Free Alabama DMV CDL — General Knowledge Practice Test 2026
The Alabama CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions, and you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass. Practice free with questions written from the official Alabama 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 Alabama written test
The Alabama CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions; you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass.
Based on the official Alabama 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 Alabama 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 Alabama 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.
Alabama CDL — General Knowledge test — frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Alabama CDL — General Knowledge test?
The Alabama 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 Alabama 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 Alabama 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 Alabama 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 Alabama 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 Alabama driver handbook, practice by topic to target weak areas, and finish with full-length tests until you consistently pass.
Other Alabama practice tests
Take the CDL — General Knowledge test in another state
Every Alabama question is written from the official Alabama 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
Alabama CDL — General Knowledge questions with answers
20 sample questions from the Alabama 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. As you pass through a work zone with a worker near the travel lane, you should:
Correct answer: Decrease your speed even further
Beyond obeying the posted limit, slow down more when workers are near the travel lane.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.6.7 (Roadway Work Zones)
2. How many people must a vehicle be designed to carry before a CDL is required on that basis?
Correct answer: 16 or more, including the driver
A vehicle built to transport 16 or more people, counting the driver, requires a commercial license.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 1 (Introduction - CMV Definitions)
3. At a railroad crossing, flashing red lights and bells mean:
Correct answer: Stop; a train is approaching and you must yield to it
When the red lights start flashing, a train is coming; you must stop and yield the right of way.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.15.2 (Warning Signs and Devices)
4. Below 40 mph, how much following distance does the manual suggest for the length of your vehicle?
Correct answer: One second for every 10 feet of vehicle length
Below 40 mph, count a second for each 10 feet your vehicle measures, then add one more second above that speed.
5. In fog, which headlight setting should you generally use?
Correct answer: Low beams
High beams reflect off fog and worsen glare, so low beams give better visibility in fog.
6. Rental-truck drivers should be watched carefully because they:
Correct answer: Are frequently unaccustomed to the big blind spots around a large vehicle
People at the wheel of a rental truck are often not used to how little they can see to the sides and rear.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.8.3 (Drivers Who Are Hazards)
7. A driver certified only for intrastate operation receives which restriction on the CDL?
Correct answer: A restriction barring interstate operation
Certifying as intrastate adds the K restriction, which prohibits operating the CMV in interstate commerce.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 1 (Introduction - Restrictions)
8. A burning tire is best dealt with by:
Correct answer: Cooling it with large amounts of water
Because a tire holds heat, it must be cooled - often with lots of water - to keep it from reigniting.
9. A truck required to show hazardous materials placards must carry how many, and where?
Correct answer: Four matching boards — one ahead, one behind and one on each side
Placards are warning boards fixed to the outside of the unit that name the hazard class being hauled, and the rules call for no fewer than four matching ones so the message can be read from any approach.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.23.3 (Lists of Regulated Products)
10. If you become too ill to drive safely, you should:
Correct answer: Not drive, except to reach the nearest safe stopping point in an emergency
When illness makes safe operation impossible you must not drive, other than reaching a safe place to stop in a true emergency.
11. When you set out warning triangles, you should hold each triangle:
Correct answer: Between yourself and oncoming traffic so drivers can see you
Keeping the triangle between you and approaching traffic makes you visible to other drivers while you place it.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.7 (Managing Space - Stopping on the Road)
12. Why should you never try to race a train to a crossing?
Correct answer: It is extremely hard to judge a train's speed
A train's speed is very difficult to gauge, and racing one to the crossing is never worth the risk.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.15.3 (Driving Procedures)
13. A single vehicle needs a commercial driver license once its gross vehicle weight rating reaches what figure?
Correct answer: 26,001 pounds or more
Any one vehicle rated at 26,001 pounds or above falls under the commercial category, so a CDL is required to drive it.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 1 (Introduction - CMV Definitions)
14. A cross-buck sign at a railroad crossing tells drivers to:
Correct answer: Yield the right of way to any approaching train
The cross-buck marks the crossing and requires drivers to yield to trains; extra signs show the number of tracks.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.15.2 (Warning Signs and Devices)
15. About how far will a vehicle travel before stopping from 55 mph under ideal conditions?
Correct answer: Roughly 419 feet
Adding perception, reaction, and braking distance, a vehicle at 55 mph needs a minimum of about 419 feet to stop.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.6.1 (Stopping Distance)
16. During the seven-step inspection, how should you begin checking the engine compartment?
Correct answer: By confirming the parking brake is on and/or the wheels are chocked
Before opening the hood you make sure the parking brake is set or the wheels are chocked so the vehicle cannot move.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.1.5 (Seven-step Inspection Method)
17. When a driver is tailgating you, one thing you should NOT do is:
Correct answer: Play tricks such as switching your taillights on or flicking your brake lights
Tricks like flashing the brake lights can confuse a tailgater; instead stay steady, leave extra room ahead, and let them pass.
18. If federal or state inspectors judge your vehicle unsafe, they will:
Correct answer: Place it out of service until repairs are made
An unsafe vehicle is ordered out of service and may not be driven until the defect has been corrected.
19. At an accident scene where you are not badly hurt, your first action should be to:
Correct answer: Protect the area so another crash does not occur
Protecting the scene - warning other traffic and preventing a second collision - comes before notifying authorities or aiding the injured.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.20.1 (Protect the Area)
20. The slow-moving vehicle emblem is described as:
Correct answer: A red triangle with an orange center
Farm and construction equipment often display a red triangle with an orange center to warn of their low speed.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.8.3 (Drivers Who Are Hazards)