Tennessee CDL practice test
Published Updated Licensing sources checked:
How do I prepare for the Tennessee CDL knowledge test?
If you are preparing for your first permit, start with general knowledge and the official Tennessee 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 Tennessee state exam, and it does not copy state test questions. Check the official Tennessee 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 Tennessee application steps |
Tennessee commercial driver manual (PDF) — access attempted; full download not verified . Study its rules alongside our federal-standard bank. Our 50-question exam length is a study setting; use the official counts below for Tennessee.
Tennessee’s CDL page checked November 9, 2026 lists general knowledge, vehicle-specific exams and endorsement tests. It does not print question counts or a knowledge-test passing score. The linked manual download returned access denied, so its full contents could not be verified. Those figures stay unknown here; this does not mean the department never publishes them.
Which tests do I need in Tennessee?
| 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 | Study combination vehicles and check class requirements. Official requirements. Federal warm-up · Federal exam mode |
| Vehicle with air brakes | Study 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 | Study school bus and passenger topics; check state testing 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 | Study doubles and triples and check endorsement requirements. Official requirements. Federal warm-up · Federal exam mode |
Confirm current test details with Driver Services. The manual download was inaccessible on this check; request a current copy from a Driver Services Center.
Before booking the exam, check Tennessee CDL application steps and official fee lines.
| Test | Questions | To pass | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| General knowledge | Not printed on the pages checked | Not printed on the pages checked | State source |
| Combination vehicles, for Class A | Not printed on the pages checked | Not printed on the pages checked | State source |
| Air brakes, if applicable | Not printed on the pages checked | Not printed on the pages checked | State source |
| Passenger | Not printed on the pages checked | Not printed on the pages checked | State source |
| Tank vehicle | Not printed on the pages checked | Not printed on the pages checked | State source |
| School bus | Not printed on the pages checked | Not printed on the pages checked | State source |
| Hazardous materials | Not printed on the pages checked | Not printed on the pages checked | State source |
| Doubles and triples | Not printed on the pages checked | Not printed on the pages checked | State source |
Tennessee language, permit and booking notes — checked 2026-11-09
Take general knowledge and the other necessary permit knowledge exams at a Full-Service Driver Services Center. Official source — checked .
The department lists knowledge and skills tests for passenger and school bus endorsements, and knowledge tests for tank vehicle, hazardous materials and doubles/triples endorsements. Official source — checked .
Hard copies of the CDL manual are available at Driver Services Centers. The page says certified third-party skills testing organizations may charge additional fees; it does not print a knowledge-test fee. Official source — checked .
For unknown figures, check with the Tennessee licensing agency. A blank count is not an estimate.
Federal study sets, not the Tennessee 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 Tennessee test.
Sources
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security: CDL application and testing — checked
- Tennessee commercial driver manual (PDF) — checked . The linked manual returned HTTP 403 access denied; full handbook contents were not verified.