New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division (MVD)
New Mexico CDL practice tests
How New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico
New Mexico in particular
New Mexico hands the entire CDL skills test off to MVD authorized third party examiners instead of testing applicants in house, so passing the road portion depends on booking with one of those private examiners rather than with MVD staff.
The written exams themselves are federal
New Mexico 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 New Mexico Commercial Learner's Permit is good for one year, and a first time holder must wait at least 14 days after it is issued before taking the CDL skills test with an MVD authorized third party examiner.
New Mexico MVD - Commercial Driver License requirements, checked Aug 28, 2026Fees
A New Mexico CDL costs $18 for a four year license or $34 for an eight year license.
New Mexico MVD - What is the fee for a commercial driver's license?, checked Aug 28, 2026Where you test
CDL knowledge tests are given by appointment at MVD field offices that have testing facilities, since not every MVD office handles CDL business, while the skills test is run by a third party examiner authorized by MVD rather than by MVD staff.
New Mexico MVD - Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDL), checked Aug 28, 2026New Mexico CDL written exams, in the federal format.
145 cited questions, free, with nothing to sign up for. The permit rules above are New Mexico's. The knowledge is 49 CFR Part 383.