Free Missouri DMV CDL — General Knowledge Practice Test 2026
The Missouri CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has 50 questions, and you need 40 correct (80%) to pass. Practice free with questions written from the official Missouri 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 Missouri written test
The Missouri CDL — General Knowledge knowledge test has 50 questions; you need 40 correct (80%) to pass.
Based on the official Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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.
Missouri CDL — General Knowledge test — frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Missouri CDL — General Knowledge test?
The Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri driver handbook, practice by topic to target weak areas, and finish with full-length tests until you consistently pass.
Other Missouri practice tests
Take the CDL — General Knowledge test in another state
Every Missouri question is written from the official Missouri 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
Missouri CDL — General Knowledge questions with answers
20 sample questions from the Missouri 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. When a tire suddenly fails, what should you do with the brakes at first?
Correct answer: Stay off the brake until the vehicle slows down
Stay off the brake at first; braking with a failed tire could cause a loss of control. Once the vehicle slows, brake gently, pull off, and stop.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.17: Driving Emergencies
2. Should you signal other drivers when it is safe for them to pass you?
Correct answer: No, you should never direct traffic that way
You should not wave others past, because doing so could cause a crash for which you might be blamed and held financially responsible.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.5: Communicating
3. What minimum disqualification follows a driver's first out-of-service order violation?
Correct answer: At least 90 days
A driver's first breach of an out-of-service order results in losing the CDL for at least 90 days.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 1.3: CDL Disqualifications
4. Traveling 55 mph on dry pavement with brakes in good shape, about what is the least total stopping distance?
Correct answer: About 419 feet
Under ideal conditions at 55 mph, a vehicle covers a minimum of roughly 419 feet before stopping completely, which is longer than an entire football field.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.6: Controlling Speed
5. How do you test during inspection whether the parking brake will hold the vehicle?
Correct answer: Gently try to pull forward against the set brake
With the parking brake set and the vehicle in low gear, gently pull forward against it; if the brake does not hold, it is faulty and must be fixed.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.1: Vehicle Inspection
6. If your windshield wipers fail and you cannot see well enough to drive, what should you do?
Correct answer: Stop safely and correct the problem
When you cannot see adequately—for example if the wipers quit—stop somewhere safe and fix the problem before continuing.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.13: Driving in Winter
7. On a shipping paper or panel, a four-digit hazardous-material identification number is preceded by which letters?
Correct answer: The letters NA or UN
First responders read a four-figure code preceded by either “NA” or “UN” to identify what chemical is aboard.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.23: Hazardous Materials Rules
8. Which of the following is a clue that a driver ahead may be impaired?
Correct answer: Weaving across the road or drifting between lanes
Weaving across the road, drifting between sides, leaving the road, or stopping at the wrong time are all signs of a driver who is sleepy, drunk, or on drugs.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.8: Seeing Hazards
9. If you become too ill to drive safely, what does the manual advise?
Correct answer: Do not drive, except to the nearest safe stopping place in an emergency
When you are too sick to operate a vehicle safely you must not drive, though in an emergency you may continue to the nearest place where you can stop safely.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.22: Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving
10. What penalty can a court impose for driving a commercial vehicle without holding a CDL?
Correct answer: A fine of up to $5,000 or jail
Operating a CMV with no CDL can result in a fine of up to $5,000 or a jail sentence.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 1.4: Other CDL Rules
11. What does a move-over law require of drivers approaching a stopped emergency vehicle at the roadside?
Correct answer: Slow down and move to a lane away from it when safe
Move-over laws direct you to slow down and, where safe, change into a lane away from the emergency vehicle or work zone; if you cannot change lanes, slow and pass with caution.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.8: Seeing Hazards
12. If cargo catches fire inside a van or box trailer, what should you do with the doors?
Correct answer: Keep them closed to starve the fire of oxygen
Keep the doors shut, especially with hazardous cargo, because opening them feeds the fire oxygen and can make it burn much faster.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.21: Fires
13. Why should you keep your turn signal on continuously through a turn?
Correct answer: Because you should not cancel it until the turn is complete
Because both hands are needed on the wheel to turn safely, you should leave the signal running and not cancel it until the turn is finished.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.5: Communicating
14. Which class covers a single vehicle rated at 26,001 pounds GVWR or more?
Correct answer: Class B
A single heavy vehicle rated at 26,001 pounds or more, or such a vehicle towing a unit not over 10,000 pounds, is a Class B vehicle.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction
15. Which three distances add up to a vehicle's total stopping distance?
Correct answer: Perception, reaction, and braking distance
Total stopping distance is the sum of perception distance, reaction distance, and braking distance.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.6: Controlling Speed
16. When stopped on a one-way or divided highway, where should the three warning devices be placed?
Correct answer: At 10, 100, and 200 feet toward approaching traffic
On a one-way or divided road, place your warning devices toward oncoming traffic at distances of roughly 10, 100, and 200 feet behind the vehicle.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.5: Communicating
17. When should a retarder be switched off?
Correct answer: When the road is wet, icy, or snowy
Because a retarder can make drive wheels skid when traction is poor, turn it off any time the road is wet, icy, or covered with snow.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.3: Shifting Gears
18. What does the crossbuck sign found at a railroad grade crossing require you to do?
Correct answer: Give the approaching train the right-of-way
The crossbuck marks the crossing itself and legally obligates a driver to give the right-of-way to any train using the tracks.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.15: Railroad-highway Crossings
19. Strong winds tend to make staying in your lane hardest for what kind of vehicle?
Correct answer: Lighter vehicles
The problem of being pushed by strong crosswinds is usually worse for lighter vehicles, and it can be especially bad when leaving a tunnel.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.7: Managing Space
20. Why can common over-the-counter cold medicines be a concern for drivers?
Correct answer: They can make you drowsy or affect safe driving
Certain prescription and over-the-counter drugs, such as cold medicines, can make a driver drowsy or otherwise reduce safe-driving ability.
Source: Missouri CDL Manual — Section 2.22: Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving