Free Maryland DMV CDL — General Knowledge Practice Test 2026
The Maryland CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions, and you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass. Practice free with questions written from the official Maryland 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 Maryland written test
The Maryland CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions; you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass.
Based on the official Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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.
Maryland CDL — General Knowledge test — frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Maryland CDL — General Knowledge test?
The Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland driver handbook, practice by topic to target weak areas, and finish with full-length tests until you consistently pass.
Other Maryland practice tests
Take the CDL — General Knowledge test in another state
Every Maryland question is written from the official Maryland 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
Maryland CDL — General Knowledge questions with answers
20 sample questions from the Maryland 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. Within how many minutes of stopping on a road or shoulder must you put out emergency warning devices?
Correct answer: Within 10 minutes
Any time you halt on the traveled way or its shoulder, your warning devices must be placed within ten minutes.
2. Before you make a lane change, what should you do to communicate your intent?
Correct answer: Turn on your signal, then change lanes slowly and smoothly
Signal before changing lanes and move over gradually so a driver you did not see has a chance to react.
3. When only the tractor of a combination has ABS, what should you watch for while braking hard?
Correct answer: The trailer swinging out; ease off the brakes if it does
If only the tractor has ABS, you retain steering control with less jackknife danger; still, keep an eye on the trailer and ease off braking should it begin swinging wide.
Source: Maryland CDL Manual — Section 2.18: Antilock Braking Systems
4. At a crossing with two separate tracks, what should you do after one train has passed?
Correct answer: Make sure no other train is coming on the second track before crossing
A train on one track can hide a train on the other, so look both ways and confirm every track is clear before starting across.
Source: Maryland CDL Manual — Section 2.15: Railroad-Highway Crossings
5. A second alcohol, refusal, or controlled-substance offense results in what disqualification?
Correct answer: Disqualification for life
A second offense involving alcohol, a refusal, or a controlled substance disqualifies you from driving a CMV for life.
Source: Maryland CDL Manual — Section 1.4: Disqualifications
6. When using a fire extinguisher, where should you aim?
Correct answer: Toward the base where the fire starts, rather than at the flames above
Stay as far back as you can, position yourself upwind, and aim at the base of the fire rather than the flames.
7. Going from 20 mph up to 40 mph, by what factor does your braking distance grow?
Correct answer: About four times
Doubling speed from 20 to 40 mph makes both the impact and the braking distance about four times greater.
Source: Maryland CDL Manual — Section 2.6: Controlling Speed
8. On a left turn with two turning lanes available, which lane should a large vehicle use?
Correct answer: The right-hand turn lane
Take the right-hand turn lane; starting from the inside lane may force you to swing right and strike a vehicle beside you.
9. Under federal rules, how may a driver of a commercial motor vehicle legally use a mobile phone while driving?
Correct answer: Only hands-free, operated with a single button and mounted within easy reach
A CMV driver may not hold a phone or press more than one button; any use must be a hands-free device reachable from the belted driving position.
Source: Maryland CDL Manual — Section 2.9: Distracted Driving
10. During the walk-around inspection, clearance and identification lamps and reflectors on the front of the vehicle should be what color?
Correct answer: Amber
Lamps and reflectors facing forward should be amber, while those at the rear of the vehicle should be red.
Source: Maryland CDL Manual — Section 2.1: Vehicle Inspection
11. Which endorsement lets you drive a vehicle designed to carry 16 or more people?
Correct answer: The P (passenger) endorsement
The P endorsement is needed to drive a bus designed for 16 or more people including the driver, in any class.
Source: Maryland CDL Manual — Section 1.2.2: Endorsements & Restrictions
12. When you park at the roadside, what should you turn on and why?
Correct answer: The four-way emergency flashers, because taillights alone may not warn others
Turn on the four-way flashers when parked at the roadside; drivers have rear-ended parked vehicles thinking the taillights meant the vehicle was moving.
13. What color is the trailer ABS malfunction lamp, and where is it located?
Correct answer: Yellow, on the left side of the trailer
Trailers with ABS carry a yellow malfunction lamp on the left side; if it stays lit, the ABS may not be working.
Source: Maryland CDL Manual — Section 2.18: Antilock Braking Systems
14. How should you hold the steering wheel for the best control?
Correct answer: Firmly with both hands on opposite sides of the wheel
Keep a firm grip with both hands on opposite sides so the wheel cannot be pulled away if you hit a curb or pothole.
15. Because of a large vehicle's slow acceleration, what should you do before crossing or entering traffic?
Correct answer: Wait for a larger gap than a car would need before pulling out
Slow acceleration and the space a big vehicle takes mean you need a much larger gap, and you should be sure you can clear the road before traffic reaches you.
16. When a police officer asks a CMV driver to take a BAC test, which type of test is used to check for drugs?
Correct answer: A blood test
Breath is the usual method for measuring alcohol, while screening for drugs or other controlled substances is done with blood.
Source: Maryland CDL Manual — Section 1.4: Disqualifications
17. What is an escape ramp designed to do?
Correct answer: Stop a runaway vehicle safely, often using soft gravel and an upgrade
Escape ramps use a bed of loose material, sometimes with an upgrade, to bring a runaway vehicle to a safe stop.
Source: Maryland CDL Manual — Section 2.17: Driving Emergencies
18. How much following distance does the manual suggest at speeds below 40 mph?
Correct answer: One second of space for every 10 feet of your rig's length
Below 40 mph, allow one second per 10 feet of vehicle length; add one more second when you go faster than 40 mph.
19. How should you treat pedestrians, joggers, or cyclists who have their backs to traffic?
Correct answer: Assume they cannot see or hear you and may move unexpectedly
Walkers and cyclists facing away — sometimes wearing headphones — often cannot see or hear you, making them a real hazard.
20. Under federal rules, an employer that lets or requires a driver to hold a phone at the wheel of a CMV can be fined up to what amount?
Correct answer: Up to $11,000
A driver convicted of hand-held phone use may be fined up to $2,750, while the employer that permits it faces a fine up to $11,000.
Source: Maryland CDL Manual — Section 2.9: Distracted Driving