Ohio CDL practice tests
Ohio routes CDL licensing through its network of privately run deputy registrar agencies rather than state offices alone, so a driver has to buy the skills test receipt from a deputy registrar before the test can even be scheduled at a state or third party site.
The written exams themselves are federal. Ohio 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 Ohio commercial learner's permit is valid for 12 months, and a holder must wait at least 14 days after it is issued before taking the CDL skills test.
Ohio BMV - Driver License & ID Cards (CDL Classes), checked 2026-08-28
Where you test
An Ohio CDL skills test can be taken either at a state run highway patrol CDL examination station or at an approved third party testing facility, but the test receipt must first be purchased from a deputy registrar license agency.
Ohio BMV - Driver License & ID Cards (CDL Classes), checked 2026-08-28
Every knowledge area
General Knowledge
Required of every applicant: inspection, control, space and speed management, hazard perception, emergencies and hours of service.
Air Brakes
Fail this and an L restriction bars you from any vehicle with air brakes, which is most of them.
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.