Illinois CDL Hazardous Materials Practice Test

The Illinois CDL Hazardous Materials test is a multiple-choice knowledge test you take for your commercial learner's permit. Illinois Secretary of State, Driver Services Department says you need 80% to pass (source).

Last updated Oct 15, 2026. FirstTry CDL is a CDL permit test prep site by Hive Asset Group, LLC.

By Scott Wilder, Editor

Last reviewed against the Illinois CDL manual on October 15, 2026

Scott Wilder on X | scottwilderhq.com

FirstTry CDL is a CDL permit test prep site by Hive Asset Group, LLC. It offers free exam-style practice tests built from the official CDL manual. FirstTry CDL is not affiliated with any DMV, FMCSA or government agency. Practice questions are exam-style questions built from the official CDL manual, not actual test questions.

Illinois CDL permit facts

What	What Illinois says	Source
Hazardous Materials pass mark	80%	Official page
Hazardous Materials test questions	30	Official page
CLP fee (adding a CLP to an Illinois non-CDL license, or renewing an original CLP)	$50	Official page
CLP fee (current CDL holder upgrading class or adding an endorsement)	$5	Official page
CLP validity	One year. An original CLP expires one year from the date it is first issued.	Official page
Test languages	CDL knowledge tests are given in English only. You can ask for the audio format, where the computer reads the test. After trying audio, you can ask facility management about an oral test read by staff.	Official page

20 question Hazardous Materials practice test

1. Your hazardous materials cargo is already on fire. What is the safe choice?
1. A. Use the extinguisher on the cargo
2. B. Open the doors to let smoke out
3. C. Do not fight the fire
4. D. Drive on to a truck stop
Show answer
Answer: C. Do not fight the fire
If your cargo is already on fire, it is not safe to fight the fire.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.7.3 Fires.
2. What must shippers include on hazmat shipping papers besides a correct description?
1. A. The driver's home address
2. B. The weight of the truck
3. C. An emergency response telephone number
4. D. A list of rest stops
Show answer
Answer: C. An emergency response telephone number
Shippers must include an emergency response telephone number.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.3.1 Definitions.
3. After a collision, you must remove explosives before separating vehicles. How far should you place them from the vehicles?
1. A. 50 feet
2. B. 100 feet
3. C. 150 feet
4. D. 200 feet
Show answer
Answer: D. 200 feet
Place the explosives at least 200 feet from the vehicles and occupied buildings.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.7.4 Responses to Specific Hazards.
4. Your flammable liquid cargo tank is leaking. How far may you carry it?
1. A. Home to your terminal
2. B. No farther than needed to reach a safe place
3. C. To the next fuel stop
4. D. To the delivery point
Show answer
Answer: B. No farther than needed to reach a safe place
Never transport a leaking cargo tank farther than needed to reach a safe place.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.7.4 Responses to Specific Hazards.
5. Which is one way to mark hazardous materials on a mixed shipping paper?
1. A. Highlight them in a contrasting color
2. B. Underline the weight
3. C. Write them in pencil
4. D. Circle the page number
Show answer
Answer: A. Highlight them in a contrasting color
Hazardous materials may be highlighted in a contrasting color.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.3.5 The Item Description.
6. You see a hazardous materials package leaking while you load. What is the rule?
1. A. Drive slowly to the delivery
2. B. Do not move the vehicle with it
3. C. Wipe it and keep going
4. D. Move it to the back of the trailer
Show answer
Answer: B. Do not move the vehicle with it
It is illegal to move a vehicle with leaking hazardous materials.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.4.1 General Loading Requirements.
7. What fire extinguisher rating must a placarded power unit have?
1. A. 2 A
2. B. 5 B:C
3. C. 1 A:B
4. D. 10 B:C or more
Show answer
Answer: D. 10 B:C or more
The power unit must have a fire extinguisher rated 10 B:C or more.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.6.8 10 B C Fire Extinguisher.
8. Which bulk package does NOT need to show the owner's name or shipping name?
1. A. An intermediate bulk container (IBC)
2. B. A portable tank
3. C. A cargo tank
Show answer
Answer: A. An intermediate bulk container (IBC)
IBCs are bulk packages, but they are not required to have the owner's name or shipping name.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.5.1.
9. You may let someone else watch your parked explosives vehicle only on whose property?
1. A. The shipper's, carrier's, or consignee's
2. B. A truck stop owner's
3. C. A public rest area's
4. D. A friend's home
Show answer
Answer: A. The shipper's, carrier's, or consignee's
Someone else may watch only on the shipper's, carrier's, or consignee's property.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.6.1 Parking with Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 Explosives.
10. A Division 6.2 infectious substances package is damaged. Who should you contact right away?
1. A. The shipper's customer
2. B. Your supervisor
3. C. A nearby hospital
4. D. The next driver
Show answer
Answer: B. Your supervisor
You should immediately contact your supervisor.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.7.4 Responses to Specific Hazards.
11. A shipping paper lists hazardous and non-hazardous products. Where must the hazardous materials be entered?
1. A. Last
2. B. In the middle
3. C. In alphabetical order
4. D. First
Show answer
Answer: D. First
Hazardous materials must be entered first on a mixed shipping paper.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.3.5 The Item Description.
12. You are fueling a truck that carries hazardous materials. Who must be at the nozzle?
1. A. No one, if the nozzle locks open
2. B. Someone, controlling the fuel flow, at all times
3. C. Only the shipper
Show answer
Answer: B. Someone, controlling the fuel flow, at all times
Someone must always be at the nozzle, controlling fuel flow.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.6.7.
13. A shipper hands you a hazmat load with no proper shipping paper. What should you do?
1. A. Accept it and get the paper later
2. B. Do not accept the shipment
3. C. Accept it if the shipper is well known
Show answer
Answer: B. Do not accept the shipment
Do not accept a hazardous materials shipment without a properly prepared shipping paper.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.6.10.
14. Class 1, 4, and 5 loads must be in a closed cargo space unless the packages are fire and water resistant or covered with what?
1. A. Any plastic sheet
2. B. A fire and water resistant tarp
3. C. A cloth blanket
4. D. A rope net
Show answer
Answer: B. A fire and water resistant tarp
They may be covered with a fire and water resistant tarp.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.4.1 General Loading Requirements.
15. In hazmat rules, what is a carrier?
1. A. A person who transports passengers or property in commerce
2. B. A person who delivers only by truck
3. C. The person who receives the shipment
Show answer
Answer: A. A person who transports passengers or property in commerce
A carrier transports passengers or property in commerce by rail car, aircraft, motor vehicle, or vessel.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.8.
16. In Table 9.3, what is the reportable quantity for phorate?
1. A. 100 pounds
2. B. 5,000 pounds
3. C. 10 pounds
4. D. 1 pound
Show answer
Answer: C. 10 pounds
Table 9.3 lists phorate at 10 pounds (4.54 kilograms).
From the official CDL manual, section 9.3.3 Lists of Regulated Products.
17. What should you do to a trailer when it is uncoupled from the power unit?
1. A. Leave the brakes off
2. B. Park it on a slope
3. C. Open the cargo doors
4. D. Chock it to prevent motion
Show answer
Answer: D. Chock it to prevent motion
Always chock trailers and semi-trailers to prevent motion when uncoupled.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.5.4 Compressed Gas.
18. What should you do when you load hazmat containers?
1. A. Use hooks to pull them
2. B. Stack them as high as possible
3. C. Do all you can to protect them
4. D. Drop them gently into place
Show answer
Answer: C. Do all you can to protect them
The manual says to do all you can to protect containers of hazardous materials.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.4.
19. Where do emergency workers look for the proper shipping name and identification number?
1. A. On the driver's logbook
2. B. On the trailer license plate
3. C. On the fuel receipt
4. D. On the shipping paper
Show answer
Answer: D. On the shipping paper
Emergency personnel look for these things on the shipping paper, so they must be correct.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.7.1 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG).
20. How is the packing group shown on a shipping paper?
1. A. In Roman numerals
2. B. As a color name
3. C. As a decimal number
4. D. In letters from A to C
Show answer
Answer: A. In Roman numerals
The packing group is displayed in Roman numerals and may start with PG.
From the official CDL manual, section 9.3.5 The Item Description.

Illinois CDL Hazardous Materials questions

What score do you need to pass the Illinois CDL Hazardous Materials test?

Illinois says you need 80% to pass the Hazardous Materials test.

Is the Illinois CDL Hazardous Materials test the same as other states?

The Hazardous Materials test is built on the same federal knowledge standards in every state, so the topics match the CDL manual. Illinois uses its own handbook: https://www.ilsos.gov/content/dam/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_cdl10.pdf

How much does a CDL permit cost in Illinois?

CLP fee (adding a CLP to an Illinois non-CDL license, or renewing an original CLP): $50.

What languages is the Illinois CDL knowledge test offered in?

CDL knowledge tests are given in English only. You can ask for the audio format, where the computer reads the test. After trying audio, you can ask facility management about an oral test read by staff.

Sources

https://www.ilsos.gov/content/dam/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_cdl10.pdf
https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/drivers/basicfees.html
https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/drivers/drivers-license/cdl/cdl.html
Manual sections used in this test: 9.3.1 Definitions; 9.3.3 Lists of Regulated Products; 9.3.5 The Item Description; 9.4; 9.4.1 General Loading Requirements; 9.5.1; 9.5.4 Compressed Gas; 9.6.1 Parking with Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 Explosives; 9.6.10; 9.6.7; 9.6.8 10 B C Fire Extinguisher; 9.7.1 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG); 9.7.3 Fires; 9.7.4 Responses to Specific Hazards; 9.8

Hazardous Materials practice test in nearby states