Free WA CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Exam 2025

If you need to practice commercial driving before you take your skills test, you must first obtain a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) and hold it for at least 14 days. Your CLP will allow you to practice operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) while supervised by a person with a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). The requirements for a CLP include passing a set of official knowledge tests for the class and the type of vehicles you plan to drive. However, regardless of the vehicles, all applicants for a CLP must pass the General Knowledge test, which covers general commercial driving theory.

The official General Knowledge test covers many topics, including pre-trip inspections. Federal regulation 49 CFR § 392.7 lists the most critical items to inspect. You must be sure that all these systems are in good working order before you drive the vehicle: brakes, coupling devices (if so equipped), emergency equipment, horn, lights and reflectors, mirrors, steering, tires, wheels and rims, and windshield wipers.

All questions on the General Knowledge test are based on the official Washington CDL manual (Washington CDL Handbook 2025). To prepare for this test, you should start by studying this CDL manual. But don’t be satisfied with that alone. There’s a large amount of complex information to absorb and memorize. And we can help.

This Washington CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Test, the first of several we offer, will help you master the material on pre-trip inspections. Like the official General Knowledge test, this practice test is multiple choice. Each question comes with several answer options. You must choose the best or most complete answer. Our AI assistant can help you with any practice question. It can rephrase the question, supply a hint, or answer your own questions about commercial driving theory. If you still miss the question, the AI assistant will immediately tell you and provide an explanation of the correct answer.

Unlike the official General Knowledge test, this practice test isn’t timed. Take your time and learn as much as you can. If you want, keep a copy of the CDL manual open during the practice test and look up the answers to puzzling questions as you proceed.

Note: Washington has modernized the pre-trip testing part of the three-part skills test. The new steps are covered in the Washington Commercial Driver’s License Manual: Supplement for Modernized Version, which you can download from the DOL website. Follow these steps during your pre-trip skills test instead of the older steps in the CDL manual.

Please try our other Washington CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Tests, too!