Free Mississippi DMV CDL — General Knowledge Practice Test 2026
The Mississippi CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions, and you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass. Practice free with questions written from the official Mississippi 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 Mississippi written test
The Mississippi CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has ~50 questions; you need ~40 correct (80%) to pass.
Based on the official Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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.
Mississippi CDL — General Knowledge test — frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Mississippi CDL — General Knowledge test?
The Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi driver handbook, practice by topic to target weak areas, and finish with full-length tests until you consistently pass.
Other Mississippi practice tests
Take the CDL — General Knowledge test in another state
Every Mississippi question is written from the official Mississippi 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
Mississippi CDL — General Knowledge questions with answers
20 sample questions from the Mississippi 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. If your vehicle is stuck on a railroad crossing, where at the crossing can you look for emergency contact information?
Correct answer: On signposts or on the signal housing
Get out and away from the tracks first, then check the signposts or signal housing for notification details. When you call, give the crossing's location and its DOT number if one is posted.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Special Situations)
2. Your steering suddenly feels heavy. What is this probably a sign of?
Correct answer: A front tire has failed
Other signs of tire failure are a loud bang and heavy vibration or thumping. Hold the wheel firmly with both hands and stay off the brake until you slow.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Tire Failure)
3. How does alcohol interact with other drugs?
Correct answer: It can make their effects much worse
The safest rule is not to mix drugs with driving at all, and never to combine them with alcohol.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving)
4. A motor carrier allows or requires its CMV drivers to use hand-held phones while driving. What civil penalty can the carrier face?
Correct answer: Up to $11,000
Carriers must neither permit nor require hand-held phone use while driving, and those that do can be penalized up to $11,000. Drivers face their own penalties of up to $2,750 per violation.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Cell/Mobile Phones)
5. A driver is tailgating you. Which response does the manual warn against?
Correct answer: Flashing your brake lights or switching on your taillights to warn them
Avoid tricks with your lights. Instead, open up more space ahead, signal early, slow gradually, and don't speed up.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Space Behind)
6. A driver violates an out-of-service order for the first time. What is the shortest disqualification that can follow?
Correct answer: 90 days
A first out-of-service violation costs at least 90 days. Two violations within ten years mean at least one year, and three or more within ten years mean at least three years.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (Violation of Out-of-Service Orders)
7. Why can walkers, joggers, and bicyclists on the road be hard to warn?
Correct answer: They may have their backs to traffic and be wearing headphones
Facing away from traffic, they cannot see you, and with headsets they may not hear you either.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Drivers Who Are Hazards)
8. After brake failure, you stop by turning uphill. How do you keep the vehicle from rolling back?
Correct answer: Put it in low gear, set the parking brake, and if needed let it roll back against an obstacle
Heading uphill helps a vehicle with failed brakes slow and stop, but secure it at once so it can't roll back.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Brake Failure)
9. You approach an emergency vehicle stopped on the roadside. If traffic allows, what should you do?
Correct answer: Slow down and move to a lane that is not next to it
Move-over laws require you to slow and give way by changing to a lane not adjacent to the emergency vehicle or work zone, when it is safe to do so.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Hazardous Roads)
10. An alert driver's average perception time is about 1¾ seconds. At 55 mph, how far does the vehicle travel during that time?
Correct answer: About 142 feet
142 feet goes by before you even recognize the hazard. Reaction adds about 61 feet and braking about 216 feet at that speed.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Stopping Distance)
11. Which of these is a mental distraction rather than a physical one?
Correct answer: Thinking about something that happened earlier in the day
A mental distraction pulls your thoughts away from driving, while a physical one takes your hands from the wheel or your eyes from the road. Phone calls and texting do both at once.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Distracted Driving)
12. Before a downgrade, a sign posts a 'Maximum Safe Speed.' How should you treat it?
Correct answer: Never go faster than the speed it shows
On grades, never exceed a posted speed limit or 'Maximum Safe Speed.' Also obey signs that warn of the grade's length and steepness.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Select a "Safe" Speed)
13. If you have to drive off the road in an emergency, when should you start braking?
Correct answer: Only once speed has dropped to about 20 mph, and then very gently
Braking hard on a loose surface can cause a skid. Keep one side's wheels on the pavement if possible, and stay on a clear shoulder until the vehicle stops.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Steering to Avoid a Crash)
14. On a first offense, refusing a blood alcohol test brings a CDL disqualification of at least:
Correct answer: One year
Refusal is on the same list as driving at .04% or more, so the minimum loss for a first offense is one year.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (CDL Disqualifications)
15. Without a hazardous materials endorsement, may you drive a vehicle carrying hazardous materials?
Correct answer: Yes, but only if the load does not require placards
Not every hazmat load needs placards. You may haul an unplacarded load without the endorsement, but driving a vehicle that needs placards without it is a crime.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Hazardous Materials Rules for All Commercial Drivers)
16. Why should you turn on your turn signal well before you turn?
Correct answer: It is your best protection against drivers who might try to pass as you turn
Signaling early warns others of your plan and is the best defense against drivers trying to pass you as you turn.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Signal Your Intentions)
17. In what order are the three segments of the CDL skills test taken?
Correct answer: Vehicle inspection, then basic vehicle control, then the on-road drive
The segments follow a fixed order, and each one must be passed before you move on to the next. The test is taken in the same type of vehicle you want to be licensed for.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (Skills Tests)
18. Why should you keep a close eye on rental trucks?
Correct answer: Their drivers often aren't used to how little they can see beside and behind the truck
People driving rental trucks are often unused to how little they can see beside and behind them, so watch them carefully.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Drivers Who Are Hazards)
19. When you are required to stop at a railroad crossing, what should you do as you stop?
Correct answer: Check traffic behind you, slow gradually, use a pullout lane if there is one, and turn on the four-way flashers
A full stop is needed when the cargo or the law requires it. Stop gradually and safely, warning the traffic behind you.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Stopping Safely at Railroad-highway Crossings)
20. At an intersection with two left-turn lanes, which lane should a large vehicle use?
Correct answer: The right-hand turn lane
Start from the right-hand turn lane. From the inside lane you might have to swing right to complete the turn, and drivers on your left are easier to see.
Source: Mississippi CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Space for Turns)