South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV)
South Carolina CDL practice tests
How South 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 South 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 South Carolina
South Carolina in particular
South Carolina requires FMCSA-approved entry-level driver training to be finished between the knowledge test and the skills test, and it hands the actual skills testing over to SCDMV-authorized private Third-Party Examiners statewide.
The written exams themselves are federal
South 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 commercial learner's permit must be held for at least 14 calendar days before the skills test can be taken, and the permit carries a one-year expiration date.
SCDMV, Getting Your First CDL, checked Aug 28, 2026Fees
First-time CDL applicants pay a $15 application fee, $2 per knowledge test, $2.50 for the commercial learner's permit, and $25 for an eight-year license.
SCDMV, Getting Your First CDL, checked Aug 28, 2026Where you test
Knowledge tests can be taken at any SCDMV branch, while the three-part skills test is given by SCDMV-approved Third-Party Examiners rather than SCDMV staff.
SCDMV, CDL Testing, checked Aug 28, 2026South Carolina CDL written exams, in the federal format.
145 cited questions, free, with nothing to sign up for. The permit rules above are South Carolina's. The knowledge is 49 CFR Part 383.