What's the Passing Score on the Mississippi CDL General Knowledge Test?
40 out of 50 — 80% — passes Mississippi's CDL General Knowledge test, to be completed within a one-hour time limit.
A federal bar, a per-attempt local price tag
49 CFR Part 383 sets the CDL general knowledge test at 50 questions and 80% nationwide, with Mississippi's DPS administering that standard rather than writing its own.
The $5 fee attaches to each individual attempt, not a one-time charge, so a failed try means paying it again before retesting.
Racing the clock adds a second kind of pressure
A one-hour limit for 50 questions is workable at a normal pace, but rushing to beat the clock is exactly when a careless misread costs a point that reading level-headedly wouldn't have.
Once you're through the knowledge test, the separate $16 CLP fee follows, plus a mandatory 14-day wait before the skills test can even be scheduled.
The material that actually costs points
Air brake PSI thresholds and hours-of-service caps are memorization, not intuition — get the exact number wrong and the question is wrong, no partial credit for being close.
Cargo securement's 50-mile-then-150-mile recheck sequence is a common one to reverse under pressure.
A missed practice question is only useful if you read the full explanation — the correct letter alone teaches nothing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Mississippi require a higher passing score than 80% for the CDL test?
No. 49 CFR Part 383 fixes the CDL general knowledge test at 50 questions and an 80% passing threshold nationwide — Mississippi's DPS administers that federal standard rather than setting its own.
Does a failed knowledge test attempt cost extra to retake?
Yes — the $5 fee applies per attempt, so a retake means paying it again.
What score should I aim for on practice tests?
Aim for 90% or higher consistently before your appointment. That buffer above the 80% minimum accounts for first-attempt nerves.
Ready to put this into practice?
Start a free Mississippi cdl practice testLast reviewed: 2026-07-23