New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
New York CDL practice tests
How New York 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 York 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 York
New York in particular
New York keeps CDL knowledge testing strictly in house at DMV offices rather than allowing any third party administration, a stricter stance on the written portion than several neighboring states take.
The written exams themselves are federal
New York 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
New York requires a commercial learner permit holder to wait at least 14 days after the permit is issued before the DMV will schedule a CDL road test appointment.
NY DMV - Get a Commercial Driver License (CDL), checked Aug 28, 2026Fees
New York charges a $10 application fee that covers all CDL knowledge tests taken at one visit, plus a separate $40 road test fee, while the CDL license fee itself varies by the class and expiration date of the applicant's current license.
NY DMV - Get a Commercial Driver License (CDL), checked Aug 28, 2026Where you test
CDL knowledge tests in New York are only offered at DMV offices, not through third party testers, and the road test is booked separately through the DMV's own road test scheduling system.
NY DMV - Get a Commercial Driver License (CDL), checked Aug 28, 2026New York CDL written exams, in the federal format.
145 cited questions, free, with nothing to sign up for. The permit rules above are New York's. The knowledge is 49 CFR Part 383.