West Virginia Hazmat CDL Practice Test

This is a free 20-question practice test for the Hazmat portion of the West Virginia 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 West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles 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 West Virginia.

Question 1 of 20

When you transport Division 1.1 or 1.2 explosives, you must have a written route plan:

No, never
Yes — required for these explosives
Only on weekends
Only across state lines

Correct. A written route plan is required for transporting Division 1.1 or 1.2 explosives. The driver must follow it unless there is an emergency.

Question 2 of 20

A driver must understand the hazmat security plan:

Only managers do
Only when it is required for the carrier and the materials being transported, then driver in-depth security training is required
Never
Only on request

Correct. When a security plan is required (Division 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, certain quantities of toxic-by-inhalation, etc.), drivers receive in-depth security training and a copy or summary of the plan.

Question 3 of 20

You must notify your dispatcher and the carrier whenever:

You receive any traffic ticket
Any hazmat incident occurs
Anytime you stop
Anytime you fuel

Correct. Hazmat incidents — spillage, fire, contamination, injury, evacuation, or property damage — require immediate carrier notification.

Question 4 of 20

A vehicle that has been transporting hazmat may need to be:

Decontaminated and re-placarded as required after unloading
Painted
Sold
Inspected by USCG

Correct. After unloading, the vehicle may need decontamination depending on the cargo. Placards may need to be removed unless residue still requires them.

Question 5 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 6 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 7 of 20

Hazard Class 3 is:

Flammable liquids
Explosives
Toxic substances
Radioactive

Correct. Class 3 is flammable liquids — gasoline, diesel, ethanol, alcohols, etc.

Question 8 of 20

When loading a vehicle with hazardous materials, you should:

Set the parking brake, chock the wheels, turn off the engine
Leave the engine running
Smoke if outside the cab
Skip the brake check

Correct. Set the parking brake, chock wheels of cargo tank vehicles, and shut off the engine before loading or unloading flammables.

Question 9 of 20

After a hazmat incident, the driver should:

Notify the carrier and complete required reports
Drive home
Wait until the next trip to report
Throw away the shipping paper

Correct. Notify the carrier immediately. Federal incident reports may be required to PHMSA, depending on severity. Retain the shipping paper.

Question 10 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.

Question 11 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 12 of 20

Inhalation hazard placards (Division 6.1 PIH or Division 2.3) require:

Smaller placards
Subsidiary "INHALATION HAZARD" placards in addition to the primary placard
No placards
Only one placard

Correct. PIH (Poison Inhalation Hazard) materials require a primary hazard-class placard plus an "INHALATION HAZARD" subsidiary placard.

Question 13 of 20

When you stop at a railroad crossing in a placarded hazmat vehicle, you must stop:

On the tracks
Between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail
Anywhere
Only if a train is visible

Correct. Placarded hazmat vehicles must stop at every railroad crossing 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail. Look and listen for trains.

Question 14 of 20

Subsidiary risk labels on a package indicate:

Additional hazards beyond the primary hazard
Just decoration
The price
The weight

Correct. Some materials have multiple hazards. The primary hazard is shown on the top-class label; subsidiary risks (e.g., toxic AND flammable) are shown on additional labels.

Question 15 of 20

Placards must be at least how many inches on each side?

10.75 inches (273 mm)
5 inches
15 inches
20 inches

Correct. Placards are diamond-shaped, at least 250 mm (about 10.75 inches) on each side.

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

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 18 of 20

A driver is required to carry an ERG (or equivalent) when:

Driving any commercial vehicle
Transporting any quantity of hazardous materials
Only when hauling explosives
Only on weekends

Correct. Whenever hazmat is being transported, the driver must have access to current ERG information for the materials in question.

Question 19 of 20

Electrical equipment in cargo areas of vehicles transporting Class 3 (flammable) liquids must be:

Disconnected
Spark-free or explosion-proof to prevent ignition
Painted red
Made of plastic

Correct. Wiring and electrical fittings in flammable-liquid loading areas must be designed to prevent ignition — spark-free, sealed, or explosion-proof.

Question 20 of 20

You must not transport a vehicle that:

Has Class 1 explosives and is leaking, or any vehicle whose hazmat is leaking
Has fresh paint
Is over weight by 50 lbs
Is white

Correct. Never transport a leaking hazmat package. Secure the scene, notify authorities and the carrier, follow the carrier's instructions on disposition.

About the West Virginia 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 West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles 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 West Virginia CDL practice tests.