Class B CDL practice test
Class B covers single heavy vehicles — box trucks, dump trucks, buses. The written test is the same general knowledge exam every CDL applicant takes, so these questions are exactly what you'll face. What changes for Class B is which tests you can skip.
In a highway work zone, you should:
What a Class B license covers
A Class B CDL lets you drive a single vehicle rated 26,001 lbs GVWR or more, as long as anything you tow stays at 10,000 lbs or less. In practice that means:
- Straight trucks and box (delivery) trucks
- Dump trucks and cement mixers
- Transit, charter, and school buses (with the passenger and school bus endorsements)
- Utility and bucket trucks
Tractor-trailers and any combination towing more than 10,000 lbs require Class A. A Class A license covers Class B vehicles too — but not the other way around.
Which written tests Class B drivers take
- General knowledge — required for everyone. That's the test above.
- Air brakes — take it unless you want an L restriction; nearly every Class B vehicle has air brakes. Practice the air brakes test.
- Endorsements as needed — passenger and school bus for buses, hazmat or tanker for certain loads.
- What you skip: the combination vehicles test and the doubles/triples endorsement — those belong to Class A.
The rest of the process
Beyond the written tests you'll need a DOT physical, Entry-Level Driver Training with a registered provider, a permit holding period, and a skills test in a Class B vehicle — see the pre-trip inspection checklist for the part most people fail (there is a pre-trip practice test too). Cost-wise, Class B training typically runs cheaper and shorter than Class A — the full cost breakdown is here.
Frequently asked
- What can I drive with a Class B CDL?
- A single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 lbs or more, towing nothing heavier than 10,000 lbs — straight trucks, box trucks, dump trucks, buses, and cement mixers. For tractor-trailers you need Class A.
- Is the Class B written test different from Class A?
- The general knowledge test is the same. The difference is what comes on top: Class A adds the combination vehicles test, while Class B drivers skip it. Both may need air brakes and endorsement tests depending on the vehicle.
- How many questions are on the Class B test?
- Most states ask 50 general knowledge questions and require about 80% to pass, plus about 25 more on air brakes if your vehicle has them.
- Is the Class B permit test the same as the Class B CDL test?
- Yes — the commercial learner’s permit (CLP) is earned by passing the same general knowledge test, plus air brakes and any endorsement tests you need. The permit lets you practice with a CDL holder; the skills test in a Class B vehicle comes after the holding period.
- Can I take the Class B CDL test online?
- No. The knowledge test is taken at your state licensing agency (a few states use approved third-party sites), and the skills test is always in person. What you can do online is practice — these questions follow the same federal manual the state test is written from.
- Is a Class B CDL easier to get than Class A?
- Generally yes — training is shorter and cheaper, and the skills test is in a straight truck rather than a combination. The trade-off is a smaller (mostly local) job market and usually lower pay than over-the-road Class A work.
Not sure this is the right class?
Class B covers heavy single vehicles — dump trucks, box trucks, buses — towing nothing over 10,000 lbs. It will not let you pull a tractor-trailer; that is Class A, and upgrading later means a second round of training.
Official sources · reviewed September 11, 2026: 49 CFR 383.91 and FMCSA CDL guidance.