What's the Passing Score on Vermont's CDL General Knowledge Test?

Missing 10 of the 50 questions still lands exactly at 40 correct, the minimum passing line — an 11th wrong answer, and the attempt fails outright, no matter how strong the rest of the test went.

That's a wider numeric cushion than Vermont's 20-question car permit test allows, but the material itself is denser: air brakes, cargo securement, and combination-vehicle handling all draw from federal rule rather than everyday driving experience.

A retest costs money on its own, but it also doesn't shorten the Commercial Learner's Permit's mandatory 14-day hold before the skills test — failing the knowledge test and needing a second attempt simply pushes the whole timeline back.

Since the CLP itself already runs $18 and the full CDL another $72 or $108 depending on the license term chosen, a first-attempt pass keeps the whole process moving on the fee and timeline you originally planned for.

Push practice scores comfortably past 80%, closer to 90%, since the pressure of an actual test session tends to cost a working driver a few points they wouldn't lose reviewing material at home.

Track results by topic rather than by overall score — a driver who's strong on inspection and hours-of-service but weak specifically on cargo securement needs a different study plan than the raw percentage alone would suggest.