Texas CDL practice test
The CDL general knowledge test follows federal standards, so these questions apply in Texas just as they do nationwide — it is the same test that earns your TX commercial learner's permit (CLP). Below the test you'll find the Texas-specific steps to actually get licensed.
The pedal on a hydraulically braked vehicle goes spongy and sinks to the floor. What can you do?
Texas endorsement tests
General knowledge is the test above. Each endorsement has its own written test and its own question pool — practise the ones your job needs, with the TX steps on each page.
Getting your CDL in Texas
In Texas, apply through the state licensing agency (TX DMV / DOT). The core steps are the same across states:
- Get a valid TX driver's license and provide required identity documents.
- Pass the DOT physical with a certified medical examiner and carry your medical card.
- Pass the written knowledge tests (general knowledge plus any endorsements you need).
- Hold your commercial learner's permit (CLP) for the required waiting period.
- Complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) with a registered provider, if required.
- Pass the skills test — pre-trip inspection, basic controls, and road test.
Exact fees, permit hold times, and document requirements are set by Texas. Confirm the current details with the TX licensing agency before you go.
What is different in Texas
Licensing in Texas runs through the Texas Department of Public Safety. The part that catches people out is not the test — it is the medical certificate, because the way it reaches the state changed in 2025.
You do not file your medical card with Texas DPS any more. DPS began accepting medical certification electronically from the National Registry on 23 March 2025, and since 23 June 2025 CDL and commercial learner’s permit holders are no longer required to submit certificates to the department at all. Your examiner transmits the result by midnight of the next calendar day after the exam; allow up to 10 business days for it to appear on your record.
Texas stopped taking paper certificates on 10 April 2026
There is no longer a paper fallback in Texas. If an examiner hands you a printed card, it is a courtesy copy — the record that counts is the electronic one. Check your driving record after ten business days rather than assuming the card in your wallet did the job.
Texas moved to electronic medical certification on 23 March 2025. The Texas DOT physical page has the rest — what the exam checks, what happens if your certification lapses, and the DPS contacts worth having.
Official state source: Texas DPS — CDL Medical Certification Requirement· reviewed 2026-08-22
Don't forget the DOT physical
A valid medical certificate is required before you can be licensed. Read our DOT physical guide to know what the exam checks and how to pass it the first time.