Georgia General Knowledge CDL Practice Test

This is a free 20-question practice test for the General Knowledge portion of the Georgia Commercial Driver's License knowledge exam. Questions are pulled from a pool of 97 drawn from the AAMVA CDL Manual, which is the source document the Georgia Department of Driver Services uses to write its actual exam.

How it works: Click an answer. The correct choice highlights in green, and you'll see a short explanation. Aim for 85% or better before you sit for the real test in Georgia.

Question 1 of 20

How many red reflective triangles must you carry in your commercial vehicle for emergency warning?

One
Two
Three
Six

Correct. You must carry three red reflective triangles, six fusees, or three liquid-burning flares for emergency warning use.

Question 2 of 20

You are about to drive a vehicle that you have not driven before. What should you do?

Get in and drive — every commercial vehicle handles the same
Inspect the vehicle to make sure it is safe and the cargo is properly secured
Drive briefly without cargo to learn the controls
Skip the inspection if the previous driver inspected it

Correct. Federal regulations require the driver to be satisfied that the vehicle is in safe operating condition before driving. The previous driver's inspection does not relieve you of that responsibility.

Question 3 of 20

If your vehicle hydroplanes, what should you do?

Brake hard immediately
Steer sharply to recover
Release the accelerator and push in the clutch
Accelerate to push through

Correct. Release the accelerator and push in the clutch. Do not brake or steer hard until the tires regain contact.

Question 4 of 20

Maximum allowable steering-wheel play is approximately:

5 degrees
10 degrees
20 degrees
30 degrees

Correct. Steering wheel play should not exceed 10 degrees (roughly 2 inches on a 20-inch wheel). More than that, the vehicle is hard to steer.

Question 5 of 20

The blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above which a CDL driver is considered to be driving under the influence in a commercial motor vehicle is:

Correct. The federal BAC limit for CDL drivers operating a commercial vehicle is .04 — half the .08 limit for non-commercial drivers in most states.

Question 6 of 20

Which of these is true about following distance for heavy vehicles?

It can be the same as a passenger car
It must be longer because heavy vehicles take longer to stop
It is irrelevant in city driving
It only matters at night

Correct. Greater weight = longer stopping distance. Use one second per 10 feet of vehicle length below 40 mph, plus an extra second above 40.

Question 7 of 20

You are driving a 60-foot tractor-trailer at 55 mph. The minimum following distance you should maintain is:

4 seconds
5 seconds
6 seconds
7 seconds

Correct. Above 40 mph, add one extra second to the per-10-foot rule. A 60-foot vehicle = 6 seconds + 1 = 7 seconds at 55 mph.

Question 8 of 20

Which of the following is the best way to prevent a fire in your vehicle?

Carry extra fuel
Smoke only with the windows open
Inspect the vehicle, watch the gauges, and use safe driving practices
Run the engine hot to burn off carbon

Correct. Most fires are preventable through inspection (electrical, fuel-system, tire) and watching gauges, plus prohibiting smoking near fuel and observing safe loading/refueling rules.

Question 9 of 20

When you double your speed from 20 to 40 mph, the impact in a crash is:

Twice as great
Three times as great
Four times as great
The same

Correct. Crash energy is proportional to the square of speed. Doubling speed quadruples the energy of impact.

Question 10 of 20

A driver-side skid can cause a tractor-trailer to:

Drift gently
Jackknife
Improve steering
Over-correct only the trailer

Correct. When the drive wheels lose traction and the trailer continues forward, the tractor pivots and the rig jackknifes.

Question 11 of 20

Which of these is a sign of tire failure?

Heavy thumping or vibration
A loud bang
The vehicle pulling to one side
All of the above

Correct. Vibration, a loud bang from a blowout, and pulling to one side are all classic signs of tire failure.

Question 12 of 20

Which lane is generally the best for a commercial vehicle on a multi-lane highway?

The far left (passing) lane
The middle lane
The right lane (slow lane)
Whichever has the lightest traffic

Correct. The right lane is generally best — it limits lane changes, reduces conflict with merging traffic only on the right, and matches commercial-vehicle speed.

Question 13 of 20

Doubling your speed roughly:

Doubles your stopping distance
Triples your stopping distance
Quadruples your stopping distance
Has no effect on stopping distance

Correct. Braking distance is proportional to the square of speed. Doubling speed roughly quadruples braking distance.

Question 14 of 20

Which of these vehicles is most likely to have to stop at a railroad crossing?

A school bus or a placarded hazmat vehicle
A pickup truck
A motorcycle
A passenger car

Correct. Buses, school buses, and placarded hazmat vehicles must stop at every railroad crossing 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail.

Question 15 of 20

Cargo that is loaded too high:

Has no effect on driving
Raises the center of gravity, increasing rollover risk
Improves fuel economy
Improves braking

Correct. A high center of gravity makes the vehicle prone to rollover on curves, ramps, and during evasive maneuvers. Stack heavier items low.

Question 16 of 20

Which of these is true about driving in fog?

Use high beams to see further
Use low beams; high beams reflect back and reduce visibility
Drive at the posted speed limit
Use the four-way flashers only when stopped

Correct. In fog, high beams reflect off water particles and impair vision. Use low beams. Many drivers also use four-way flashers when moving slowly to alert traffic.

Question 17 of 20

Communicating your intention to other drivers is best accomplished by:

Honking the horn
Using turn signals well in advance
Flashing high beams
Pointing

Correct. Use turn signals well before turning or changing lanes. Brake lights, four-way flashers, and headlights also help communicate.

Question 18 of 20

You are driving on a two-lane road. An oncoming driver drifts into your lane. You should:

Steer right onto the shoulder
Flash your high beams
Honk your horn
Brake hard and stop in your lane

Correct. When an oncoming driver drifts into your lane, the safer escape is right onto the shoulder. Steering left risks a head-on if the other driver corrects.

Question 19 of 20

A driver who notices their vehicle is overweight should:

Continue and hope for the best
Stop, off-load excess weight, or have the load adjusted before continuing
Drive only at night
Drive faster

Correct. Overweight vehicles violate axle and gross-weight limits, damage roads, increase stopping distance, and incur fines. Adjust the load before continuing.

Question 20 of 20

Which type of fire extinguisher should you use on an electrical fire?

Class A
Class B
Class C
Class D

Correct. Class B:C dry-chemical extinguishers (often labeled "B:C" or "ABC") are appropriate for electrical fires. Never use water on an electrical fire.

About the Georgia General Knowledge exam

Most state DMVs administer 50 General Knowledge questions and require 80% (40 correct) to pass. Questions are pulled from a much larger pool, so two applicants taking the test on the same day will see different mixes. The questions on this site are drawn from the AAMVA CDL Manual chapters that every state's exam is built from.

The Georgia Department of Driver Services follows the federal CDL standards established by FMCSA. To earn the General Knowledge credential, you must answer at least 80% of the questions correctly. Many candidates score lower the first time because the test pulls from a large pool — refreshing this page will give you a different mix of questions, drawn from the same authoritative source.

Want more practice? Try the full General Knowledge question bank or browse all Georgia CDL practice tests.