Your commercial driving career in Virginia begins with earning a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), which is required for operating commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses. Additionally, you may need specific endorsements to apply for specialized jobs such as hauling hazardous materials or driving tankers. In Virginia, the licensing process starts with obtaining a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP), which requires passing a vision test and a passing score of 80% or higher on the official CDL General Knowledge exam. Unless you will only be engaged in so-called “excepted commerce,” you must take a medical exam and submit the medical examiner’s certificate. Finally, you must provide identification documents and pay the necessary fees when you submit your application.
The official CDL General Knowledge exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions on various aspects of commercial driving theory, including pre-trip inspections, safe driving practices, and traffic laws. You can find out more about this subject in the official Virginia commercial driver license manual (Virginia CDL Handbook 2026), which all aspiring commercial drivers should read at least once. However, the most determined students prefer to use efficient modern tools rather than traditional study methods. Our Virginia CDL General Knowledge Exam Simulator can make the difference between passing and failing the official exam on your first attempt. When you start a training session, you will practice using the latest version available. This simulator is up to date as of January 2026 to reflect the latest changes brought by DMV rules or state law. All 50 questions have multiple answer choices, but only one is correct.