Licensing, Demerits & Penalties — North Carolina
North Carolina CDL practice test: 460 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: 8 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 | North Carolina CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 8 (2% of 460 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 (8)
1. When taking the on-road driving test, you will be evaluated on your lane usage. Which of the following is an example of poor lane usage?
- Not driving over curbs or sidewalks
- Stopping behind crosswalks
- Driving in the leftmost lane if more than one driving lane is available ✓
- Finishing a right turn in the rightmost lane
Answer: C. Driving in the leftmost lane if more than one driving lane is available
Driving in the leftmost lane when more than one driving lane is available is an example of poor lane usage. The lane usage section of the on-road driving test lists what the examiner is watching for. It says you should move to or stay in the right-most lane unless that lane is blocked. Staying out in the leftmost lane when other driving lanes are open goes against that instruction, so it counts against you as poor lane usage. The same section treats the other habits listed, such as staying off curbs and sidewalks and stopping behind crosswalks, as things you should do.
2. During the driving test, the examiner will be scoring you on:
- Attitude.
- How quickly you arrive to your destination.
- Your general driving behavior. ✓
Answer: C. Your general driving behavior.
The examiner scores your general driving behavior, along with specific driving maneuvers. The handbook says that during the road test the examiner scores specific driving maneuvers and your general driving behavior. That makes general driving behavior the listed answer. The examiner gives directions with enough time, and you are not asked to drive unsafely, so the test is about how you handle the vehicle and traffic, not about attitude or speed of completion. A negative attitude can lead to failure under the handbook's list of failure factors, but it is not the scoring category named in the question.
3. 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.
4. If your license to operate a personal vehicle is revoked or suspended:
- You can get a hardship license to operate a CMV.
- You cannot get a hardship license to operate a CMV. ✓
- Your CDL will not be affected.
Answer: B. You cannot get a hardship license to operate a CMV.
5. When taking the driving test and asked to make a turn, you should:
- Not use a turn signal since you were told to make the turn.
- Check traffic only to your right.
- Check traffic in all directions. ✓
Answer: C. Check traffic in all directions.
When the examiner asks you to make a turn, check traffic in all directions. The handbook's intersection instructions say that when you have been asked to make a turn, you check traffic in all directions, and it repeats that instruction as you approach the intersection. The same section also tells you to use your turn signals and to get into the lane the turn needs, so the turn is not a moment to relax just because someone told you where to go.
6. Broken suspension parts:
- Should not concern you.
- Should be repaired, but do not need to be repaired immediately.
- Cannot be identified.
- Are extremely dangerous. ✓
Answer: D. Are extremely dangerous.
Broken suspension parts are extremely dangerous. The handbook explains that the suspension system holds up the vehicle and its load, and it keeps the axles in place. Because those jobs are central to controlling the vehicle, the handbook states that broken suspension parts can be extremely dangerous. The inspection passages also direct drivers to look for cracked, broken, missing, shifted, loose, damaged, or leaking suspension parts, which shows these are safety problems to catch, not minor issues to ignore.
7. During a basic vehicle controls skills test exercise, your vehicle's final position should be:
- In the general area that was described by the examiner.
- In the exact final position described by the examiner. ✓
- Within three feet of the final position described by the examiner.
Answer: B. In the exact final position described by the examiner.
Your vehicle's final position should be exactly the final position described by the examiner. Your vehicle's final position should be exactly the final position described by the examiner. The handbook says you must finish each exercise exactly as instructed, and final position is scored on the straight-line backing and reverse offset backing exercises. It also warns that failing to maneuver the vehicle into the final position described by the examiner leads to a penalty and failure of the Basic Control Skills test. The handbook tells you to ask for clarification if you do not understand the instructions, so there is no need to guess at the target.
8. Broken suspension parts:
- Are not a cause for concern.
- Are extremely dangerous. ✓
- Cannot be identified.
Answer: B. Are extremely dangerous.
Broken suspension parts are extremely dangerous. The handbook explains that the suspension holds up the vehicle and its load and keeps the axles in place. Because those jobs are basic to keeping the truck stable, the manual states that broken suspension parts can be very dangerous. The inspection passages reinforce this by telling drivers to check springs, spring mounts, U-bolts, mounting bolts, air ride parts, and whether the vehicle sits level. That makes a broken suspension part a serious defect, not a minor issue.
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Source
Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook