North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV)
North Carolina CDL practice tests
How North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina
North Carolina in particular
North Carolina prices its CDL almost entirely as a per year charge collected at issuance rather than one flat multi year fee, with the license class and every individual endorsement each carrying its own separate annual rate.
The written exams themselves are federal
North Carolina 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 North Carolina commercial learner permit is valid for 180 days and is eligible for one renewal also valid for 180 days, and an applicant must hold the permit for at least 14 days before taking the CDL skills test.
NCDMV - Commercial Driver License, checked Aug 28, 2026Fees
North Carolina charges a $51.50 application fee for a Commercial Driver License, plus $25.50 a year for a Class A, B, or C CDL, and either $3.05 or $5.00 a year per endorsement depending on the endorsement.
NCDOT - 2024 DMV Quadrennial Fee Adjustment, checked Aug 28, 2026Where you test
The CDL knowledge test is taken at a driver license office, while the skills test must be scheduled separately by calling the DMV's dedicated commercial licensing line.
NCDMV - Commercial Driver License, checked Aug 28, 2026North Carolina CDL written exams, in the federal format.
145 cited questions, free, with nothing to sign up for. The permit rules above are North Carolina's. The knowledge is 49 CFR Part 383.