How to Study for the CDL Test

There’s no denying the fact that the demand for commercial drivers is very high right now. Getting your CDL isn’t overly difficult to do. With the help of these useful studying tips, you’ll be well on your way to getting your commercial license’s endorsement.

Give Yourself Time

This may seem very obvious at first, however, many people end up cramming their studying into a couple of days. The CDL manual is 180 pages long. That’s a lot of information to try and memorize in a couple of days. Instead, set a reasonable schedule so that you can give yourself the time you need to actually process and understand the information that is presented. A great tip is to set a specific number of chapters per week. This way, you have multiple days to read over the chapters and process the information before moving on.

Take Practice Exams

Many people wait until they study to first take their practice exams. We encourage you to actually take one from the beginning. This way, you can easily see where you’re most knowledgeable and where you’re not. This will give you a clear idea of what areas you need to spend your time studying. These practice exams are readily available online for those who want to take them.

Know What Endorsements You’ll Need

There are various CDL endorsements that are available for you to get. Some examples include a school bus endorsement and a hazmat endorsement. If you have a specific job in mind, you’ll need to see if there are endorsements you’ll need to be tested for alongside your CDL general knowledge test. Knowing what you need to study to receive these endorsements is easy to do by looking at your specific State’s DMV website.

Use Various Studying Tools

Your state will supply you with a mandatory version of the CDL manual. However, that’s pretty much all they’re going to give you to take your test. You can get more creative by downloading useful studying applications and taking various practice tests from available sources online. The trick here is to change up the way that you study. This way, you can ensure that you actually understand the knowledge presented and aren’t just memorizing answers. When questions are presented in various formats such as in a printed test and a smartphone application exam, you have to rely on your own knowledge to get the questions right.

Studying for your CDL test is something that can change your life. A CDL license can open up a whole new world of job opportunities with great pay. Just be sure to utilize the studying tips we went over above to ensure that you receive great results on your exam.

Evan Shaner