Mississippi General Knowledge Test
This test covers the roads you'll drive — from the fog on I-55 near Grenada to the casino traffic on Highway 90 in Biloxi.
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Mississippi CDL General Knowledge test — 50 questions, 80% to pass. Practice here and hit the road faster.
Key Topics
- •Vehicle inspection basics
- •Speed and space management
- •Hazard awareness for MS roads
About the Mississippi General Knowledge Test
Topics Covered
- ✓Vehicle inspection — Mississippi DPS examiners watch you do a full pre-trip, but the written test checks if you know what to look for. Rust, cracks, and leaks matter more here because of our humidity and salt air near the coast.
- ✓Basic control and backing — You'll back a trailer into a dock at a catfish processing plant or a lumber yard. The test covers straight-line backing, offset backing, and alley docking. Know your reference points.
- ✓Shifting and gear selection — Mississippi has hills in the northeast and flat Delta farmland. The test asks about proper gear selection for grades and load weights, especially on two-lane roads where you can't afford to lose momentum.
- + 3 more topics
📘 Study Tips & State Info
Mississippi DPS examiners are straight shooters — they don't trick you, but they do expect you to know the material cold. The General Knowledge test pulls heavily from the inspection section. They want you to understand the difference between a minor defect and a defect that puts you out of service. Memorize the inspection checklist in the manual, but also practice talking through it out loud. That helps with the skills test later.
Pay extra attention to the sections on adverse driving conditions. Mississippi has more than its share of fog, heavy rain, and flooding. The test will ask what to do when visibility drops below 500 feet, how to use your lights in fog, and how to handle hydroplaning. Don't just memorize the answer — think about driving on I-55 near the Ross Barnett Reservoir when the fog rolls in. That context will make the answer stick.
One more thing: the test includes questions about railroad crossings and emergency vehicles. Mississippi has thousands of at-grade crossings, especially in the Delta and along the Gulf Coast. Know when to stop, how far back, and what to do if you're carrying hazardous materials. The DPS manual covers it. Use our practice test to find your weak spots, then go back and reread those chapters.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) handles all CDL testing. You'll take the General Knowledge test at a Driver Service station — locations include Jackson (Pearl), Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Tupelo, Greenville, and Southaven. You don't need an appointment for the written test at most stations, but call ahead to confirm hours and availability. Some stations only do CDL testing on certain days.
Bring your valid Mississippi driver's license, Social Security card, proof of residency, and a current Medical Examiner's Certificate (DOT medical card). The test fee is $25 for the CLP (commercial learner's permit), which includes the General Knowledge test and any endorsements you take the same day. Pay with cash or check — not all stations take credit cards. If you fail the General Knowledge test, you can retake it the next business day at no additional charge, but you only get one retake per visit. After that, you pay the $25 fee again.
Mississippi does not require a CDL skills test for intrastate farm-related drivers who stay within 150 miles of their farm, but everyone else must pass the full three-part skills exam (pre-trip inspection, basic controls, road test) after holding the CLP for 14 days. The General Knowledge test is valid for 180 days before you must complete the skills test or retake the written exam.
About the Mississippi General Knowledge Test
The Mississippi General Knowledge test is your first step toward a Class A or Class B CDL. Every commercial driver in this state — whether you're hauling timber out of Hattiesburg, running poultry feed down Highway 82, or moving freight through the Port of Gulfport — has to pass it. The test covers vehicle inspection, basic control, shifting, backing, and the rules of the road. No shortcuts.
Mississippi follows the federal CDL standards, but we've got our own wrinkles. You'll need to know how to handle commercial vehicles in heavy rain and fog — we get both on I-55 and I-20. The test also expects you to understand how to manage speed on two-lane highways like US 49, where you're sharing the road with farm equipment and logging trucks. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) administers the test at Driver Service stations across the state, and you'll take it on a computer.
You get 60 minutes to answer 50 multiple-choice questions. The passing score is 80% — that means 40 correct out of 50. Miss more than 10 and you're coming back another day. Study the Mississippi CDL manual, but don't just memorize — think about how each rule applies to the roads you'll actually drive. That's what makes this practice test useful.
Topics Covered
Study Tips
Mississippi DPS examiners are straight shooters — they don't trick you, but they do expect you to know the material cold. The General Knowledge test pulls heavily from the inspection section. They want you to understand the difference between a minor defect and a defect that puts you out of service. Memorize the inspection checklist in the manual, but also practice talking through it out loud. That helps with the skills test later.
Pay extra attention to the sections on adverse driving conditions. Mississippi has more than its share of fog, heavy rain, and flooding. The test will ask what to do when visibility drops below 500 feet, how to use your lights in fog, and how to handle hydroplaning. Don't just memorize the answer — think about driving on I-55 near the Ross Barnett Reservoir when the fog rolls in. That context will make the answer stick.
One more thing: the test includes questions about railroad crossings and emergency vehicles. Mississippi has thousands of at-grade crossings, especially in the Delta and along the Gulf Coast. Know when to stop, how far back, and what to do if you're carrying hazardous materials. The DPS manual covers it. Use our practice test to find your weak spots, then go back and reread those chapters.
Mississippi Specific Information
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) handles all CDL testing. You'll take the General Knowledge test at a Driver Service station — locations include Jackson (Pearl), Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Tupelo, Greenville, and Southaven. You don't need an appointment for the written test at most stations, but call ahead to confirm hours and availability. Some stations only do CDL testing on certain days.
Bring your valid Mississippi driver's license, Social Security card, proof of residency, and a current Medical Examiner's Certificate (DOT medical card). The test fee is $25 for the CLP (commercial learner's permit), which includes the General Knowledge test and any endorsements you take the same day. Pay with cash or check — not all stations take credit cards. If you fail the General Knowledge test, you can retake it the next business day at no additional charge, but you only get one retake per visit. After that, you pay the $25 fee again.
Mississippi does not require a CDL skills test for intrastate farm-related drivers who stay within 150 miles of their farm, but everyone else must pass the full three-part skills exam (pre-trip inspection, basic controls, road test) after holding the CLP for 14 days. The General Knowledge test is valid for 180 days before you must complete the skills test or retake the written exam.