Licensing, Demerits & Penalties — Alabama
Alabama CDL practice test: 447 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Licensing, Demerits & Penalties: 7 questions.
Graduated licensing conditions, demerit points, suspensions, insurance and fines.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | Licensing, Demerits & Penalties |
| License test | Alabama CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 7 (2% of 447 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
Not yet verified
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Questions (7)
1. Broken suspension parts:
- Should be repaired immediately. ✓
- Should be repaired, but not immediately.
- Cannot be identified.
Answer: A. Should be repaired immediately.
Broken suspension parts should be repaired immediately. The handbook says the suspension holds up the vehicle and its load and keeps the axles in place, so broken suspension parts can be extremely dangerous. It also lists broken leaf springs, coil springs, U-bolts, spring hangers, and other axle positioning parts as things you must inspect for and find not broken, cracked, missing, or damaged. Because a broken part makes the vehicle unsafe, it needs to be repaired before the vehicle is used, not put off until later.
2. Your vehicle's final position should be:
- Exactly where the examiner has instructed it to be. ✓
- Within five feet of the final position described by the examiner.
- Wherever you can safely park.
- Within two feet of the final position described by the examiner.
Answer: A. Exactly where the examiner has instructed it to be.
Your vehicle's final position should be exactly where the examiner instructed it to be. Passage P1 says you must finish each backing exercise exactly as the examiner instructed, and it ties that to the vehicle's final position as described by the examiner. If you do not put the vehicle into that described final position, you are penalized and fail the Basic Control Skills test. The handbook does not give a foot allowance; the standard is the examiner's stated final position, plus staying within the exercise boundaries.
3. When asked to make a lane change during the driving test, you should:
- Make the change as soon as the examiner asks, without looking.
- Use your turn signal and change lanes when safe. ✓
- Make the lane change as quickly as possible, even if that means cutting off another driver.
Answer: B. Use your turn signal and change lanes when safe.
You should use your turn signal and change lanes when it is safe, after making the necessary traffic checks. The handbook's on-road driving section says that during lane-change portions of the test you will be asked to move left and then back right. It tells you to make the necessary traffic checks first, then use proper signals and change lanes smoothly when it is safe. The driving-safely section adds that lane changes are a special situation and that you check mirrors before changing lanes to make sure there is room. That supports signaling and waiting for a safe gap rather than moving immediately or rushing.
4. During the basic control skills test, you will receive points if you:
- Pull up once.
- Check your positioning.
- Cross over exercise boundaries. ✓
Answer: C. Cross over exercise boundaries.
You will receive points if you cross over exercise boundaries. The handbook says you are scored for touching or crossing an exercise boundary line or cone, and each encroachment counts as an error. It also says you can receive points for changing direction to improve your position and for your final position. Pulling up and checking your position are handled differently: initial pull-ups are not penalized, and checking position is treated as a look with limited free looks. Crossing a boundary is the choice that directly matches a scoring item.
5. When taking the on-road driving test, you must do all of the following, except:
- Wear your safety belt.
- Obey all traffic signs.
- Complete the test without an accident.
- Demonstrate that you can use your cell phone while driving. ✓
Answer: D. Demonstrate that you can use your cell phone while driving.
6. During the driving test, the examiner will be scoring you on:
- How well-spoken you are.
- How quickly you arrive to your destination.
- General driving behavior. ✓
Answer: C. General driving behavior.
The examiner will be scoring your general driving behavior, along with specific driving maneuvers. The handbook says that during the road test the examiner scores both particular maneuvers and your general driving behavior. It also explains that you follow the examiner's directions, get enough time to respond, and are never asked to drive unsafely. That points to a broad judgment of how you drive overall, which is what the correct choice describes. Speaking ability and arrival speed are not what the scoring is about.
7. The suspension system:
- Holds up the vehicle and its load. ✓
- Keeps the load the proper distance behind the driver’s compartment.
- Maintains a safe distance between the vehicle and other vehicles.
- Lightens the load for the tires.
Answer: A. Holds up the vehicle and its load.
The suspension system holds up the vehicle and its load, and it keeps the axles in place. The handbook's inspection section on suspension defects states plainly that the suspension system holds up the vehicle and its load and keeps the axles in place. That is why broken suspension parts are described as extremely dangerous, and why you check for things like spring hangers that let the axle move out of position. The other choices describe cargo spacing, following distance, and tire load, none of which the handbook attributes to the suspension.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Not yet verified
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook