General Driving Knowledge — Washington
Washington CDL practice test: 386 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 | Washington CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 161 (42% of 386 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. A clue that your shipment contains hazardous materials is that:
- The shipper is in the business of firework or munition dealing. ✓
- The last shipment you picked up was labeled as hazardous.
- The packaging looks damaged.
Answer: A. The shipper is in the business of firework or munition dealing.
A clue that your shipment contains hazardous materials is that the shipper is in the business of dealing fireworks or munitions. The handbook lists questions to ask when checking for hazardous materials clues. One is what business the shipper is in, and it specifically names an explosives, munitions, or fireworks dealer as an example. That makes the shipper's line of business a warning sign for the current shipment. The same passage also points to tanks with diamond labels or placards, package type such as cylinders and drums, hazard class labels, proper shipping names, identification numbers, and handling precautions.
2. Watching the road ahead of you:
- Allows you time to make a plan to avoid an upcoming hazard. ✓
- Is not encouraged as it distracts you from driving.
- Is only important when traveling in congested traffic.
Answer: A. Allows you time to make a plan to avoid an upcoming hazard.
Watching the road ahead is right because it gives you time to make a plan to avoid an upcoming hazard. The handbook says you should always be looking for hazards, and the reason is that hazards may turn into emergencies. Spotting one early lets you think through what could happen and decide what you would do, so you are prepared to act on that plan. That is the prepared, defensive driver described in the passage, and it improves your safety and the safety of others.
3. A jogger wearing a stereo headset:
- Is probably aware of what is happening around them.
- May not be aware of what is happening around them. ✓
- Can hear the sounds of traffic.
Answer: B. May not be aware of what is happening around them.
A jogger wearing a stereo headset may not be aware of what is happening around them. The handbook lists walkers, joggers, and bicyclists as hazards and says some of them wear portable stereos with headsets, so they can't hear you. A person who cannot hear traffic is not tuned in to what is going on around them, which the handbook calls dangerous. That is why you treat a headset-wearing jogger as someone who may not notice you and watch for them.
4. Shipping papers must include:
- An emergency response telephone number. ✓
- The price of the materials.
- The use of the materials.
Answer: A. An emergency response telephone number.
Shipping papers must include an emergency response telephone number. The handbook says hazardous materials shipping papers also must list an emergency response telephone number unless an exception applies. It notes that the shipper is responsible for this number, and responders can use it to get information about hazardous materials involved in a spill or fire. Another passage says shippers must describe hazardous materials correctly and include an emergency response telephone number on shipping papers.
5. If your bus is equipped with a roof-mounted strobe light, it should be used:
- In times of limited visibility. ✓
- All the time.
- Only at night.
Answer: A. In times of limited visibility.
A roof-mounted strobe light on your bus should be used in times of limited visibility. The handbook says if your school bus has a roof-mounted white strobe light, use the overhead strobe when visibility is limited. It describes limited visibility as not being able to see easily around the bus—in front, behind, or beside it—and notes this can range from slight to severe. The same passage also tells you to know and follow your state or local rules for these lights. That supports using the strobe when visibility is limited, not continuously or only after dark.
6. A safety valve is set to open at ____ pounds per square inch (psi).
- 100
- 150 ✓
- 200
Answer: B. 150
7. Rough acceleration:
- Is a good way to stay awake on long trips.
- Is distracting.
- Can cause mechanical damage. ✓
Answer: C. Can cause mechanical damage.
8. If you’re unfamiliar with the area in which you must back up, you should:
- Get out of your vehicle and walk around the area to become more familiar with it. ✓
- Not use both side mirrors because it can be distracting.
- Wait for someone else to back up in the area so you can see how they do it.
Answer: A. Get out of your vehicle and walk around the area to become more familiar with it.
Get out of your vehicle and walk around the area first so you know the space before you back into it. The handbook says that before you back, you should look at your line of travel, and it tells you to get out and walk around the vehicle to check clearances to the sides and overhead along the path your vehicle will take. It repeats that you should get out and re-inspect your path whenever you are unsure. If the area is unfamiliar, you are unsure, so the walk-around is how you learn what is behind and above you before you move. The same passage also tells you to use the mirrors on both sides, which you can only do well once you know what is actually there.
9. When pulled off on the side of the road:
- A driver should keep the driver’s side door open.
- A driver should turn on the emergency flashers. ✓
- The driver should wave their arms.
Answer: B. A driver should turn on the emergency flashers.
When you pull off and stop on the side of the road, turn on your four-way emergency flashers. The handbook's rule for stopping at the side of the road is to switch on the four-way emergency flashers. It says this matters especially at night and warns that you should not rely on taillights to warn others. It explains that drivers have hit parked vehicles from behind because they believed the vehicle was still moving normally. The flashers are the stated way to communicate that you are stopped, so that is the choice supported by the passage.
10. Wheels with welding repairs are:
- Safe to be used if the repairs were done by a professional.
- Safe to be used if the repair seems solid.
- Not safe to be used. ✓
Answer: C. Not safe to be used.
Wheels with welding repairs are not safe to be used. The handbook lists welded wheels or rims among wheel and rim problems and states plainly that they are not safe. The inspection section repeats the point by saying rims cannot have welding repairs. The rule does not depend on who did the work or whether the repair looks strong; the concern is the wheel or rim itself. A damaged wheel or rim can lead to loss of vehicle control, so a wheel with welding repairs should be rejected rather than trusted on the road.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook