Free Pennsylvania CDL Permit Practice Test: General Knowledge 2025

For commercial driving in the great state of Pennsylvania, major interstate routes include Interstate 76, Interstate 80, Interstate 81, and Interstate 95. I-76 connects Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. I-80 runs from San Francisco, California through central Pennsylvania and from there to Teaneck, New Jersey. I-81 begins at Wellesley Island, New York at the Canadian border and forms the northern section of Harrisburg’s Capital Beltway. The highway ends at Dandridge, Tennessee. I-95 runs from Houlton, Maine (at the Canadian border) through Philadelphia (where it connects with I-76) and ends at Miami, Florida. Unfortunately, the section of I-95 in Pennsylvania is not up to modern interstate standards; some interchanges lack merge lanes, and there is an actual gap where you must leave the highway and drive a few blocks before reentering the highway. This highway is often heavily congested too.

Before you can start your career as a new commercial driver, you may have a long road ahead of you (pun intended). There are some requirements you must meet first. One of your first technical milestones is to pass the official General Knowledge test for a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP). This test will assess your grasp of commercial driving theory. You must have a CLP to practice supervised commercial driving. Only then will you be sufficiently proficient to pass the official skills test, in which you will show a driving examiner that you can operate a commercial vehicle competently and safely. That is required for you to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).

This free Pennsylvania CDL permit practice test is based on the official Pennsylvania Commercial Driver’s Manual (Pennsylvania CDL Handbook 2025), just like the official knowledge test. It’s up to date as of March, 2025. And it’s formatted like the official test, too. There are 50 multiple-choice questions on such topics as cargo management, driving on downgrades, stopping distance, and vehicle components. Unlike the official knowledge test, each question on this practice test comes with an available hint, courtesy of our automated assistant; use it if you get stuck. Each question also comes with an explanation of the correct answer. Read it carefully if you missed the question so you won’t make the same mistake again. What this practice test doesn’t have is a time limit. Take your time and learn as much as you can. If you miss a question, study the relevant sections of the CDL manual again.

Note: You may also need to pass other official commercial knowledge tests and skills tests, depending on the class of CDL you’re applying for and the types of vehicles you plan to operate in your career. We offer practice tests to help you pass any or all of these official knowledge tests. Check them out!