Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Delaware CDL practice tests
How Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Delaware
Delaware in particular
Delaware closes its road test calendar for an entire weekday, running CDL skills tests every weekday except Wednesday rather than keeping appointments open across the full working week like most of its neighbors.
The written exams themselves are federal
Delaware 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
A Delaware CDL learner's permit is valid for up to one year from its issue date and cannot be extended beyond that year, and the holder must wait a minimum of 14 days after issuance before a skills test appointment can be scheduled.
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, checked Aug 28, 2026Fees
$5 fee due upon issuance of the commercial learner's permit
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, checked Aug 28, 2026Where you test
Knowledge tests are walk-in only at any of the Division's four offices, in Wilmington, Delaware City, Dover and Georgetown, while road skills tests are by appointment only and are not offered on Wednesdays.
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, checked Aug 28, 2026Delaware CDL written exams, in the federal format.
145 cited questions, free, with nothing to sign up for. The permit rules above are Delaware's. The knowledge is 49 CFR Part 383.