Comparison

CDL Practice Test® 2026 vs CDL Permit

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CDL Practice Test® 2026

Prepare for your CDL written exam with over 1,600 practice questions and detailed explanations. Access state-specific manuals and an official-length exam mode. Practice is free, with optional subscriptions for advanced features.

Highlights
  • 1,600+ practice questions
  • Detailed 'See Why' explanations
  • Class A and Class B coverage
  • All endorsement preparation
  • Official-length Exam Mode
  • 50-state CDL manuals
  • Live support
Features
Read full description

CDL Practice Test® is the original CDL exam prep — and the largest question-and-answer pool available. Practice is free. Every question includes a reference to the FMCSA CDL Manual. Pass the 2026 written exam for Class A, Class B, and every endorsement. 1,600+ current questions with answers and See Why on every miss, CDL manuals for all 50 states, and official-length Exam Mode. 6,000+ ratings at 4.8 stars. Live support 9am–5pm CDT. No account required. WHY THIS IS THE ONE • The original CDL Practice Test® — first on the store, built for the written exam, not a clone • Largest available practice bank: 1,600+ questions and answers, reviewed throughout the year for 2026 • Class A and Class B • Every endorsement, including School Bus • See Why explanations when you miss • Progressive unlock — hit 80% and move on • Official-length Exam Mode, by topic • State CDL manuals for all 50 states • Live support from 9am to 5pm CDT • Practice stays free. Subscribe only when you want Exam Mode. WHAT YOU STUDY • General Knowledge • Air Brakes • Combination Vehicles • Hazardous Materials • Tanker • Passenger • Doubles / Triples • School Bus HOW IT WORKS 1. Open the app. No registration. 2. Practice by topic. Wrong answers get a plain-English See Why. 3. Score 80% to unlock the next set. 4. When you are ready, Exam Mode uses official counts: General Knowledge 50, Air Brakes 25, HazMat 30, and 20 on Combination, Doubles/Triples, Passenger, Tanker, and School Bus. 5. Walk into the DMV having already sat the test. PRACTICE IS FREE. EXAM MODE IS OPTIONAL. The question bank, See Why, and 50-state manuals are free. Exam Mode is the subscription — weekly, monthly, or yearly — for drivers who want the official-length simulator before test day. Restore purchases any time from the paywall. This app covers written exams in all 50 states. Practice with Purpose. Pass with Confidence.™

About

CDL Permit

Prepare for your 2026 Commercial Driver's License (CDL) exam with comprehensive study materials. Access state-specific rules and knowledge domains for various vehicle types. Offers premium features for enhanced practice.

Highlights
  • State-specific CDL rules
  • Multiple knowledge domains
  • General knowledge study
  • Specialized vehicle prep
  • Random exam mode
  • Timed quiz option
  • Incorrect questions review
Read full description

Ace your 2026 CDL exam with a great level of self-assurance!\n\nA CDL is a driver's license that allows you to operate commercial motor vehicles. Obtaining a CDL means you have the skills and capability to operate a specialized vehicle, whether it is a commercial truck, combination vehicle, school bus, or fuel tanker. The rules differ for each state and our app collects them all in a single and convenient package!\n\nDepending on your state and required CDL category you are able to study these knowledge domains:\n* General knowledge (required for all)\n* HazMat\n* School bus\n* Passenger Vehicles\n* Air Brakes\n* Combination Vehicles\n* Double/Triple Trailers\n* Tanker Vehicles\n* Pre-inspection\n\nTerms of use: https://driving.mapola.org/terms\nPrivacy policy: https://driving.mapola.org/policy\n\n**************\nPremium access\n**************\n\nYou need to buy lifetime access (paid once) or subscribe to get access to all features (such as random exam, timed quiz, incorrect questions review, bookmarks and etc.), courses and questions. The cost of the purchase is charged to your iTunes account. Subscriptions are auto-renewable and are billed at the rate and period selected depending on the subscription plan. Users’ accounts are charged for auto-renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period.\n\nSubscriptions can be managed and auto-renewal can be turned off in Account Settings in iTunes after the purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.

Screenshots

CDL Practice Test® 20264 screens
CDL Permit4 screens

Verdict

The call

CDL Practice Test® 2026 and CDL Permit both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 71% of CDL Practice Test® 2026's written reviews are positive against 47% of CDL Permit's. CDL Practice Test® 2026 also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly). CDL Permit's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. CDL Practice Test® 2026 sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and CDL Permit sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for CDL Practice Test® 2026 against 4.7 for CDL Permit. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.1K and 18K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of CDL Practice Test® 2026's written reviews are positive against 47% of CDL Permit's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CDL Practice Test® 2026 ships an update weekly, CDL Permit monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
CDL Practice Test® 2026 versus CDL Permit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCDL Practice Test® 2026CDL Permit
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (6.1K ratings) — better4.7 (18K ratings)
Positive reviews70.8% of reviews — better46.7% of reviews
Number of ratings6.1K18K — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe PATG Group, Inc.Mapola LTD

Customer experience

CDL Practice Test® 2026

All ratings6,125 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews72 reviews
Positive70.8%
Neutral6.9%
Negative22.2%

CDL Permit

All ratings17,744 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive46.7%
Neutral8.2%
Negative45.1%

User reviews

CDL Practice Test® 2026

From 6.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Efficient app for studying and preparing for Hazmat test
  • 👍 Wonderful app with 85-90% of questions and answers matching the actual DMV exam
  • 👍 Great app for passing CDL tests
  • 👍 Extremely helpful in preparing for the test
  • 👍 Accurate practice test questions

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Some incorrect answers and wrong information
  • 🐛 App bugs out, questions won't load or answers are all wrong
  • 🐛 Grammatical errors and misleading answers in questions
  • 🐛 Paid access not working as expected
  • 🐛 Hazmat test section not representative of actual test

CDL Permit

From 18K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful for passing CDL tests
  • 💡 Provides a lot of practice questions
  • 🚀 Effective study tool
  • 🚀 Closest to actual test questions

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Repeated questions in tests
  • 🐛 Incorrect or misleading questions/answers
  • 💰 Subscription required to access full content
  • 🐛 App crashes and connection issues

Bugs and requests

CDL Practice Test® 2026

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • General knowledge test 16 has an infinite loop
  • Hazmat test #4 has a question with no correct answer
  • Air brakes test 7 is not functional

Requested features

2 requests
  • Add brief explanations for correct answers
  • Improve training and teaching aspects during practice tests

CDL Permit

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Answer choices cut off
  • Flashcards not working
  • Subscription issues (unable to cancel, still charged)

Requested features

3 requests
  • State-specific question banks
  • Ability to report incorrect questions
  • More varied and up-to-date question pool

In-app purchases

3 purchases

CDL Practice Test® 2026

Subscriptions3
  • CDL Prep$4.997 Days
  • CDL Prep Monthly$17.991 Month
  • CDL Prep Yearly$99.001 Year
3 purchases

CDL Permit

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly w Trial, Special Offer3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • CDL Prep Practice Test 20237 Days trial$24.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is CDL Practice Test® 2026 free?
CDL Practice Test® 2026 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CDL Permit free?
CDL Permit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CDL Practice Test® 2026 or CDL Permit?
CDL Practice Test® 2026 is rated higher. CDL Practice Test® 2026 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while CDL Permit averages 4.7 from 18K ratings.
Do CDL Practice Test® 2026 or CDL Permit have ads?
Both CDL Practice Test® 2026 and CDL Permit show ads.
Which is updated more often, CDL Practice Test® 2026 or CDL Permit?
CDL Practice Test® 2026 ships an update weekly, and CDL Permit monthly. Most recently, CDL Practice Test® 2026 was updated on October 29, 2026 and CDL Permit on November 1, 2026.

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