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Massachusetts CDL practice test

Getting a commercial driver's licence in Massachusetts starts with the CDL knowledge tests. The content is federal: every state, Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts driver licensing agency administers the test; the rules behind it are published by the FMCSA. Try the free Massachusetts CDL practice questions below, then pick a full test.

Free Massachusetts CDL practice questions

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

  1. A 'passive' railroad crossing is one that:

    • Is closed to trucks
    • Has no traffic control device such as gates or flashing lights, so you must decide for yourself when it is safe to cross
    • Always has a crossing guard
    • Has gates that come down automatically
    Show answer
    Answer: B. Has no traffic control device such as gates or flashing lights, so you must decide for yourself when it is safe to cross

    At a passive crossing you have only signs and your own judgment. Slow down, look both ways, listen, and never assume that no train is coming.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 2.15.1 (Types of Crossings)

  2. Because of their large size, approaching trains appear to be moving:

    • Faster than they really are
    • At exactly their real speed
    • Slower than they really are, and they may be closer than they look
    • Away from you
    Show answer
    Answer: C. Slower than they really are, and they may be closer than they look

    A train's size fools your eyes into thinking it is far away and moving slowly. Never try to beat a train across the tracks.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 2.15.2 (Never Race a Train)

  3. Your vehicle stalls or hangs up on the railroad tracks. You should:

    • Stay in the cab and try restarting the engine until a train is in sight
    • Wait inside the vehicle for a tow truck
    • Push the vehicle off the tracks by hand
    • Get out immediately, move away from the tracks, and call the emergency number posted at the crossing or 911
    Show answer
    Answer: D. Get out immediately, move away from the tracks, and call the emergency number posted at the crossing or 911

    A train cannot stop in time. Leave the vehicle at once, walk toward the direction a train would come from but away from the tracks, and call the railroad's emergency number on the crossing sign so they can stop trains.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 2.15.2 (Stalled on the Tracks)

  4. A train has just passed through a crossing with more than one track. Before you cross, you should:

    • Wait and look again, because another train may be coming on a second track
    • Cross right away while the gates are still up
    • Follow the vehicle ahead closely so you are not left behind
    • Cross in neutral to save time
    Show answer
    Answer: A. Wait and look again, because another train may be coming on a second track

    Trains can run on any track in either direction. The passing train can hide a second one, so look both ways again before you start across.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 2.15.2 (Expect a Train on Any Track at Any Time)

  5. You should not start across railroad tracks unless:

    • A train has passed within the last five minutes
    • You are sure there is room on the far side for the whole vehicle, including the rear overhang, to clear the tracks
    • The vehicle ahead has started across
    • Your speed is high enough to beat the lights
    Show answer
    Answer: B. You are sure there is room on the far side for the whole vehicle, including the rear overhang, to clear the tracks

    Never stop on the tracks. Traffic on the other side can leave you stranded with the trailer across the rails, so be sure you can clear them completely before you enter.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 2.15.2 (Do Not Stop on the Tracks)

Every CDL test for Massachusetts drivers

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

How the Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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.

Massachusetts CDL test questions

How many questions are on the Massachusetts CDL test?

The Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?

At the Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts CDL practice questions?

Yes. Pick Massachusetts 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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