North Dakota General Knowledge CDL Practice Test

This is a free 20-question practice test for the General Knowledge portion of the North Dakota 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 North Dakota Department of Transportation Drivers License Division 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 North Dakota.

Question 1 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 2 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 3 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 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

If you are involved in an accident, you should:

Drive away if no one is hurt
Notify authorities, protect the scene with warning devices, and care for the injured
Move all vehicles immediately
Make no statements at all

Correct. Stop, protect the scene, notify authorities, care for injured persons, and exchange the required information. Failing to stop is a serious offense.

Question 6 of 20

When should you place reflective triangles on a divided highway after stopping due to a breakdown?

10, 50, and 100 feet behind the vehicle
10 feet to the rear, 100 feet to the rear, and 200 feet to the rear
10, 100, and 200 feet to the rear, on the traffic side
100, 200, and 500 feet to the rear

Correct. On a divided highway with traffic from one direction, place triangles 10, 100, and 200 feet behind the vehicle, on the shoulder or in the lane you stopped in.

Question 7 of 20

A driver who has been disqualified is:

Allowed to drive a commercial vehicle
Not allowed to drive a commercial vehicle
Allowed to drive only with another driver in the cab
Allowed to drive only on private property

Correct. A disqualified driver may not operate a commercial motor vehicle on public roads, regardless of supervision.

Question 8 of 20

You are driving on a steep downgrade and your brakes have failed. The best escape is to:

Pump the brakes furiously
Use a runaway escape ramp
Try to bail out of the cab
Sound the horn and continue

Correct. If a runaway escape ramp is available, use it. Modern arrester beds use loose gravel or sand to slow the vehicle without injury to the driver.

Question 9 of 20

Empty trucks:

Always stop in less distance than fully loaded ones
Require longer stopping distances than loaded ones because of lighter brake force per axle
Have the same stopping distance as loaded trucks
Cannot use the engine brake

Correct. An empty truck has lighter axle weight, so the brakes generate less friction relative to vehicle weight — the truck can take longer to stop than the same vehicle loaded.

Question 10 of 20

Hydroplaning is most likely to occur when:

Driving at low speed in light rain
Tires lose contact with the road and ride on water
Brakes are applied gently
Tires are over-inflated

Correct. Hydroplaning occurs when a film of water comes between the tires and the road, causing the tires to lose contact with the pavement. Higher speeds, worn tires, and standing water increase the risk.

Question 11 of 20

What is the minimum amount of tread depth required on tires other than front (steering) tires?

1/32 inch
2/32 inch
4/32 inch
5/32 inch

Correct. Non-steer tires must have at least 2/32-inch tread depth in every major groove.

Question 12 of 20

How often must drivers inspect their cargo and securing devices?

Within the first 50 miles, then every 150 miles or every 3 hours of driving (whichever comes first)
Only at the start of the trip
Only at fuel stops
Only when entering a new state

Correct. Federal rule: inspect within the first 50 miles, then every 150 miles or 3 hours of driving, whichever comes first, plus every change of duty status.

Question 13 of 20

When driving down a long, steep downgrade, you should:

Hold the brakes lightly the whole way down
Select the proper gear before starting down and use intermittent firm brake applications
Coast in neutral
Use only the engine brake

Correct. Select a low gear before starting down. Use the brakes in firm, intermittent applications: brake until 5 mph below safe speed, release until safe speed is regained, repeat. Continuous brake application overheats the brakes.

Question 14 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 15 of 20

A "low-clearance" warning sign requires the driver to:

Verify the vehicle's height is below the posted clearance before proceeding
Ignore the sign
Sound the horn
Drive faster

Correct. Verify your vehicle's height. Hitting a low-clearance bridge or overpass is dangerous and expensive — and entirely the driver's responsibility.

Question 16 of 20

What is the only effective way to remove alcohol from the body?

Drinking coffee
Cold showers
Eating a heavy meal
Time

Correct. Only time eliminates alcohol from the body — at roughly one drink per hour. Coffee, food, and showers do not speed up the process.

Question 17 of 20

When should you use your high beams?

Whenever it is dark
When other drivers are within 500 feet ahead
When other drivers are not within 500 feet of you and you are not following another vehicle within 500 feet
In fog

Correct. Federal and state law requires you to dim high beams when within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, or when following within 500 feet of another vehicle.

Question 18 of 20

When approaching a railroad crossing, drivers of buses, school buses, and placarded hazmat vehicles must:

Speed up to clear quickly
Stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail and listen
Cross only if a train is in sight
Sound the horn

Correct. Buses, school buses, and placarded hazmat vehicles must stop at every crossing, 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail. Look and listen, then proceed when safe.

Question 19 of 20

The four-way flashers on a commercial vehicle should be used:

Anytime you are stopped or moving slowly enough that other drivers might not expect
Only when parked
Only at night
Only on the interstate

Correct. Use four-way flashers anytime your vehicle is stopped on or near the roadway, or moving slowly enough that approaching traffic might be surprised.

Question 20 of 20

What does it mean when a driver is "hydroplaning"?

The truck is overheating
The tires lose contact with the road and ride on a film of water
The brakes have failed
The driver is dehydrated

Correct. Hydroplaning means tires have lost contact with the pavement and are riding on standing water. Steering and braking become ineffective.

About the North Dakota 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 North Dakota Department of Transportation Drivers License Division 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 North Dakota CDL practice tests.