What is the cheapest way to prepare for the CDL General Knowledge exam?

Start with what costs nothing: 120 practice questions on PrepPass, with explanations and no signup. If you want it taught in one file you keep, the full study guide is $9.99 once; the printable cram sheet for the last days is $9.99. No subscription on any of them.

Who administers the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test?

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) standards; tests given by each state's driver licensing agency. States must build their knowledge tests from FMCSA's pre-approved question pool, and must give a different version when an applicant retakes a failed test.

How many questions are on the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test?

Set by each state. The federal rule says each test must contain a set number of questions with a prescribed number from each knowledge area, but it fixes no number itself; check your state's CDL manual.

How long is the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test?

The federal rules set no time limit for the knowledge test; any limit is set by the state.

What is the passing score for the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test?

80%. 49 CFR 383.135(a)(1): an applicant must correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions on each knowledge test.

How much does the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test cost?

Set by each state's driver licensing agency; the federal rules charge no test fee.

What languages is the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test offered in?

49 CFR 383.133(b)(3) lets a state give the knowledge test in a foreign language, provided no interpreter is used; which languages are offered is the state's choice. The skills test must be conducted in English.

Does the CDL General Knowledge cram sheet come as a PDF?

Yes — CDL General Knowledge — Cram Sheet (2026) downloads as PDF, 35 pages. The download link is emailed the moment payment clears and does not expire.

How much does the CDL General Knowledge cram sheet cost?

$9.99, once. There is no subscription and no account to create; the PDF file is yours to keep.

Are there free CDL General Knowledge practice questions?

Yes — 120 of them, free to use with no signup and an explanation on every one. They are separate from this cram sheet, which is what you are buying here.

What is the difference between the CDL General Knowledge study guide and the cram sheet?

The study guide ($9.99) teaches the material chapter by chapter and is meant to be read over weeks. The cram sheet ($9.99, 35 pages) drops the teaching and keeps the figures: every number on the exam grouped by value so the confusable ones sit together, each reference page paired with a recall page that blanks the answers, and four routes by days left — 14, 7, 3, or tonight. They are separate purchases; neither replaces the other.

Is this the official CDL General Knowledge cram sheet?

No. This is an independent cram sheet and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the exam's awarding body. It is written from FMCSA regulations (49 CFR 383/392/393/395/396) / AAMVA model CDL manual. Always confirm current requirements with the body that issues your licence.

CDL General Knowledge · 2026 Edition

CDL General Knowledge — Cram Sheet (2026)

Every figure the CDL General Knowledge exam turns on, pooled by value on reference sheets with a recall twin — and four routes through them: 14 days, 7, 3, or tonight.

35-page printable cram packet: the figures without the teaching, each reference page paired with a recall page you fill in from memory
Cross-referenced against FMCSA regulations (49 CFR 383/392/393/395/396) / AAMVA model CDL manual
120 free practice questions for this exam stay free on PrepPass

PDF · English · 35 pages · $9.99 one-time

This cram sheet is written in English.

Instant download after payment — no account needed, no subscription.

14-day money-back guarantee: not satisfied for any reason? Email support@preppass.org within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. Refund policy

Look inside the book

Three real pages, rendered straight from the PDF you download — a reference page, a teaching page, and a worked question, always in that order. Nothing here was redrawn to look better.

How it's taught
PDF page 2
An explanation page: the material taught in prose, in the order the exam tests it.
How it's taught
PDF page 18
An explanation page: the material taught in prose, in the order the exam tests it.
How it's taught
PDF page 23
An explanation page: the material taught in prose, in the order the exam tests it.

About the exam itself

Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test — Exam facts
Administering body	Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) standards; tests given by each state's driver licensing agency Source: eCFR — 49 CFR Part 383, Subpart H (§ 383.133 Test methods; § 383.135 Passing knowledge and skills tests), current as displayed
Questions	Set by each state. The federal rule says each test must contain a set number of questions with a prescribed number from each knowledge area, but it fixes no number itself; check your state's CDL manual. What we read and found nothing in: eCFR — 49 CFR Part 383, Subpart H (§ 383.133 Test methods; § 383.135 Passing knowledge and skills tests), current as displayed
Time limit	The federal rules set no time limit for the knowledge test; any limit is set by the state. What we read and found nothing in: eCFR — 49 CFR Part 383, Subpart H (§ 383.133 Test methods; § 383.135 Passing knowledge and skills tests), current as displayed
Passing score	80% Source: eCFR — 49 CFR Part 383, Subpart H (§ 383.133 Test methods; § 383.135 Passing knowledge and skills tests), current as displayed
Fees	Set by each state's driver licensing agency; the federal rules charge no test fee. What we read and found nothing in: eCFR — 49 CFR Part 383, Subpart H (§ 383.133 Test methods; § 383.135 Passing knowledge and skills tests), current as displayed
Languages offered	49 CFR 383.133(b)(3) lets a state give the knowledge test in a foreign language, provided no interpreter is used; which languages are offered is the state's choice. The skills test must be conducted in English. What we read and found nothing in: eCFR — 49 CFR Part 383, Subpart H (§ 383.133 Test methods; § 383.135 Passing knowledge and skills tests), current as displayed

Exam facts, with a source for every line

Questions buyers ask

What is the cheapest way to prepare for the CDL General Knowledge exam?: Start with what costs nothing: 120 practice questions on PrepPass, with explanations and no signup. If you want it taught in one file you keep, the full study guide is $9.99 once; the printable cram sheet for the last days is $9.99. No subscription on any of them.
Who administers the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test?: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) standards; tests given by each state's driver licensing agency. States must build their knowledge tests from FMCSA's pre-approved question pool, and must give a different version when an applicant retakes a failed test.
How many questions are on the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test?: Set by each state. The federal rule says each test must contain a set number of questions with a prescribed number from each knowledge area, but it fixes no number itself; check your state's CDL manual.
How long is the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test?: The federal rules set no time limit for the knowledge test; any limit is set by the state.
What is the passing score for the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test?: 80%. 49 CFR 383.135(a)(1): an applicant must correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions on each knowledge test.
How much does the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test cost?: Set by each state's driver licensing agency; the federal rules charge no test fee.
What languages is the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test offered in?: 49 CFR 383.133(b)(3) lets a state give the knowledge test in a foreign language, provided no interpreter is used; which languages are offered is the state's choice. The skills test must be conducted in English.
Does the CDL General Knowledge cram sheet come as a PDF?: Yes — CDL General Knowledge — Cram Sheet (2026) downloads as PDF, 35 pages. The download link is emailed the moment payment clears and does not expire.
How much does the CDL General Knowledge cram sheet cost?: $9.99, once. There is no subscription and no account to create; the PDF file is yours to keep.
Are there free CDL General Knowledge practice questions?: Yes — 120 of them, free to use with no signup and an explanation on every one. They are separate from this cram sheet, which is what you are buying here.
What is the difference between the CDL General Knowledge study guide and the cram sheet?: The study guide ($9.99) teaches the material chapter by chapter and is meant to be read over weeks. The cram sheet ($9.99, 35 pages) drops the teaching and keeps the figures: every number on the exam grouped by value so the confusable ones sit together, each reference page paired with a recall page that blanks the answers, and four routes by days left — 14, 7, 3, or tonight. They are separate purchases; neither replaces the other.
Is this the official CDL General Knowledge cram sheet?: No. This is an independent cram sheet and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the exam's awarding body. It is written from FMCSA regulations (49 CFR 383/392/393/395/396) / AAMVA model CDL manual. Always confirm current requirements with the body that issues your licence.

Free CDL General Knowledge practice questions and study chapters →

What's included — and what isn't

Included

Every figure pooled by value — the exam's own confusable sets side by side, each inside the clause that makes it right
A RECALL twin of every REFERENCE sheet: same rules, same positions, figures blanked — print double-sided, cover, write, flip
A concept self-test for the rules with no figure to blank
Four routes through the same pages: 14 days, 7 days, 3 days, tonight
A fold-out exam-morning card of the figures two or more rules share
Every rule id links to the free chapter that teaches it

Not included

No printed copy is shipped — this is a file you download and can print yourself
No video course, instructor or tutoring comes with the book — the free videos on the site are separate
Not your exam registration or the testing centre's fee, which you still pay to the official body

Before you buy

How do I get it?: Pay, and the download appears on this page straight away. The links are also emailed to you. No account is required.
What if it isn't for me?: Email us within 14 days for a full refund, no questions asked.
Is the free practice going away?: No. Every practice question, the timed mock and the free chapters on this site stay free. This packet is the exam's figures arranged for recall, not a gate around the free half.
Can I read it on my phone?: Yes — it is a PDF, which opens on phones, tablets and computers and prints cleanly. There is no EPUB edition of this one.

Full refund policy

The details

Every figure the CDL General Knowledge exam turns on, pooled by value on reference sheets with a recall twin — and four routes through them: 14 days, 7, 3, or tonight.

PrepPass team · Verified against FMCSA regulations (49 CFR 383/392/393/395/396) / AAMVA model CDL manual · How we review

Format: PDF download · 35 pages
120 free practice questions for this exam on PrepPass, included at no cost
$9.99 one-time — no subscription
14-day money-back guarantee · refund policy
Cross-referenced against: FMCSA regulations (49 CFR 383/392/393/395/396) / AAMVA model CDL manual
Last updated: September 2026

Verified from the official source(FMCSA regulations (49 CFR 383/392/393/395/396) / AAMVA model CDL manual)
120 free practice questions
Instant download, yours for life

What the cram packet is for

The practice questions and timed mock stay free. This $9.99 packet is not a shorter study guide: it drops the teaching and keeps the exam's figures, set out for the last days before the exam.

Reference pages of the exam's figures, each paired with a recall page that blanks them — print double-sided, cover, write, flip
Four routes through the same pages, by days left: 14, 7, 3, or tonight
Print-ready PDF — made to be printed and written on
Yours for life — one-time $9.99, instant download, no subscription

And it's risk-free: 14-day money-back guarantee — not satisfied? Email us for a full refund, no questions asked. See the refund policy.

Get the PDF — $9.99 ↑

14-day money-back guarantee · full refund, no questions asked.

One-time purchase, lifetime access to the download. The download is a single PDF. Educational summary, not professional or legal advice — always confirm the current rules with the official source. Last updated: September 2026.