Michigan CDL practice test
Published Updated Licensing sources checked:
How do I prepare for the Michigan CDL knowledge test?
If you are preparing for your first permit, start with general knowledge and the official Michigan instructions below. If your vehicle needs air brakes or combination vehicles, add those federal study sets; for hazardous materials, use the separate hazmat set. Compare the state’s published test rules with its current manual before you test. These practice sets teach federal topics and do not copy the state exam.
This page is study material. It is not the Michigan state exam, and it does not copy state test questions. Check the official Michigan pages below before you test.
| Your situation | Start with… |
|---|---|
| A quick first try | Take a 10-question warm-up |
| Ready for a longer attempt | Take the 50-question general knowledge exam |
| Need state rules or documents | Check the Michigan application steps |
Michigan commercial driver manual (PDF) — link checked . Study its rules alongside our federal-standard bank. Our 50-question exam length is a study setting; use the official counts below for Michigan.
Michigan SOS prints knowledge-test question counts and an 80 percent passing score. The application page and manual checked November 8, 2026 disagree on whether the Group A count includes the combination test. The table preserves the published counts without calculating a combined total. Our federal study sessions do not simulate Michigan’s test format.
Which tests do I need in Michigan?
| Your vehicle or work | Required study and tests |
|---|---|
| All permit applicants | Start with general knowledge. Official requirements. Federal warm-up · Federal exam mode |
| Class A combination vehicle | Add combination vehicles. Official requirements. Federal warm-up · Federal exam mode |
| Vehicle with air brakes | Add air brakes and check restriction rules. Official requirements. Federal warm-up · Federal exam mode |
| Passenger vehicle | Add the passenger endorsement tests. Official requirements. Federal warm-up · Federal exam mode |
| School bus | Add school bus testing and check passenger endorsement requirements. Official requirements. Federal warm-up · Federal exam mode |
| Tank vehicle | Add the tank vehicle knowledge test. Official requirements. Federal warm-up · Federal exam mode |
| Hazardous materials | Add the hazmat knowledge test and check approval and training steps. Official requirements. Federal warm-up · Federal exam mode |
| Doubles or triples | Add the doubles and triples knowledge test; check state vehicle limits. Official requirements. Federal warm-up · Federal exam mode |
Michigan’s application page and manual use conflicting Group A combination-test wording. Confirm it with SOS; do not treat the federal practice session length as a state count.
Before booking the exam, check Michigan CDL application steps and official fee lines.
| Test | Questions | To pass | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | 70 questions; see source discrepancy below | 80 percent | State sourceState source |
| Group B and Group C | 50 questions on each test | 80 percent | State sourceState source |
| Air brakes | 25 questions | 80 percent | State sourceState source |
| Passenger (P) | 20 questions | 80 percent | State sourceState source |
| Tank (N) | 20 questions | 80 percent | State sourceState source |
| School bus (S) | 20 questions | 80 percent | State sourceState source |
| Hazardous materials (H) | 30 questions | 80 percent | State sourceState source |
| Double trailer (T) | 20 questions | 80 percent | State sourceState source |
Michigan language, permit and booking notes — checked 2026-11-08
The SOS application page lists 70 questions for Group A plus a 20-question combination test. The manual’s CDL Tests chart instead says 70 includes the 20-question combination test. Ask SOS which wording applies before booking; this page does not derive a total. Official sourceOfficial source — checked .
The application page says testing uses computer stations and allows only one test per day in each testing category. Official source — checked .
The application page says first-time hazardous-materials applicants must finish the hazmat portion of entry-level driver training before the written knowledge test. Official source — checked .
For unknown figures, check with the Michigan licensing agency. A blank count is not an estimate.
Federal study sets, not the Michigan exam
Use general knowledge, air brakes, combination vehicles, and hazmat to study the federal topics. Finishing one of those sets does not mean you passed the Michigan test.