- 0 Incorrect (4 allowed to pass)
- 0 Correct
- Updated for February 2025
- Based on 2025 CA commercial driver's license manual
Free CA CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Exam 2025
In California, you may face a wide variety of challenging driving conditions, depending on which roads you drive on. Your commercial motor vehicle (CMV) may have to cope with the extreme heat of the California deserts. Or be ready to take on the steep grades and snowstorms on Interstate 80 and U.S. Routes 50 and 395, where they pass through the Sierra Nevada. Or handle the traffic jams on Interstates 10 and 15. These harsh driving conditions can stress your vehicle in different ways. To be sure it’s up to the challenge, Federal regulation 49 CFR § 396.13 requires you to be satisfied that your CMV is safe to drive before you drive it on public roads. This means conducting a comprehensive pre-trip inspection of the vehicle before your first trip of the day.
Before you can apply for a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), you must obtain a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) to practice operating CMVs under supervision. A key requirement for a CLP is to pass the official General Knowledge test on general driving theory. Your test will likely contain questions on pre-trip inspections, including identifying problems with your vehicle’s systems and components. All questions on the General Knowledge test are based on the official California CDL manual (California CDL Handbook 2025). It discusses pre-trip inspections in detail, including the systems and components you must inspect and the minimum performance criteria for their safe operation. You should study the manual. However, there’s a vast amount of material to absorb, and it’s not always written in a form that’s easy to absorb.
Our practice tests can help clarify all that information and make it easier to understand and memorize. This California CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Test, the first of several we offer, will help you master the material on pre-trip inspections in the official CDL manual and ace all the pre-trip inspection questions on the General Knowledge test.
Like the official knowledge test, this practice test is multiple choice. Each question comes with several answer options. You must choose the best or most complete answer. Our AI assistant accompanies each question. It can help you learn by supplying hints and answering your own questions about commercial driving theory. If you still miss a question, the AI assistant will immediately let you know and provide an explanation of the correct answer. This immediate feedback will help reinforce the correct answer in your mind.
After you get your CDL, thoroughly inspect your vehicle every day that you drive it. Otherwise, you may risk a breakdown – or worse.
- Perfect for first-time and renewal CDL/CLP applicants, and those adding endorsements
- Triple-checked for accuracy
What you need to know
What to expect on the actual CA DMV exam
questions
correct answers to pass
passing score
Helpful links
List of questions (classic view)
- What structure supporting the fifth wheel skid plate should be checked for cracks or breaks?
- You pump the pedal three times and hold it down for five seconds, making sure that the pedal does not move. What are you inspecting?
- What transmits power from the transmission to the drive axle?
- What carries air or hydraulic fluid to the wheel brake assembly?
- ________ are gas or hydraulic devices that cushion the vehicle's ride and stabilize the vehicle.
- What is the sliding mechanism and locking device for tandem axles on trailers?
- What do you inspect to make sure that all are present and show no signs of looseness such as rust trails or shiny threads?
- What should you check to be sure it is solid, clear of objects, and securely bolted to the tractor frame?
- What maintains air pressure in the air brake system?
- Which tires should have a minimum tread depth of 4/32 inch?
- Which of the following can disengage the engine from the drivetrain?
- What transforms steering column action into wheel action?
- Make sure that the _________ are not cut, chafed, spliced, or worn, and not tangled, pinched, or dragged against tractor parts.
- You are looking for puddles on the ground and dripping fluids on the underside of the engine and transmission. What are you checking for?
- What should be fully engaged with no loose or missing pins in the slide mechanism of the sliding fifth wheel?
- To improve visibility during severe or stormy weather, __________ must be secure, undamaged, and operating smoothly and correctly.
- _________ should be clean with no dirt, illegal stickers, obstructions, or damage.
- _________ are the brackets, bolts, or bushings that are used to attach the spring or air bag to the axle and vehicle frame.
- If the wheel has a sight glass, check that the oil level is adequate. Otherwise, look for leaks around the
- What releases the fifth wheel locking jaws so the trailer can be coupled?
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