Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles
Alaska CDL practice tests
How Alaska handles the commercial learner permit, the fees and the skills test.
- General Knowledge24 questions, required of every applicant
- Air Brakes20 questions, skip it and an L restriction applies
- Combination Vehicles18 questions, needed for Class A
- Hazardous Materials20 questions, endorsement H
- Tank Vehicles16 questions, endorsement N
Every knowledge area
The 145 questions are the same in every state. Start with general knowledge, then sit the areas Alaska will write onto the permit.
General Knowledge
Required of every applicant: inspection, control, space and speed management, hazard perception, emergencies and hours of service.
Air Brakes
Air brake knowledge and vehicle checks for applicants who may drive vehicles with air brakes.
Combination Vehicles
Coupling, the fifth wheel, off tracking and trailer swing. Needed for Class A.
Hazardous Materials
Placards, shipping papers, segregation and the security threat assessment.
Tank Vehicles
Liquid surge, baffles, outage and why a tanker rolls over so readily.
Doubles and Triples
Rearward amplification, converter dollies and coupling a second or third trailer.
Passenger Transport
Bus inspection, standee lines, passenger supervision and railroad crossings.
School Bus
Danger zones, loading and unloading, student crossing and evacuation.
What is different in Alaska
Alaska in particular
Alaska builds its CDL process around the state's geography: drivers moving to Alaska must get an Alaska CDL within 30 days of establishing residency, while residents who live off the road system get separate rural accommodations rather than being required to travel to a road-connected DMV office.
The written exams themselves are federal
Alaska decides the permit rules, the fees and who runs the skills test, but the knowledge you are tested on comes from 49 CFR Part 383 and is the same in every state, which is why the 145 questions here work wherever you apply.
What changes in this state
Commercial learner permit
Alaska requires a commercial learner's permit to be held at least 14 days before the road skills test, and applicants have 180 days from issuance to complete that test, with one possible extension.
Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, checked Aug 28, 2026Fees
The commercial learner's permit costs $15, the road skills test costs $25, and the commercial driver license itself costs $100, or $120 for a REAL ID compliant version.
Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, checked Aug 28, 2026Where you test
Knowledge testing is completed at a local DMV office, and all testing and materials must go through that local office unless the applicant lives in rural Alaska.
Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, checked Aug 28, 2026Alaska CDL written exams, in the federal format.
145 cited questions, free, with nothing to sign up for. The permit rules above are Alaska's. The knowledge is 49 CFR Part 383.