General Driving Knowledge — Arkansas
Arkansas CDL practice test: 464 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. General Driving Knowledge: 161 questions.
Questions that do not fit a single topic: lane use, turning, signalling and other rules of the road.
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 | General Driving Knowledge |
| License test | Arkansas CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 161 (35% of 464 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
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Questions (161)
1. If you must drive in reverse, it is helpful to:
- Drive as fast as possible and get it over with.
- First exit the truck and walk the path to look for obstacles. ✓
- Use only the passenger side mirror.
- Stick your head out the window and look backward.
Answer: B. First exit the truck and walk the path to look for obstacles.
If you must drive in reverse, you should first exit the truck and walk the path to look for obstacles. The handbook says that before you begin backing, you should look at your line of travel, get out, and walk around the vehicle. While walking, you check clearance to the sides and overhead along the path the vehicle will take. That is why leaving the truck to inspect the path for obstacles is the helpful step. The same section also tells you to back slowly and correct drift immediately, which fits with checking first rather than rushing.
2. A bus driver approaching a bus stop should stop at least 10 feet away from waiting students because:
- The students will have to walk to the bus, making it easier to see their movements. ✓
- Buses are difficult to drive.
- The students may get scared of the bus coming toward them.
Answer: A. The students will have to walk to the bus, making it easier to see their movements.
Stop at least 10 feet from waiting students so they have to walk to the bus, which gives you a clearer view of their movements. The handbook says to bring the school bus to a full stop with the front bumper at least 10 feet from students at the designated stop. It explains that this distance makes the students walk to the bus, so you get a better view of what they are doing. That matches the choice about seeing their movements as they come toward the bus.
3. You will often have to drive your vehicle under bridges and overpasses. If approaching such an opening, you should:
- Assume the posted clearance height is accurate.
- Assume the posted clearance height is inaccurate. ✓
- Measure the height of the opening before proceeding.
Answer: B. Assume the posted clearance height is inaccurate.
You should assume the posted clearance height is inaccurate. The handbook says not to assume the heights posted at bridges and overpasses are correct. Repaving or packed snow can reduce clearance after the height was posted. It also notes that a cargo van's height changes with its load: an empty van is higher than a loaded one, so clearing a bridge while loaded does not mean you will clear it when empty. If you doubt you have safe space, the handbook says to go slowly or take another route.
4. When starting a vehicle, warning lights and buzzers:
- Should not light up or sound.
- Should turn on and shut off quickly. ✓
- Should turn on and remain on.
Answer: B. Should turn on and shut off quickly.
Warning lights and buzzers should turn on and shut off quickly after the engine starts. During startup, the handbook lists oil, coolant, charging circuit, and ABS warning lights and says they should go out right away. It also says an ABS dash light should come on and then turn off; if it stays on, the ABS is not working properly. That brief on-then-off behavior shows the warning system is doing its check. So the normal result is not silence and not a light that stays lit, but a quick light or buzzer that clears once the engine is running.
5. Class 1, Class 2.1, and Class 3 items should not be placed in a trailer with:
- A heater. ✓
- An air conditioner.
- Other items.
- Batteries.
Answer: A. A heater.
Class 1, Class 2.1, and Class 3 items should not be placed in a trailer with a heater. The handbook gives special cargo heater rules for loading hazardous materials. It says the rules usually forbid cargo heaters, including automatic heater/air conditioner units. Unless you have read all the related rules, you should not load the listed products in a cargo space that has a heater. The passage also lists Class 2.1 flammable gas and Class 3 flammable liquids in the same hazardous materials discussion, so the heater is the item to keep away from these classes.
6. During a trip, gauges are:
- Often misleading.
- The only way a driver can learn of potential trouble with the vehicle.
- A way to learn of potential trouble with the vehicle. ✓
Answer: C. A way to learn of potential trouble with the vehicle.
During a trip, gauges are a way to learn of potential trouble with the vehicle. The handbook says to watch gauges for signs of trouble during a trip. That makes gauges one method for spotting possible vehicle problems. The same passage also tells you to use your senses and to check critical items when you stop, so gauges are part of the check, not the whole check.
7. If a shipping paper describes both hazardous and non-hazardous materials, the items can be distinguished by:
- The hazardous materials being listed first. ✓
- The non-hazardous materials being written in pencil.
- The hazardous materials being listed in red ink.
- The hazardous materials being written larger than the non-hazardous materials.
Answer: A. The hazardous materials being listed first.
8. If transporting a package that contains radioactive materials, it is important to know that:
- Radiation surrounds the package and will pass through to other packages. ✓
- The package should be transported in the cab.
- The package should be loaded on their side.
Answer: A. Radiation surrounds the package and will pass through to other packages.
Radiation surrounds the package and passes through nearby packages, so that is the correct statement. The handbook says radiation from each package passes through all packages near it. Because of that, rules limit how many radioactive packages you can load together and how close they are to people, animals, and unexposed film. The transport index shows how much control is needed, and the total transport index in one vehicle is capped. That supports the statement that radiation surrounds the package and reaches other packages, not that the package belongs in the cab or must be loaded on its side.
9. A bridge formula:
- Permits less weight per axle for axles that are close together. ✓
- Permits more weight for trucks.
- Is not a concern for drivers.
Answer: A. Permits less weight per axle for axles that are close together.
A bridge formula permits less weight per axle when the axles are close together. The handbook explains that maximum axle weights are often set by a bridge formula, and that formula allows less maximum axle weight for axles that sit closer together. The stated purpose is to prevent overloading bridges and roadways. So the formula is a limit that tightens as axles get closer, not a permission slip for heavier loads.
10. Rollovers happen when:
- Drivers turn too quickly. ✓
- Drivers turn too slowly.
- It is raining.
Answer: A. Drivers turn too quickly.
Rollovers happen when drivers turn too quickly. The handbook says plainly that rollovers happen when you turn too fast. It also says to drive slowly around corners, ramps, and off ramps, and to keep cargo as low as possible. A related section explains that the sharper the turn, the greater the chance of a skid or rollover. Together, these passages point to fast or sharp turning as the cause, not slow turning or rain.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Not yet verified
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook