New Hampshire · CDL

New Hampshire CDL Practice Test

The New Hampshire CDL knowledge test is administered by New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles. This free practice test covers the 10 areas the New Hampshire Commercial Driver's License Manual teaches, from new hampshire cdl classes permits testing and driver qualifications to hazardous materials and school bus safety, with 100 questions written for New Hampshire and every answer explained. Pick 25, 50, or 100 questions and start; there is no sign-up.

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Take the New Hampshire CDL practice test

The New Hampshire bank holds 100 questions written for the New Hampshire Commercial Driver's License Manual (2005 CDL Testing System; body Version July 2017), 1 of them illustrated with a sign, signal, marking, or road scene. Choose a Quick check of 25, a Practice run of 50, or the Full challenge of 100 in free Exam Mode. Explanations wait until the end, and your running score stays visible. No sign-up is required and your test is saved on this device. Premium Coaching Mode adds explanations after each answer.

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Sample questions

Six questions from the New Hampshire bank, with the rule behind each answer

Sample 1 · New Hampshire Cdl Classes Permits Testing And Driver Qualifications

A logging tractor and trailer have a combined rating of 28,600 pounds. The trailer alone is rated at 11,200 pounds. Which CDL group applies?

  1. Class A, since both the combination threshold and the over-10,000-pound towed threshold are metCorrect
  2. Class B, since a logging trailer is always counted as part of a single vehicle
  3. Class C, since the trailer weighs less than the tractor
  4. No CDL group, since Class A begins only at a 50,000-pound combination rating

Why: Class A, since both the combination threshold and the over-10,000-pound towed threshold are met is the appropriate conclusion. Class A covers a combination rated at least 26,001 pounds when the towed vehicle or vehicles have a gross vehicle weight rating above 10,000 pounds.

Sample 2 · Speed Space Hazards Weather And Railroad Crossings

A sedan appears unusually distant in a convex mirror just before a proposed lane change. What should the truck driver remember?

  1. Convex glass makes traffic look smaller and farther away, so actual spacing must be judged cautiouslyCorrect
  2. Convex glass magnifies vehicles and always makes them look closer than they are
  3. The mirror gives a precise distance reading that needs no judgment
  4. The driver should watch the mirror continuously and stop scanning forward

Why: Convex glass makes traffic look smaller and farther away, so actual spacing must be judged cautiously is the appropriate conclusion. Mirror checks should be brief, and convex mirrors require judgment because they make objects appear smaller and farther away than they are.

Sample 3 · Cargo Inspection Weight Balance And Securement

A shipper loads a sealed trailer and says the driver does not need to think about securement. Is that correct?

  1. No, the driver still carries responsibility for safe cargo and securementCorrect
  2. Yes, a seal permanently shifts every cargo duty to the shipper
  3. Yes, but only until the first state border is crossed
  4. No, because sealed trailers are never allowed on a public highway

Why: No, the driver still carries responsibility for safe cargo and securement is the appropriate conclusion. Even when another person loads the vehicle, the driver remains responsible for inspection, overload and balance recognition, securement, clear visibility, and access to emergency equipment.

Sample 4 · Passenger Vehicle Inspection Loading And Operation

An incoming coach driver receives yesterday's condition report with two defects listed. What must be established before using the coach?

  1. Starting the engine automatically clears every defect on the report
  2. Passengers, rather than the carrier or driver, must decide whether repair was needed
  3. Each defect was repaired or certified as not needing repair, with the required driver acknowledgmentCorrect
  4. The report can be ignored because only the driver who wrote it may read it

Why: Each defect was repaired or certified as not needing repair, with the required driver acknowledgment is the appropriate conclusion. A bus driver signs the previous driver's inspection report only after listed defects have been certified as repaired or certified as not requiring repair.

Sample 5 · Combination Vehicle Control Coupling And Inspection

Where should high-density freight be arranged across a semitrailer to limit rollover tendency?

  1. At the extreme upper rear corner regardless of axle weights
  2. Suspended loosely above the floor so it can swing
  3. Near the floor and centered from side to sideCorrect
  4. Against the roof and concentrated along one wall

Why: Near the floor and centered from side to side is the appropriate conclusion. Combination cargo should be kept low, centered, and distributed because a high or side-biased center of gravity increases rollover risk.

Sample 6 · Hazardous Materials And School Bus Safety

Before loading, a hazmat driver notices damaged packaging and missing documentation. Who must prevent that shipment from moving?

  1. No one, because the shipper's offer removes every driver responsibility
  2. The driver should hide the damage and replace the shipping name with a nickname
  3. The driver must refuse it until packaging, papers, markings, and placards meet the transport requirementsCorrect
  4. The driver must carry it and wait for the consignee to repair the package

Why: The driver must refuse it until packaging, papers, markings, and placards meet the transport requirements is the appropriate conclusion. The hazardous-material driver rejects leaking or improperly prepared packages, maintains required placards and papers, and transports the shipment safely after shipper and carrier checks.

What is on the test

The 10 topics the New Hampshire CDL practice test covers

These are New Hampshire's own topic areas, from new hampshire cdl classes permits testing and driver qualifications to hazardous materials and school bus safety, each with 10 questions. Under each one are two questions from the bank, shown without their answers; the practice test explains every one of them.

  1. New Hampshire Cdl Classes Permits Testing And Driver Qualifications10 questions
    • A 27,500-pound-rated dump truck pulls a chipper rated at 9,600 pounds. What commercial class describes this setup?
    • A sightseeing van is designed for one driver and 15 passengers and does not meet Class A or B weight limits. What classification trigger applies?
  2. Vehicle Inspection Control Visibility And Communication10 questions
    • A pre-trip check reveals a steering defect serious enough to make the truck unsafe. What does finding it now accomplish?
    • While climbing a grade, a driver hears an unfamiliar scrape and feels a new vibration. How should those clues be used?
  3. Speed Space Hazards Weather And Railroad Crossings10 questions
    • When should a commercial driver's signal be operating for a planned turn?
    • A sudden downpour covers I-93 with water. Which risk explains the need for a large speed reduction?
  4. Emergencies Abs Skids Crashes Fires And Driver Fitness10 questions
    • A load falls into the lane, leaving just enough open shoulder for an escape. Which steering technique limits the chance of a second crash?
    • How does a driver perform controlled braking in a non-ABS emergency?
  5. Cargo Inspection Weight Balance And Securement10 questions
    • How soon after starting with a fresh load should the initial en-route cargo inspection occur?
    • Beyond the first load check, what events call for another cargo and securement inspection?
  6. Passenger Vehicle Inspection Loading And Operation10 questions
    • A bus inspection finds a roof exit partly open and a fuel access door unsecured. What is required before service?
    • Musical equipment fills the center aisle and covers part of an emergency doorway. May the bus depart?
  7. Air Brake Components Inspection And Use10 questions
    • A driver reviews the three functions provided by a full air-brake arrangement. Which list is complete?
    • Reservoir pressure reaches its upper operating point and the compressor unloads. Which device commanded that change?
  8. Combination Vehicle Control Coupling And Inspection10 questions
    • A quick tractor movement grows more severe as it travels through a long combination. What is this effect called in practical terms?
    • Why can an unladen tractor be harder to stop smoothly on a slippery surface than the same tractor with a trailer?
  9. Doubles Triples And Tank Vehicle Operation10 questions
    • A triples driver makes an abrupt steering correction. Where will the crack-the-whip response normally be strongest?
    • One trailer in a double is loaded and the other is empty. Which coupling order generally supports better handling?
  10. Hazardous Materials And School Bus Safety10 questions
    • A responder reaches the cab after a hazardous-material incident. Where should the shipping papers have been placed for ready access?
    • A clerk is assembling the basic hazmat description on a shipping paper. Which information belongs together?
How to prepare

A study plan for the New Hampshire CDL knowledge test

1

Find out where you stand

Take a free Quick check of 25 in Exam Mode. Review the explanations after finishing; each explains a rule from the New Hampshire manual. Premium Coaching Mode lets you review as you go.

2

Study the topics you missed

Your account's Study tab ranks the 10 topics by your results. Read that chapter of the New Hampshire Commercial Driver's License Manual, then take another Quick check to confirm the gap has closed.

3

Rehearse the real thing

Take the Full challenge of 100 in exam mode. Aim for 80 percent or better twice in a row; at that point you are answering from the rules, not from memory of the questions.

Questions

New Hampshire CDL practice test questions

Is this the official New Hampshire CDL knowledge test?

No. DMV Exam Pass is an independent study service and is not affiliated with New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles. The questions are written in the style of the exam to prepare you for it; the official test is taken with the agency.

What does the New Hampshire CDL practice test cover?

The 100 questions are spread evenly across 10 topics: New Hampshire Cdl Classes Permits Testing And Driver Qualifications, Vehicle Inspection Control Visibility And Communication, Speed Space Hazards Weather And Railroad Crossings, Emergencies Abs Skids Crashes Fires And Driver Fitness, Cargo Inspection Weight Balance And Securement, Passenger Vehicle Inspection Loading And Operation, Air Brake Components Inspection And Use, Combination Vehicle Control Coupling And Inspection, Doubles Triples And Tank Vehicle Operation, and Hazardous Materials And School Bus Safety. Every test you take draws from all of them, so a weak area shows up quickly.

How many questions are in the practice test, and how long does it take?

The New Hampshire bank holds 100 questions. A Quick check of 25 takes about ten minutes, a Practice run of 50 about twenty, and the Full challenge of 100 about forty. You can pause any time.

Are these the real questions from the New Hampshire exam?

No. Nobody outside the agency has the real questions, and we do not use, claim, or advertise leaked or exact exam questions. These are independently written questions that test the same rules, so what you learn transfers to whatever the real test asks.

Which handbook should I study for the New Hampshire CDL knowledge test?

The New Hampshire Commercial Driver's License Manual (2005 CDL Testing System; body Version July 2017), published by New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles. Every question here is written for it, and each explanation names the rule, so when you miss a question you know which chapter to read.

What is the difference between coaching mode and exam mode?

Premium Coaching Mode shows whether each answer was right, and why, before you move on; it is for learning. Free Exam Mode holds the explanations and the correct choices until the end and still shows your running score; it is for checking readiness. Both draw from the same bank, and scoring happens on our servers, so no answer key is loaded in your browser.

Does the practice test include road signs and pictures?

Yes. 1 of the 100 questions are illustrated with a sign, signal, marking, or road scene, the way the CDL knowledge test presents them.

Is the New Hampshire practice test free, and do I need an account?

It is free, with no sign-up. An optional account saves your progress across devices and shows which topics need work.

Can I pause and come back later?

Yes. A test in progress is saved on this device and offered again when you return. With an account, it is saved to your account as well, so you can continue on another device.

What score should I aim for before test day?

Aim for 80 percent or better on a Full challenge in exam mode, more than once. The official passing score is set by the agency; scoring consistently above 80 here means you are answering from the rules rather than from luck.