Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services
Arkansas CDL practice tests
How Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas
Arkansas in particular
Arkansas splits its testing footprint unevenly: the knowledge test is available at every State Police troop site statewide, but the skills test is concentrated at just six troop locations, so applicants outside those areas either travel further or rely on a certified third party examiner instead.
The written exams themselves are federal
Arkansas 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
An Arkansas commercial learner's permit carries no fee, must be held at least 14 days before the skills test, and is issued for six months with one renewal allowed, for up to one year total.
Arkansas State Police, checked Aug 28, 2026Fees
A commercial driver license costs $50 and is now valid for five years, up from a $40 four-year fee before Act 753 took effect on January 1, 2022.
Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, checked Aug 28, 2026Where you test
The CDL knowledge test is offered at every Arkansas State Police troop testing site, while the skills test is given at only six troop locations or by a certified third party examiner.
Arkansas Department of Public Safety, Arkansas State Police, checked Aug 28, 2026Arkansas CDL written exams, in the federal format.
145 cited questions, free, with nothing to sign up for. The permit rules above are Arkansas's. The knowledge is 49 CFR Part 383.