CDL General Knowledge (Mississippi)

First published: September 3, 2026Last verified: September 3, 2026Reviewed by the CertQuestUSA team

TL;DR

CDL General Knowledge (Mississippi): a 124-question practice bank for the real CDL Permit & Endorsement Exams standard, 2 full papers of 50 questions each with no repeats, every question citing the real regulation it comes from.

Where these questions come from

Every question in this bank cites a real source -- primarily FMCSA CDL Manual (77%) and 49 CFR (23%) of this exam's citations.

Not sure where you stand? Take the free diagnostic — 10 real questions across the exam's domains, no sign-up required, with a domain-by-domain breakdown at the end.

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2

full papers, no repeats

50

questions per paper

124

questions in the bank

What this exam covers

Accident Procedures & Fires6%
Alcohol & Other Drugs8%
Basic Control & Shifting10%
Emergency Maneuvers & Skid Control10%
Staying Alert, Fatigue & Hours of Service6%
Hazard Perception & Distracted/Aggressive Driving8%
Hazardous Materials Awareness (General Knowledge)2%
Mountain Driving4%
Night Driving & Extreme Conditions10%
Railroad-Highway Crossings4%
Seeing & Communicating8%
Speed & Space Management10%
Vehicle Inspection14%

Real Mississippi CDL requirements

The knowledge tested here is federal (FMCSA) and identical nationwide -- what varies by state is who administers it and under what terms. Researched directly from Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) — Driver Service Bureau's own site, verified 2026-09-03.

Administering agency

Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) — Driver Service Bureau

CLP (permit) fee

$16.00 (CDL Learner's Permit, 6-month term)

CDL license fee

$55.00 (5-year CDL license)

Minimum CLP hold before road test

14 days (federal minimum; reported by secondary CDL-school sources, not independently confirmed in readable text from the official manual due to file size)

CLP validity

6 months (180 days), per secondary sources; not independently confirmed from readable official text

Retake wait after a failed knowledge test

Reported by secondary test-prep sources as 1 business day after a 1st or 2nd knowledge-test failure, and a 30-day wait after a 3rd failure — NOT confirmed from an official MS DPS page or manual text

Spanish-language knowledge test

Unconfirmed

Conflicting and unverified. One secondary aggregator claims Mississippi offers the CDL General Knowledge test in Spanish (HazMat English-only); another secondary summary asserts the test is English-only. No explicit official statement was found on dps.ms.gov or driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov confirming either way, and no 2025/2026 change notice was found. Recommend direct confirmation via CDLServices@dps.ms.gov or 601-487-7028 before publishing.

Mississippi CDL classes per official DPS page: Class A (combination ≥26,001 lbs GVWR, towed unit >10,000 lbs); Class B (single vehicle ≥26,001 lbs GVWR or towing ≤10,000 lbs); Class C (vehicle designed for 16+ passengers including driver, or hazmat-placarded, not meeting A/B definitions).
Hazardous Materials endorsement fee is listed at $100.00 on the DPS fee schedule, notably high relative to many states.
Mississippi's own U.S. Senator co-sponsored a federal 'Commercial Motor Vehicle English Proficiency Act' — this is proposed federal legislation, not an enacted Mississippi state policy.

5 real sample questions

What is the most important reason for performing a pre-trip inspection before every trip?

A. To satisfy your dispatcher that the truck left on time

B. To find problems that could cause a crash or breakdown before they happen on the road

C. To reduce the number of miles logged for the day

D. To avoid having to fill out any paperwork later

Source: FMCSA CDL Manual §2.1.1

A roadside inspector determines that a commercial motor vehicle has a safety defect serious enough to be an immediate hazard. What is the inspector authorized to do under 49 CFR 396.9?

A. Issue a warning only, since only the motor carrier can pull a vehicle from service

B. Declare the vehicle "out of service" until the defect is corrected

C. Impound the vehicle permanently

D. Fine the driver but allow the vehicle to continue to the next scheduled stop

Source: 49 CFR 396.9

Under the federal tire tread depth standard, what is the minimum tread depth allowed in any major tread groove on a steering axle tire?

A. 1/32 inch

B. 2/32 inch

C. 4/32 inch

D. 6/32 inch

Source: 49 CFR 393.75

What is the minimum tread depth required on non-steering axle tires of a commercial motor vehicle?

A. 1/32 inch

B. 2/32 inch

C. 3/32 inch

D. 4/32 inch

Source: 49 CFR 393.75

Under 49 CFR 392.7, a driver may not operate a commercial motor vehicle unless satisfied that certain systems are in good working order. Which of the following is included in that pre-trip requirement?

A. The radio and cab air-conditioning system

B. Service brakes, trailer brake connections, parking brake, tires, lights, and mirrors

C. The cruise control set speed

D. The fuel economy displayed on the dashboard computer

Source: 49 CFR 392.7

Same exam, other states

AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on the CertQuestUSA CDL General Knowledge (Mississippi) practice test?

124 questions total, split into 2 full papers of 50 each with no repeats across papers.

What topics does the CDL General Knowledge (Mississippi) test cover?

13 domains, with the heaviest weight on Vehicle Inspection (14%), Basic Control & Shifting (10%), and Emergency Maneuvers & Skid Control (10%).

Where do CertQuestUSA's CDL General Knowledge (Mississippi) questions come from?

Primarily FMCSA CDL Manual (77%) and 49 CFR (23%) of this bank's citations -- computed directly from this exam's own question sources, not a generic description.

Is there a free diagnostic for CDL General Knowledge (Mississippi)?

Yes -- 10 real questions across the exam's domains, no sign-up required, with a domain-by-domain breakdown at the end.

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