MA CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Test 2025

To obtain a Massachusetts Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP), you must pass the state CDL General Knowledge Exam. Failing the Knowledge Exam means delaying your CLP by at least one day, as you’ll have to reschedule and pay a retest fee. Your CLP will allow you to practice driving under supervision for 180 days with one allowable renewal. Then, to obtain a Massachusetts CDL, you must pass the federally mandated Pre-Trip Inspection Test (49 CFR § 392.7 and 49 CFR § 396.13). This test is one of three parts necessary to pass the Massachusetts’s CDL skills exam (the other two being the basic control skills test and the road test). Our Massachusetts Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Tests are your key to passing the General Knowledge Test.

The Massachusetts General Knowledge Exam and Systematic Pre-Trip Inspection Test (“Vehicle Check”) evaluate your ability to inspect engine components, brakes, suspension, and lights, among other items. During the pre-trip inspection test, you must point to and explain each part’s function, why it must be checked, and the condition it is in. Examiners must determine that you can properly ensure your vehicle is in safe operating condition. Without passing, you will not be granted a CDL, and you cannot drive commercially. If you fail any portion of the skills test, you must retake only the failed section. However, Massachusetts imposes a limit on the number of attempts: no more than six road tests in a 12-month period. Additionally, there is a mandatory two-week waiting period before retaking the skills test after a failed attempt.

For both the Massachusetts CDL General Knowledge Exam and the CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Test, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with Massachusetts’s systematic pre-trip vehicle check. The inspection includes reviewing past inspections, inspecting the engine compartment, checking in-cab controls and gauges, verifying lights, conducting a full walk-around inspection, testing signal lights, and assessing the brake system.

The 20 multiple-choice-question practice test is based on the most recent Massachusetts CDL manual (Massachusetts CDL Handbook 2025) and assesses your knowledge of pre-trip inspections. A detailed explanation is provided after each response to speed learning and help you pass the official General Knowledge test on your first attempt.

Check out our additional practice tests to prepare you for other parts of the General Knowledge Test.