How Many Questions Are on the Alabama CDL General Knowledge Test?
50 questions. That count comes from 49 CFR Part 383, applied identically in Alabama as in every state — ALEA administers the federal test rather than writing its own.
Federal test, ALEA-run process
The General Knowledge test's 50 questions and 80% threshold are fixed nationally. Alabama's own contribution is the fee structure — a $25 testing fee and a separate $36.25 issuance fee for the CLP, itemized rather than bundled.
Depending on the class and endorsements you're pursuing, additional tests — like Air Brakes or Combination Vehicles — may also apply on top of the General Knowledge test.
The 360-day, non-renewable clock
Once issued, an Alabama CLP is valid for 360 days and cannot be renewed at all — if it expires before you've completed the skills test, every written test has to be retaken and a new CLP issued from scratch.
That makes planning your ELDT and skills-test timeline around this hard deadline more important than memorizing the exact federal question count.
How our practice tests are structured
Our practice tests break results down by topic immediately, so a weak spot doesn't stay hidden inside an otherwise decent overall score.
Each question includes an explanation and a source reference, so you learn why an answer is correct instead of just memorizing a letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are on Alabama's CDL General Knowledge test?
50 questions, the federally standard length used nationwide, not an Alabama-specific number.
What does the Alabama CLP cost?
A $25 testing fee plus a separate $36.25 issuance fee.
What happens if my Alabama CLP expires?
You must retake all required written tests and be issued a brand-new CLP — it can't be renewed.
Ready to put this into practice?
Start a free Alabama cdl practice testLast reviewed: 2026-07-21