• 142 questions

ELDT Practice Test for the Entry-Level Driver Training Theory Units

Tap an answer to see the right choice, the reason, its training unit and the CFR section behind it.

The backing and docking unit of the Class A theory curriculum uses the letters GOAL. What do they stand for?

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Exam mode: 30 questions, no time limit, 24 right to pass (80%).

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the FMCSA, any training provider or any state licensing agency. Bank checked October 5, 2026.

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All 142 questions

Basic operation 14

  • A carrier holds operating authority, and a load falls outside what that authority covers. May the vehicle be operated with it? 49 CFR 392.9a(a)
  • A carrier is ordered out of service for operating without the operating authority it needs. What must the driver do when the order is issued? 49 CFR 392.9a(c)
  • A driveaway-towaway trip with vehicles in combination ends. What must be done with the tow-bars and saddle-mounts before they are used again? 49 CFR 396.15(c)
  • A federal safety rule puts a duty on the driver. Who has the duty to require that the driver observes it? 49 CFR 390.11
  • A load moves between two places in one state, and the route passes through a second state. Under section 390.5T, what kind of commerce is it? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • A state safety law is stricter than the federal rules, and obeying it does not prevent full compliance with them. May the state enforce it? 49 CFR 390.9
  • The backing and docking unit of the Class A theory curriculum uses the letters GOAL. What do they stand for? 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix A
Show all 142 questions (135 more)

Basic operation, continued

  • Before a driveaway-towaway trip with vehicles in combination, the carrier tests how the towed vehicle follows. What must the test show? 49 CFR 396.15(b)
  • The last inspection report listed a defect on a towed unit that is no longer part of the combination. Must the next driver sign for that defect? 49 CFR 396.13(c)
  • May the driver inspection reports that section 396.13 requires be kept in electronic form? 49 CFR 396.13(d)
  • Section 392.1 lists who must be instructed in and comply with the driving rules of Part 392. Besides drivers, who is on the list? 49 CFR 392.1(a)
  • What does section 390.13 forbid any person to do? 49 CFR 390.13
  • What must a commercial motor vehicle that provides transportation in interstate commerce have before it is operated? 49 CFR 392.9b(a)
  • Which act does section 390.35 forbid a motor carrier and its employees to do? 49 CFR 390.35

Safe operating procedures 13

  • A driver holds a mobile telephone in one hand to talk on speaker. Is that using a hand-held mobile telephone under section 390.5T? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • A driver presses several buttons on a mobile telephone to start a voice call. How does the section 390.5T definition of texting treat that? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • A driver pulls off the highway, halts where the truck can safely stay and leaves the motor running to send a text. Does the texting ban of section 392.80 apply? 49 CFR 392.80(c)
  • A driver reads directions on a navigation system. Is that texting under section 390.5T? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • A driver unbuckles and leans across the cab to reach a ringing mobile telephone. Is that using a hand-held mobile telephone under section 390.5T? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • A driver uses a dispatching device for a purpose the safety rules do not otherwise prohibit. Is that texting under section 390.5T? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • Conditions turn hazardous enough that a bus should stop, and stopping at once would increase the hazard to the passengers. What does section 392.14 allow? 49 CFR 392.14
  • The distracted driving unit trains three aspects. Which one is described as keeping the mind on the task? 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix A
  • Section 390.5T gives examples of an electronic device. Which of these is named in the definition? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • What does section 392.80(b) say about a motor carrier and texting? 49 CFR 392.80(b)
  • Which act is on the section 390.5T list of what texting includes? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • Which procedure must a training provider teach in the extreme driving conditions unit? 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix A
  • Which way of answering a call is using a hand-held mobile telephone under section 390.5T? 49 CFR 390.5T

Advanced operating practices 4

  • A cargo tank motor vehicle carries a commodity that was above its flashpoint when it was loaded. What does section 392.10 require at a railroad grade crossing? 49 CFR 392.10(a)(5)
  • According to the railroad-highway grade crossings unit, who is available to take a report of a disabled vehicle blocking a track? 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix A
  • The hazard perception unit names one driving setting for its own dangers and safety procedures. Which is it? 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix A
  • Which set of responses must the instruction on emergencies include, under unit A1.3.2? 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix A

Vehicle systems and reporting malfunctions 15

  • A carrier runs a truck it does not own. What must the vehicle's maintenance record identify? 49 CFR 396.3(b)(1)
  • A decal stands in for the periodic inspection report on a trailer. Which of these must the decal carry? 49 CFR 396.17(c)
  • A driver receives a roadside inspection report and is not due at a carrier terminal or facility within 24 hours. What must the driver do with the report? 49 CFR 396.9(d)(1)
  • A truck passes a state periodic inspection that meets the federal minimum standards on March 10. From when do its 12 months run? 49 CFR 396.17(f)
  • A vehicle is marked out of service and the repairs are not yet made. How may it be moved? 49 CFR 396.9(c)(2)
  • Besides work already done, what must a carrier's maintenance record for a vehicle indicate? 49 CFR 396.3(b)(2)
  • For which vehicles must a motor carrier keep the maintenance records of section 396.3(b)? 49 CFR 396.3(b)
  • How long does a carrier keep its copy of a completed roadside inspection form? 49 CFR 396.9(d)(3)
  • How long is the report of a periodic inspection kept? 49 CFR 396.21(b)
  • May a motor carrier have a truck stop perform the annual inspection as its agent? 49 CFR 396.17(e)
  • Under the section 390.5T definition, who makes the declaration that is an out-of-service order? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • What can an out-of-service order declare out of service, under section 390.5T? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • When do authorized personnel declare and mark a vehicle out of service under section 396.9? 49 CFR 396.9(c)(1)
  • Which report records the results of a vehicle inspection made by authorized FMCSA personnel? 49 CFR 396.9(b)
  • Who does section 396.9(a) authorize to enter upon and inspect a motor carrier's vehicles in operation? 49 CFR 396.9(a)

Non-driving activities 82

  • A car weighing under 10,000 pounds is hauled as cargo. What is the minimum securement under section 393.128? 49 CFR 393.128(b)
  • A driver adds missing information to an ELD record. What does section 395.30(c) require for each change or addition? 49 CFR 395.30(c)
  • A driver begins a yard move that the carrier has authorized on the ELD. What must the driver do on the device? 49 CFR 395.28(a)
  • A driver cannot file a whistleblower complaint in English. What does 29 CFR 1978.103 provide? 29 CFR 1978.103(b)
  • A driver is notified of selection for a random test. What must the employer require? 49 CFR 382.305(l)
  • A driver refuses to drive out of fear of serious injury from a hazardous condition. What must the driver have done for the refusal to be protected? 29 CFR 1978.102(f)
  • A driver refuses to operate a vehicle because doing so would violate a federal commercial motor vehicle safety regulation. May the employer discipline the driver for the refusal? 29 CFR 1978.102(c)
  • A driver subject to post-accident testing does not stay readily available for the test. What may the employer deem? 49 CFR 382.303(e)
  • A driver uses a portable ELD. How must it be kept while the truck is operated? 49 CFR 395.22(g)
  • A driver's ability to do the normal duties is impaired by an injury. What does section 391.45 require? 49 CFR 391.45(g)
  • A driver's ELD record has to be edited after it was submitted to the carrier. What must the driver do after the edits? 49 CFR 395.30(b)
  • A front end loader over 10,000 pounds is loaded on a trailer. What must be done with its accessory equipment, such as a hydraulic shovel? 49 CFR 393.130(b)
  • A limited query shows that the Clearinghouse holds information about a driver. Within what time must the employer run a full query? 49 CFR 382.701(b)
  • A motor carrier proposes an edit to a driver's submitted ELD record. When does the change take effect? 49 CFR 395.30(d)
  • A passenger falls while stepping off a bus that is standing still, and nothing else is involved. Is this an accident under section 390.5T? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • A person is hurt in a crash involving a commercial motor vehicle. When does the injury make the crash an accident under section 390.5T? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • A person with the loss of a foot or hand is not physically qualified under the limb standards. What may allow that person to drive a commercial motor vehicle? 49 CFR 391.49(a)
  • A required post-accident alcohol test is not given within two hours of the accident. What must the employer do? 49 CFR 382.303(d)
  • A truck is in motion with no change of duty status. How often does the ELD make an intermediate recording? 49 CFR 395.26(d)
  • A truck uses an electronic logging device. For how many days must the blank paper graph-grids on board be enough? 49 CFR 395.22(h)
  • A vehicle could have been driven from a crash scene, but driving it would have damaged it further. How does section 390.5T treat that damage? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • A violation is on a driver's Clearinghouse record. Besides finishing the return-to-duty process and follow-up testing, how much time must pass before it stops being available to employers? 49 CFR 382.719(a)
  • A whistleblower complaint has had no final order after 210 days, and the delay is not the driver's doing. What may the driver do? 29 CFR 1978.114(a)
  • According to the post-crash procedures unit, what is the reason to move on-road vehicles off the road after a minor crash? 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix A
  • After a crash a truck has a flat tire, no other damage and no spare. Is that disabling damage under section 390.5T? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • An authorized safety official asks for a driver's hours-of-service records from the ELD. What must the driver do? 49 CFR 395.24(d)
  • An employer asks a driver for consent to query the Clearinghouse and the driver will not give it. What may the employer not permit? 49 CFR 382.703(c)
  • An independent contractor personally operates a commercial motor vehicle. Is that person an employee protected by 29 CFR Part 1978? 29 CFR 1978.101
  • An intermodal container rides on a container chassis. Which corners must be secured to the chassis? 49 CFR 393.126(b)
  • At what shipment weight do the paper roll rules of section 393.122 apply? 49 CFR 393.122(a)
  • Besides a motor carrier, who is forbidden by section 390.6 to coerce a driver to break the safety rules? 49 CFR 390.6(a)
  • Besides drivers, which workers are employees under 29 CFR 1978.101? 29 CFR 1978.101
  • Does the duty to stay available for a post-accident test mean an injured person's medical care must wait? 49 CFR 382.303(e)
  • How does a driver certify the ELD record for a 24-hour period? 49 CFR 395.30(b)
  • How long must a motor carrier keep an accident on its accident register? 49 CFR 390.15(b)
  • How many supporting documents, at most, does a motor carrier need to retain for one driver's 24-hour period? 49 CFR 395.11(d)
  • How many tiedowns, at least, restrain heavy machinery with crawler tracks or wheels under section 393.130? 49 CFR 393.130(c)
  • How much training must a supervisor who decides on reasonable suspicion testing receive? 49 CFR 382.603
  • How must a large boulder be placed on the vehicle under section 393.136? 49 CFR 393.136(b)
  • How must bundles of dressed lumber be positioned, unless a means keeps them from shifting toward each other? 49 CFR 393.118(b)
  • How must firewood, stumps and log debris be transported under section 393.116? 49 CFR 393.116(a)
  • How must the dates of random tests be arranged under section 382.305? 49 CFR 382.305(k)
  • How often, at least, must an employer query the Clearinghouse for each driver it employs? 49 CFR 382.701(b)
  • In what form must a whistleblower complaint under 29 CFR Part 1978 be made? 29 CFR 1978.103(b)
  • May a driver see the information about himself or herself in the Clearinghouse? 49 CFR 382.709
  • May a motor carrier make a driver go through the carrier to get copies of the driver's own records that are on the ELD? 49 CFR 395.36(a)
  • May a motor carrier use allowed technology to monitor a driver's productivity? 49 CFR 390.36(b)
  • No driver has logged in and the truck starts to move. Which account does the ELD attach the operation to? 49 CFR 395.32(a)
  • On logging in, the ELD shows a driver some unassigned driving time. What must the driver do? 49 CFR 395.32(b)
  • Section 391.11(b) says a driver must be able to operate the vehicle safely. By reason of what? 49 CFR 391.11(b)
  • What does section 382.205 say about alcohol while a driver is performing safety-sensitive functions? 49 CFR 382.205
  • What does section 393.132 say about synthetic webbing and a load of flattened or crushed cars? 49 CFR 393.132(b)
  • What does section 395.30(e) forbid a motor carrier to coerce a driver to do? 49 CFR 395.30(e)
  • What is harassment of a driver under section 390.36? 49 CFR 390.36(a)
  • What is the minimum annual percentage rate for random alcohol testing under section 382.305? 49 CFR 382.305(b)
  • What is the minimum annual percentage rate for random controlled substances testing under section 382.305? 49 CFR 382.305(b)
  • What is the upper limit on punitive damages in a preliminary order under 29 CFR 1978.105? 29 CFR 1978.105(a)
  • What may a driver who is disqualified under section 391.15 not do? 49 CFR 391.15(a)
  • What must a driver's written coercion complaint under section 390.6 contain? 49 CFR 390.6(b)
  • What must a vehicle that carries logs under section 393.116 be fitted with? 49 CFR 393.116(b)
  • What must an employer do in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before a prospective driver performs safety-sensitive functions? 49 CFR 382.701(a)
  • What must an employer have received before a new driver first performs safety-sensitive functions for it? 49 CFR 382.301(a)
  • What must an employer tell a driver before a test under Part 382 is performed? 49 CFR 382.113
  • What must not be used as the username of a driver's ELD account, or as part of it? 49 CFR 395.22(c)
  • When is a driver's apprehension of serious injury reasonable under 29 CFR 1978.102? 29 CFR 1978.102(f)
  • When may a motor carrier not request edits to a driver's electronic records? 49 CFR 395.30(d)
  • When must a driver manually enter a location description in an ELD? 49 CFR 395.24(c)
  • Which act by a driver does 29 CFR 1978.102 protect from retaliation? 29 CFR 1978.102(c)
  • Which damage is excluded from disabling damage under section 390.5T? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • Which ELD may a motor carrier that is required to use ELDs put in its trucks? 49 CFR 395.22(a)
  • Which item is part of the ELD information packet a driver must have on board? 49 CFR 395.22(h)
  • Which occurrence does the section 390.5T definition of accident leave out? 49 CFR 390.5T
  • Which of these is a category of supporting document a motor carrier keeps to verify on-duty not driving time? 49 CFR 395.11(c)
  • Which of these is a data element that an ELD records automatically? 49 CFR 395.26(b)
  • Which of these is a general qualification of a driver under section 391.11(b)? 49 CFR 391.11(b)
  • Which of these must a driver manually enter or verify on the ELD, if applicable? 49 CFR 395.24(c)
  • Which two special driving categories may a motor carrier configure on an ELD? 49 CFR 395.28(a)
  • Who may an employer name as its designated employer representative under section 382.107? 49 CFR 382.107
  • Who must perform the medical examination of a commercial driver, apart from the listed exceptions? 49 CFR 391.43(a)
  • Who, besides the medical examiner, may perform the part of the examination that involves visual acuity, field of vision and color recognition? 49 CFR 391.43(b)
  • With which agency is a complaint of retaliation under 29 CFR Part 1978 filed? 29 CFR 1978.103(c)
  • Within how long of an alleged retaliation must a driver file a whistleblower complaint? 29 CFR 1978.103(d)

The training rule 14

  • A driver applies only to remove a restriction from a CDL under section 383.135(b)(7). Does the entry-level driver training rule apply? 49 CFR 380.603(a)
  • A provider is removed from the Training Provider Registry. Is training it gives after the removal date valid? 49 CFR 380.721
  • A trainee watches another trainee drive on a public road. Does that time count as behind-the-wheel public road training? 49 CFR 380.605
  • A training provider teaches at three campuses. How are they identified on the Training Provider Registry? 49 CFR 380.703(a)
  • After a trainee completes training, by when must the provider send the certification to the Training Provider Registry? 49 CFR 380.717
  • How is a trainee's behind-the-wheel proficiency judged under section 380.715(b)? 49 CFR 380.715(b)
  • How long must a training provider keep its records of a driver-trainee's training? 49 CFR 380.725
  • How much driving experience must a behind-the-wheel instructor have, under the definition in section 380.605? 49 CFR 380.605
  • May a trainee take theory training from one provider and behind-the-wheel training from another? 49 CFR 380.707(c)
  • May theory instruction be given online or with a driving simulation device, under the definition in section 380.605? 49 CFR 380.605
  • What must training instructors document about the time a trainee spends on the behind-the-wheel curriculum? 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix A
  • What vehicles must a provider use for behind-the-wheel training? 49 CFR 380.711(b)
  • Which applicant is excepted from entry-level driver training under section 380.603(a)? 49 CFR 380.603(a)
  • Who gives the theory assessment that ends the theory part of entry-level driver training? 49 CFR 380.715(a)

How this list was compiled: Written from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49: the Class A theory curriculum in Appendix A to 49 CFR Part 380 and Subparts F and G of that part, with the facts taken from 49 CFR Parts 382, 390, 391, 392, 393, 395 and 396 (text in force on 2026-10-01) and from 29 CFR Part 1978 at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/part-1978 (text in force on 2026-09-30), checked 2026-10-05. Each question names its section and its unit of the appendix. Definitions are cited to section 390.5T, which is in force while section 390.5 is suspended. Sections amended in 2026 are cited as amended: 396.9 and 395.22 (June 22, 2026), 396.13 (February 19, 2026), 391.45, 396.3 and 390.5T (July 21, 2026). The FMCSA lists registered training providers on its Training Provider Registry at https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the regulation text; nothing is copied from a training provider's course or assessment, a state CDL manual, the AAMVA test item pool or another practice test.

How it works

This unofficial ELDT practice test has 142 questions on the Class A theory units in Appendix A to 49 CFR Part 380, checked October 5, 2026. Every training provider writes its own theory assessment, so no government question pool exists.

Read the full guide

What this ELDT theory practice test covers

The questions follow the five sections of the federal Class A theory curriculum, plus the training rule itself, and each explanation names its unit. Only units where a regulation states the fact are asked. Visual search, space and speed management, night driving, skid control, shifting and backing are not covered: providers teach them from their own course material.

Rounds of ten, then a 30 question exam

Practice runs in rounds of ten. The Start from menu under the question picks one topic, and after a round More options holds your Missed questions. Exam mode asks 30 questions, a length this site chose, and passes at 24 right: the overall 80 percent that 49 CFR 380.715 sets for the theory assessment.

  • Hours of service is the largest unit here: 22 questions on electronic logging devices and supporting documents.
  • The whistleblower questions cite 29 CFR Part 1978, the one source here outside Title 49.

Questions and answers

Is this ELDT practice test free?

Yes. Every question, every explanation and exam mode are free, with no account. Your answers stay in this browser.

What score do you need to pass the ELDT theory test?

An overall minimum score of 80 percent on the theory assessment, under 49 CFR 380.715(a). The training provider gives the assessment and sends your training certification to the Training Provider Registry.

How many questions are on the ELDT theory test?

The rule sets no number. 49 CFR 380.715 requires written assessments on the theory portion of each unit, and each provider writes its own, so ask your provider. The 30 in exam mode here is a practice length.

Who has to take ELDT?

Under 49 CFR 380.609, a person applying for a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time or upgrading to one, and a person seeking a first passenger, school bus or hazardous materials endorsement. Section 380.603 lists the exceptions.

How many hours is ELDT theory training?

Appendix A to 49 CFR Part 380 sets no minimum number of instruction hours for theory training. The instructor must cover every topic in the curriculum.

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