Frustrated With CDL Permit Testing

I leave on April 17th to start training on April 19th at Wilson in Missoula. They are giving me a rental car, which is awesome. It's a beautiful 14 hour drive from Vegas to there. My only hard decision is whether I want to take the 93 all the way up or the I15. Both are lovely drives. But I digress. I'll never get to go if I don't pass this freakin CDL permit test!!

When I was young, I could read a book once and pass any test on it. My first attempt at the permit test proves that this is not so any more. I think I killed that part of my brain back in the 90s. I barely squeaked by on the General Knowledge and failed miserably at both the Combinations and the Air Brakes.

I did what anyone would do, cursed in my 4runner all the way home, then spent the weekend doing nothing but the High Road training here and using a couple of apps that friends have recommended. Figured I had it. I am good to go...yeah not so much. Back to the DMV , passed combinations with one missing question...but air brakes...ohhhh air brakes. Yeah. You can miss 5 and I missed 6. The thing that really trips my trigger is one of the questions I missed is just because I misread the stupid question about when the air compressor turns on or off.....grrrrr I think the fact that I am not good at reading about mechanical things doesn't help. Show me how it works, let me put my hands on it and I got it....grrrr

So the good news is I get another day to study and then back to take the air brakes again...for a 3rd time. I had a 4.0 GPA when I graduated high school and I don't do failing well. I'll get it this time. But man I am over that test. Thanks for letting me whine/vent. I'll get it this time.

I taught a permit class at Swift for a while. Here are some pointers:

• The air compressor on really is tricky. But to governor simply turns the pumping action on and off.
• Busses do have an extra air tank simply to allow them to move after the compressor goes out.
• Alcohol in the air brake system is an anti-freeze for the air supply.
• The only time "45" shows up in the entire test system is the answer to the question "... the site pressure should build from 85 to 100 psi within ___ seconds."
• Remember, if you see not in a question you need to find the incorrect answer.
• Some answer sets are correct for other questions! Be sure the answer his for the question you are looking at.

Oops, forgot!

Using the computerized testing system, use the Skip button for any question you are not sure of. Remember, once you get 15 correct answers the test will stop (or if you miss more than 5), and you pass!

Oops, forgot!

Using the computerized testing system, use the Skip button for any question you are not sure of. Remember, once you get 15 correct answers the test will stop (or if you miss more than 5), and you pass!

Thanks Errol! I did do the skip thing, but still missed them lol I think the thing I am most frustrated about is missing it by the one I misread :D The other 5 were things I never saw on the High Road training and forgot from the book. I'll reread the book tomorrow to make sure I have them.

Oops, forgot!

Using the computerized testing system, use the Skip button for any question you are not sure of. Remember, once you get 15 correct answers the test will stop (or if you miss more than 5), and you pass!

Thanks Errol! I did do the skip thing, but still missed them lol I think the thing I am most frustrated about is missing it by the one I misread :D The other 5 were things I never saw on the High Road training and forgot from the book. I'll reread the book tomorrow to make sure I have them.

Howdy, m'lady!!! I'll hit ya up on FB later, but I sure want to wish you WELL !!! You CAN do this!

ps: If you could post what 5 were NOT on the HRTP, I'd bet ya when Brett rolls out his new & improved...he'd add them!

I'm so excited for you; being this close to making your dream(s) a REALITY!!!! About 10 months behind you, myself!!!!

~ Anne ~

Use logic on the one you never saw before.

• if the answer has a "reason" (often starting with "because", then it's wrong.
• 3hhhh
• If one answer is more detailed than the others, it's probably the right one.
• If the answers are list, most of the "parts" are correct, so look for parts that are not actually related to the question. Like Apple, Orange, Baseball, Cherry

A handy thing to think about. Reservoir tank is a bar, the governor is the the government, it only allows people (air) into the bar if the bar is empty or below 120 to 140 psi (pounds per square inch can be though of as people standing in the bar. The gauge tells us how many people are in the bar. The governor says that if there is less than 120 to 140 people in the bar, it will let people in. But of course the governor loves regulations, so he says that the doorway must allow the population of the bar to rise between 85 to 100 people within 45 seconds. You know that the governor is working if the gauge show people being let into the bar because it rises. You know if the governor is enforcing his bills if he stops letting people in between 120 and 140 psi. Governors always govern-they tell people and things what to do and when to do it

I did the same thing you did. Exactly the same. Alot of us probably have. Passed the general knowledge, failed everything else. Walked out of the dmv thinking I was finished. Spent day and night through the weekend studying. Came in and passed with flying colors.

I didn’t pass the 2nd time because I studied more. Rather I was trying to rush through the test. I was also nervous and overthinking everything. I had to slow my thinking down and really read through the questions. You got this Vicki!

Oops, forgot!

Using the computerized testing system, use the Skip button for any question you are not sure of. Remember, once you get 15 correct answers the test will stop (or if you miss more than 5), and you pass!

Not in Virginia!

We have the touch screen computer stations at the DMV and you are allowed to miss 10 out of 50 to pass. You have to answer all 50 questions. The first try to challenge the test is free but if you fail then, it costs $2.00 for the next two attempts. If you fail three times then you are not allowed to re-take the test until you go to CDL school.

Also, I would suggest skipping the parts of the book that you feel comfortable with. It may make it seem easier. For me stuff like traffic signs and the Combination Vehicles part was a breeze. I basically just needed to study Air Brakes and then I was okay. Also, I failed my first try because I made it all the way to the end of the test and missed the question on BAL (blood alcohol level) because, I totally just skipped that part of the book altogether. Be sure to study that part!