designated maximum on an open highway is 55 mph unless otherwise posted. The interstate figure is 70 mph.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Chapter IV, Speed Limits
2. What does the manual's winter checklist say about putting on tire chains?
Correct answer: Learn how before you have to do it in snow and ice
You may hit conditions you cannot drive through without chains, even to reach a safe place, so carry enough chains plus extra cross-links and know how to mount them ahead of time.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.13.1, Vehicle Checks
3. While you are driving, the oil pressure gauge reads low, keeps dropping, or fluctuates. What does the manual's gauge figure tell you to do?
Correct answer: Stop immediately
The figure's warning is to stop at once, because an engine running without oil can be ruined in a very short time.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.1.5, Seven-step Inspection Method
4. West Virginia lets authorized emergency vehicles exceed posted speed limits. Under what conditions?
Correct answer: On duty, with emergency signals operating, and endangering no one
The allowance applies to authorized emergency vehicles that are on duty and running their emergency signals, and only so long as no other road user is put in danger.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Chapter IV, Speed Limits
5. On ice or snow your drive wheels lose traction because of acceleration. How does the manual say this kind of skid is stopped?
Correct answer: Ease off the accelerator; push in the clutch if it is very slippery
Acceleration skids usually happen on ice or snow and end when you come off the accelerator. On a very slippery surface, pushing in the clutch lets the wheels turn freely so they can grip again.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.19.1, Drive-wheel Skids
6. What minimum liability insurance does West Virginia law require motorists to carry?
Correct answer: $25,000 for one death or injury, $50,000 for two, and $25,000 for property damage
The manual gives the minimums as $25,000 for a single death or injury, $50,000 when two people are killed or hurt, and $25,000 for property damage, for policies written or renewed from January 1, 2016 onward.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Chapter IV, Compulsory Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance
7. You have just driven through deep standing water. Once you are out of it, what does the manual say to do?
Correct answer: Hold light brake pressure briefly to dry them, then test them when safe
Water in the brakes can leave them weak, uneven or grabbing. After the crossing, light brake pressure for a short distance warms and dries them; then check behind you and test them, drying further if they do not work well.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.13.2, Driving
8. An aggressive driver is pressing you. Which response does the manual warn against?
Correct answer: Speeding up or trying to hold your own in your lane
Challenging an aggressive driver only escalates things. The manual says to get out of the way, put your pride aside, avoid eye contact and refuse to react to gestures.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.10.3, What You Should Do When Confronted by an Aggressive Driver
9. West Virginia's statute lets certain drivers disqualified for life apply for reinstatement after ten years and an approved program. Which offense brings a lifetime disqualification that the statute says can never be reinstated?
Correct answer: Using a vehicle in a felony involving making or distributing a controlled substance
Drivers disqualified for life over leaving the scene or driving while disqualified may seek reinstatement after ten years and a safety and treatment program. Using a motor vehicle in a felony that involves making or distributing a controlled substance brings a lifetime disqualification with no eligibility for reinstatement. A third crossing violation is a one-year disqualification, not a lifetime one.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Chapter IV, Disqualification/Cancellation of a CDL
10. West Virginia's interstate speed limit is 70 mph. To which vehicles does the manual say it applies?
Correct answer: All vehicles, unless otherwise posted
The manual sets the interstate limit at 70 mph for every vehicle unless a different limit is posted. Section 2 notes that many states post lower limits for trucks and buses, so watch the signs when you leave the state.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Chapter IV, Speed Limits
11. A West Virginia CDL holder driving the family car refuses the designated secondary chemical test. It is a first offense. What happens to the privilege to operate commercial vehicles?
Correct answer: It is disqualified for one year
West Virginia's statute applies the one-year disqualification to a first refusal in a noncommercial vehicle as well as in a CMV. A second conviction or refusal in a separate incident means disqualification for life.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Chapter IV, Disqualification/Cancellation of a CDL
12. The manual says perception distance is not a fixed figure. What does it say can affect it greatly?
Correct answer: Visibility and the hazard itself
Perception distance is how far you travel between your eyes seeing a hazard and your brain recognizing it. Mental and physical condition matter too.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.6.1, Stopping Distance
13. A tired driver decides to stay awake by talking on a cell phone. What does West Virginia's drowsy-driving addendum say about that?
Correct answer: It is not reliable and should not be used
The addendum rules out phone calls and texting as ways to stay awake because neither is reliable. The same goes for rolling down a window, chewing gum, turning up the radio and relying on caffeine.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Addendum, Avoiding Drowsy Driving
14. On West Virginia's point chart, what is a conviction for driving left of center worth?
Correct answer: 3 points
Driving left of center is a 3-point violation, the same as wrong-side-of-the-road driving or an improper lane violation.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Chapter IV, Point System
15. A passive railroad crossing asks three things of the driver. Which of these is NOT one of them?
Correct answer: Wait for the crossing's red lights to stop flashing
A passive crossing has no traffic control device, so there are no lights to wait for. Whether to stop or go is entirely the driver's call.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.15.1, Types of Crossings
16. Which of these does the manual list as an electrical-system cause of vehicle fires?
Correct answer: Short circuits from damaged insulation or loose connections
The manual sorts fire causes by source. Short circuits belong to the electrical system; the tire, fuel and cargo causes are listed separately.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.21.1, Causes of Fire
17. To get a 'For Federal Identification' West Virginia license, how many documents of each kind must you provide?
Correct answer: One proof of identity, one proof of Social Security number, and two proofs of WV residency
Under the REAL ID requirements, applicants provide one identity document, one Social Security document and two West Virginia residency documents, and all of them are scanned into the licensing system.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Chapter II, New Secure Driver's Licenses and Identification Cards
18. You spot a driver who seems drowsy, and you have no passenger to make a call. What does West Virginia's addendum say to do before reporting it to 911?
Correct answer: Find a safe place to stop
The addendum gives two choices for reporting a drowsy driver: stop somewhere safe and call, or have a passenger call. Either way your own safe driving comes first.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Addendum, Avoiding Drowsy Driving
19. West Virginia's drowsy-driving addendum lists signs that another driver may be drowsy. Which of these is on the list?
Correct answer: Near-miss crashes, especially rear-end ones
The list includes head nodding, lane drifting, rumble-strip strikes, erratic speeding up, slowing down or weaving, and near-miss crashes, especially rear-end ones.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Addendum, Avoiding Drowsy Driving
20. How many attempts at West Virginia's CDL knowledge test does each $32.50 fee cover?
Correct answer: Three
The manual says you may test three times for each $32.50 fee paid. The fee list shows that amount covering general knowledge, air brakes and combination, with the duplicate fee included.
Source: West Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual — Chapter III, Knowledge Test