Free Michigan CDL Permit Practice Test
10 real General Knowledge questions from the same bank our students use. No account, no email needed. You see the correct answer after each question, and your score at the end.
Take the Michigan CDL Permit test
General Knowledge is the test every CDL applicant sits, whatever class they are after. Passing it earns the commercial learner's permit, so nothing else in the process starts until this one is done.
- 10 questions, from the 81-question General Knowledge bank, one for each key manual topic
- Practice mode: the correct answer and manual reference show after each question
- 80% is a pass, the same standard as the real Michigan CDL knowledge test
Takes about 3 minutes. Keyboard: A to D to answer, Enter for next.
At the end you get your score, the correct answer for anything you missed, and the CDL manual section to go back to. No account needed, and you can retake it as often as you like.
Already included in Michigan Class C with Passenger CDL Study Material and Michigan Class B CDL Study Material. On its own it is Michigan CDL General Knowledge Study Material. Not sure what you need? The CDL Selector works it out from a few questions.
About the Michigan CDL permit test
The permit test is the General Knowledge test: one written exam, two names. It is the exam every CDL applicant sits, whatever class of license they are working toward. The questions come from the Michigan CDL manual, they are multiple choice, and you need 80% to pass. Michigan Department of State gives the test, and passing it is what earns your commercial learner's permit, the permit you hold before taking the skills test in a truck.
What it covers
Our 10 free questions and the full 81-question General Knowledge bank are drawn from these manual sections:
- Vehicle Inspection
- Basic Control of Your Vehicle
- Shifting Gears
- Seeing
- Communicating
- Controlling Speed
- Managing Space
- Seeing Hazards
Endorsements such as HazMat, Tank, Passenger and School Bus are separate written tests on top of this one. See which Michigan CDL endorsements you need before you book anything, because the endorsement you are missing decides which tests you sit.
What Michigan requires
- You must hold your CLP and practice under the supervision of a CDL holder for at least 14 days before the skills test.
- Knowledge tests are taken at a Secretary of State office; fail one and you wait one day before each retake.
- You can get a CLP before finishing Entry-Level Driver Training, but ELDT must be complete before the skills test, and before the HazMat knowledge test.
- After passing the skills test you return to a Secretary of State office to pay the endorsement fee and the $9 correction; the corrected CDL is mailed to you.
- A passed skills test is valid for one year; apply for the CDL within that year or all tests must be retaken.
Checked against Michigan Department of State on September 16, 2026. Rules change, so confirm anything that affects your booking before you travel.
Try another free CDL practice test
Each one is a different knowledge test, with real questions from the same bank our students use. No account and no email needed for any of them.
- Free Air Brakes practice test 7 questions
- Free Combination Vehicles practice test 8 questions
- Free HazMat practice test 6 questions
- Free Tanker practice test 6 questions
- Free Passenger practice test 6 questions
- Free School Bus practice test 8 questions
- Free Doubles & Triples practice test 6 questions
Where to go next
Work out which license class you need, then study the test that goes with it:
- Michigan CDL classes: what Class A, B and C each let you drive.
- Michigan CDL endorsements: H, N, P, S, T and X, and who needs each.
- What CDL do I need, by vehicle: the class and the tests for a dump truck, box truck, school bus, tanker and more.
- Michigan CDL study material: the full study guides, practice tests and narrated audio.
Other free CDL practice tests
Each CDL knowledge test is a separate exam, and every one of them has a free practice test here:
- Free Air Brakes CDL Practice Testa restriction removal, not an endorsement
- Free Combination Vehicles CDL Practice Testa core Class A test
- Free HazMat CDL Practice Testthe H endorsement
- Free Tanker CDL Practice Testthe N endorsement
- Free Passenger CDL Practice Testthe P endorsement
- Free School Bus CDL Practice Testthe S endorsement
- Free Doubles & Triples CDL Practice Testthe T endorsement
See all eight free CDL practice tests →
Common questions
Is the Michigan CDL permit test the same as the knowledge test?
Yes. They are the same written exam. It is the General Knowledge test, and passing it is what earns your commercial learner's permit (CLP), so people call it the permit test. A CDL permit practice exam, pretest or mock test all mean practice questions for this same test.
What score do I need to pass the Michigan CDL knowledge test?
You need 80% to pass. Miss more than that and you retake the test, so the goal while studying is to be comfortably above 80%, not just at it.
Where do I take the Michigan CDL knowledge test?
At Michigan Department of State. Passing the General Knowledge test is what earns your commercial learner's permit, which you hold before the skills test.
Is this free test the real Michigan CDL exam?
No. These are 10 real questions from the same General Knowledge bank our paid study material uses, so the style and difficulty match what you are studying for. The official exam is given only by Michigan Department of State.