Illinois Hazmat CDL Practice Test

This is a free 20-question practice test for the Hazmat portion of the Illinois Commercial Driver's License knowledge exam. Questions are pulled from a pool of 68 drawn from the AAMVA CDL Manual, which is the source document the Illinois Secretary of State Commercial Driver Licensing 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 Illinois.

Question 1 of 20

Placards are required when:

Any amount of a Table 1 material is loaded, or 1,001+ lbs total of any combination of Table 2 materials
Any cargo is loaded
Only flammables are loaded
Only at the driver's discretion

Correct. Table 1 materials always require placards (any amount). Table 2 materials require placards when 1,001 pounds or more of any combination is loaded.

Question 2 of 20

A leaking package of hazmat:

Should be immediately driven to the destination
Must not be transported; secure and report
Should be wrapped in plastic
Should be ignored

Correct. Never transport a leaking package. Secure the area, report to the carrier, contact emergency services if the leak poses immediate danger.

Question 3 of 20

The shipping paper for hazmat must include:

Only the destination
Proper shipping name, hazard class, ID number with UN/NA prefix, packing group, total quantity, and emergency contact
Only the weight
Only the carrier name

Correct. A complete shipping paper includes proper shipping name, hazard class or division, UN/NA ID number, packing group (where applicable), total quantity and unit, and a 24-hour emergency contact.

Question 4 of 20

Where can a hazmat-placarded vehicle never be parked?

On private property
Within 5 feet of the traveled portion of a roadway, except briefly for vehicle operation
Anywhere
At a truck stop

Correct. Never park within 5 feet of the traveled portion of a road. Avoid populated areas, near open fires, and near places where people congregate.

Question 5 of 20

How many hazard classes are there?

Three
Five
Nine
Twelve

Correct. There are nine hazard classes: 1 explosives, 2 gases, 3 flammable liquids, 4 flammable solids, 5 oxidizers and organic peroxides, 6 toxic and infectious, 7 radioactive, 8 corrosive, 9 miscellaneous.

Question 6 of 20

Placards must be displayed on:

One side
Two sides
Three sides
All four sides of the vehicle

Correct. Placards are displayed on all four sides of the vehicle — front, back, and both sides.

Question 7 of 20

Drivers of hazmat vehicles must avoid which of the following routes when alternatives exist?

Tunnels, narrow streets, and densely populated areas
Interstates
Highways
Rural routes

Correct. Avoid populated areas, narrow streets, tunnels, and other places where an incident would maximize risk. Follow state-designated hazmat routes.

Question 8 of 20

The Hazardous Materials Table (HMT) lists:

Only flammable liquids
Each hazardous material with its proper shipping name, hazard class, ID number, packing group, and required label
Only items shipped by air
Only items shipped by truck

Correct. The HMT in 49 CFR §172.101 lists every hazardous material with its proper shipping name, hazard class, identification number, packing group, label requirements, and special provisions.

Question 9 of 20

When in the cab with the engine running, the hazmat shipping paper must be:

In the trailer
Within the driver's reach — clipped on the driver's door clip or on the driver's seat
In the glove compartment
In the trunk

Correct. When in the seat with the engine running, keep shipping papers within reach (driver-side door clip or on the seat). When out of the vehicle, leave on the seat or in the door pouch.

Question 10 of 20

The 24-hour emergency response phone number on the shipping paper:

Is optional
Must be provided by the shipper and monitored 24 hours per day
Is the driver's personal phone
Is for billing

Correct. The 24-hour emergency contact must be a person knowledgeable about the materials, available 24/7. Many shippers contract CHEMTREC or similar.

Question 11 of 20

When carrying hazmat through a state or local jurisdiction with route restrictions, you must:

Comply with the restrictions
Choose the shortest route
Take the highway always
Disregard local rules

Correct. State and local hazmat route restrictions are enforceable. Plan routes that comply with restrictions and avoid prohibited tunnels and bridges.

Question 12 of 20

When tarping hazmat cargo, you must:

Cover the placards
Leave placards visible at all times
Tarp only at night
Use only red tarps

Correct. Placards must remain visible. Tarps and decorations may not block them.

Question 13 of 20

Who is responsible for proper hazmat packaging and labeling?

The shipper
The driver
The carrier
The consignee

Correct. The shipper packages, labels, and certifies the materials. The carrier and driver verify and refuse non-compliant shipments.

Question 14 of 20

When a hazmat shipment crosses international borders:

Documentation may need to comply with both US and Canadian/Mexican regulations
No special documentation is needed
Only US regulations apply
Only foreign regulations apply

Correct. Cross-border hazmat may require documentation in compliance with both jurisdictions, plus customs paperwork.

Question 15 of 20

Class 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives must be parked:

Anywhere
In an attended location with a qualified person within 100 feet, awake and able to see the vehicle
At a school
At a gas station

Correct. Division 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 explosives, and Division 2.3 or 6.1 PIH cargo, must have an attended-vehicle (qualified person within 100 feet, awake, able to see the vehicle).

Question 16 of 20

When loading hazmat that requires segregation, the driver must:

Refuse to mix incompatible materials in the same vehicle, per the segregation table
Mix them anyway
Load whatever fits
Stack on top

Correct. The segregation table in 49 CFR §177.848 lists which classes cannot be loaded together. Refusing improperly mixed loads is the driver's responsibility.

Question 17 of 20

A driver of a hazmat-loaded vehicle must check the tires:

Once before the trip
At the start of the trip and every time the vehicle is parked
Only at fueling
Never

Correct. Hazmat drivers must check tires at the beginning and again each time the vehicle is parked. A flat or smoking tire must be addressed before continuing.

Question 18 of 20

A vehicle hauling explosives may not be parked within:

100 feet of an open fire, school, theater, or place where people gather
10 feet of any building
One block of a fire station
Any distance

Correct. Class 1 explosives have specific parking restrictions — at least 300 feet from open fires; never near schools, theaters, or places where people gather.

Question 19 of 20

When loading or unloading cargo tanks of flammable liquid, the driver must:

Stay alert and within 25 feet of the vehicle, with a clear view
Leave the area
Smoke
Run the engine at high RPM

Correct. During cargo-tank flammable-liquid loading or unloading, the driver must remain attentive and within 25 feet of the vehicle with an unobstructed view.

Question 20 of 20

A "bulk packaging" generally refers to:

Packaging holding less than 119 gallons of liquid
Packaging holding more than 119 gallons of liquid, more than 882 lbs solid, or more than 1,000 lbs of gas
Anything in a box
Plastic only

Correct. Bulk packaging exceeds 119 gallons (liquid), 882 lbs (solid), or 1,000 lbs (gas). Bulk packaging requires markings, the four-digit ID number on each side and end, and additional driver-training requirements.

About the Illinois Hazmat exam

Most states administer 30 Hazmat questions and require 80% to pass. The exam covers hazard classes, the shipping paper, placards and labels, loading and unloading, driving and parking rules, emergency response, and the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG).

The Illinois Secretary of State Commercial Driver Licensing follows the federal CDL standards established by FMCSA. To earn the Hazmat 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 Hazmat question bank or browse all Illinois CDL practice tests.