Free Maryland CDL Permit Practice Test: General Knowledge 2025

There’s much to see and savor in the great state of Maryland. Take in the vistas of the Chesapeake Bay area and drive the Maryland Scenic Byways. There are many economic opportunities as well.

Maryland’s households are currently the wealthiest in the country, and the state’s poverty rate is the lowest in the country. The state’s economy benefits from federal government services and defense contracting because of its proximity to Washington, DC. However, nearly half of Baltimore’s residents lack access to a car and depend on public transportation. The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) operates 80 bus lines in the Baltimore metropolitan area.

To become a commercial driver, you must obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
There are three classes of CDLs, each designed for different types of commercial vehicles: Class A (generally for semi-trucks and tractor-trailers), Class B (generally for box trucks, dump trucks, and full-size buses), and Class C (for relatively smaller vehicles designed to carry hazardous materials or at least 16 occupants, including the driver).

Regardless of which class of CDL you plan to obtain, your first technical challenge is to pass the official General Knowledge test. This written test will evaluate your knowledge of general commercial driving theory. Once you have done so and met some other requirements, you can obtain a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP), which will allow you to practice commercial driving under supervision.

The official Maryland Commercial Driver License Manual contains all the information that is covered by the General Knowledge test. However, it’s designed as a reference work, not as a tutorial or textbook. You should read it, but you should also supplement your reading with better study tools.

This free Maryland CDL permit practice test is up to date as of March, 2025 and is designed to resemble the official written knowledge test in both content and structure. The 50 practice questions address such topics as cargo management, following distance, stopping distance, vehicle components, and driving under special conditions. Unlike the official test, however, you’re not under pressure to pass, and each question has both an available hint to gently lead you to the correct answer and an explanation of the correct answer. Once you’ve scored well enough on these practice tests, you can consider yourself ready to take the official knowledge test.

Test-taking tip: Be alert for keywords that either exaggerate or negate the sense of the question, such as “always,” “avoid,” “except”, “never,” or “not.” If the question says “not,” then can you find an answer choice that the driver should NOT do? Good luck!