Free West Virginia CDL Permit Practice Test: General Knowledge 2025

Welcome to our West Virginia General Knowledge test! This free West Virginia CDL permit practice test and others like it will help you prepare to pass the official General Knowledge written test. The practice test is based on the official West Virginia Commercial Driver’s Manual and up to date as of March, 2025, just like the official knowledge test. But unlike the official test, each of the 50 practice questions comes with a helpful hint and an explanation of the correct answer. This practice test contains questions on such topics as special road conditions, transporting cargo, shifting, braking, and emergency preparedness. Passing the official test (with a score of at least 80%) is just one of a series of requirements you must meet to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).

There are three classes of CDLs. A Class A CDL allows you to operate combination vehicles with a Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) of 26,001 pounds or more in which the towed vehicle weighs more than 10,000 pounds. To drive semi-trucks or tractor-trailers, this is the class of CDL you want. A Class B CDL allows you to operate a single vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more, or to tow a vehicle that does not exceed 10,000 pounds. This license is suitable for buses and straight trucks, including most dump trucks. A Class C CDL allows you to operate relatively smaller vehicles designed to transport hazardous materials or 16 or more occupants (including the driver). Decide which class of CDL you want to apply for, based on the types of vehicles you expect to be driving in your career.

Pass the official General Knowledge written test and submit to a medical examination to certify that you’re physically fit to operate commercial vehicles. Then you may apply for a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP), which will allow you to practice commercial driving under supervision.

A word about driving in West Virginia: West Virginia’s mountainous terrain can be challenging to drive in, especially during the winter. Mountain roads, even major roads like US-60 (the Midland Trail), typically have steep grades and hairpin curves (switchbacks) to follow the natural topography of the mountains. And mountain roads can be foggy. But if you study hard and practice intensively, it won’t be long before you’ll be traveling safely on those roads as a new commercial driver!

Test-taking tip: If “All of the above” is one of the answer choices, you can eliminate it if you can find any other answer choice that’s a wrong answer. Having eliminated two answer choices at once, you can now choose only between the remaining answer choices.