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Kentucky CDL practice test

Getting a commercial driver's licence in Kentucky starts with the CDL knowledge tests. The content is federal: every state, Kentucky included, writes its tests from the FMCSA CDL manual, so the general knowledge test has 50 questions, the endorsement tests have 20 to 30, and the passing score is 80% on each. The Kentucky driver licensing agency administers the test; the rules behind it are published by the FMCSA. Try the free Kentucky CDL practice questions below, then pick a full test.

Free Kentucky CDL practice questions

Five questions from the general knowledge, air brakes and combination vehicles banks, the three tests most Kentucky Class A applicants take first. Show the answer to read the explanation.

  1. Another driver is behaving aggressively toward you. You should:

    • Speed up to get in front of them
    • Avoid eye contact, do not challenge the driver, and give them plenty of room
    • Make gestures so they know you are annoyed
    • Brake suddenly to make them back off
    Show answer
    Answer: B. Avoid eye contact, do not challenge the driver, and give them plenty of room

    Do not take the bait. Ignore gestures, keep away from the other vehicle, and if you feel threatened, call the authorities from a safe place. Reacting makes the situation worse.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 2.10.3 (What You Should Do When Confronted by an Aggressive Driver)

  2. With low-beam headlights you can see about how far ahead?

    • About 50 feet
    • About 500 feet
    • About 250 feet
    • About 1,000 feet
    Show answer
    Answer: C. About 250 feet

    Low beams light up roughly 250 feet of road, and high beams about 350 to 500 feet. Keep your speed low enough that you can stop within the distance your lights show you.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 2.11.3 (Headlights)

  3. When must you dim your high beams?

    • Only when a police car is behind you
    • Within 100 feet of an oncoming vehicle
    • Only in rain or fog
    • Within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, or when following another vehicle within 500 feet
    Show answer
    Answer: D. Within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, or when following another vehicle within 500 feet

    High beams are useful on open roads, but they blind other drivers. Dim them when you are within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or following one within 500 feet.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 2.11.3 (Headlights)

  4. To avoid being blinded by oncoming headlights at night, you should:

    • Look slightly to the right, at a lane line or the edge of the road
    • Stare straight at the oncoming lights so your eyes adjust
    • Close one eye until the car passes
    • Turn on your high beams so the other driver dims theirs
    Show answer
    Answer: A. Look slightly to the right, at a lane line or the edge of the road

    Looking directly at bright lights leaves your eyes needing seconds to recover. Looking toward the right edge of the road keeps you aware of your lane while the glare passes.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 2.11.3 (Glare)

  5. Dirty headlights may give only about how much of the light they should?

    • About 90 percent
    • About half
    • About one-tenth
    • The same amount, dirt does not affect the beam
    Show answer
    Answer: B. About half

    Dirt on the lenses cuts the light reaching the road by as much as half. Clean headlights, windshield, and mirrors before driving at night.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 2.11.4 (Vehicle Factors: Headlights)

Every CDL test for Kentucky drivers

Each page has ten free sample questions, the real question count, the 80% pass mark and what the test covers.

How the Kentucky CDL knowledge test works

You take the general knowledge test first; it is required for every CDL class. Class A drivers add the combination vehicles test. Almost everyone takes the air brakes test, because skipping it puts an air brake restriction on the licence. Endorsements (hazmat, tanker, doubles/triples, passenger, school bus) each have their own knowledge test. Pass the tests and you hold a commercial learner's permit; the skills test in a truck comes later.

Fees, appointment rules and test centre locations are set by Kentucky and change over time, so check the state driver licensing agency before you go. What does not change is the content, and that is what PassRig drills.

Kentucky CDL test questions

How many questions are on the Kentucky CDL test?

The Kentucky CDL general knowledge test follows the federal model: 50 questions, 40 correct to pass. Endorsement tests are shorter: air brakes 25, hazmat 30, and combination vehicles, tanker, doubles/triples, passenger and school bus 20 each.

What is the passing score on the Kentucky CDL permit test?

80% on every knowledge test, the same pass mark used across the United States.

Where do I take the CDL knowledge test in Kentucky?

At the Kentucky state driver licensing agency (the DMV, DOT or equivalent). Check its website for locations, appointments and current fees; the test content itself comes from the FMCSA CDL manual.

Does PassRig have Kentucky CDL practice questions?

Yes. Pick Kentucky in the app and you get practice sets and mock exams built from the knowledge test content your state uses, with the real counts and the 80% line.

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