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CDL — Commercial Driver's License in California
California DMV
📋 Exam facts
Real California exam administration — from the official source
- Practice questions (this site)
- 1281
- Testing agency
- California DMV
- Real written-test languages
- English · Arabic · Chinese · Punjabi · Russian · Spanish
- To pass
- 80% (General Knowledge 40/50)
- Fee
- Commercial Class A/B original application $100 (bundled; no separate test fee)
- Retake policy
- 3 attempts per knowledge test; no waiting period to retake
- Languages note
- Commercial knowledge tests in 6 languages (CA Commercial Driver Handbook §1). The skills test must be in English (interpreter prohibited).
✍️ Reviewed by the PassPrep editorial team · How we verify →
🚌 School Bus (S) — additional California requirements
Beyond the federal CDL School Bus knowledge + skills test, this state adds its own school-bus driver credential. (Practice here covers the knowledge test only.)
- Administering agency
- California Highway Patrol (CHP), with CDE & DMV
- State credential
- California Special Driver Certificate (DL 45), issued by the CHP — required in addition to a CDL with the (S) school-bus and/or (P) passenger endorsement.
- Initial training
- 40 hours minimum
- Renewal / in-service
- Minimum 10 hours of in-service instruction during each 12-month training period.
- Other prerequisites
- Original applicants complete a minimum 40-hour course, complete behind-the-wheel training with the CDE or school district before CHP behind-the-wheel testing, and pass a CHP first-aid exam (or a Red Cross / EMSA-approved first-aid course).
Languages, fees and rules change — confirm with the official source linked for each state. 待核 / 'To confirm' = not yet confirmed from an official source (shown honestly, never guessed). The 2025 federal English-Language-Proficiency action is roadside out-of-service enforcement, not a state test-language mandate; states set their own written-test languages (Texas and Florida moved to English-only in 2026).