MI CDL General Knowledge study plan

MI CDL General Knowledge · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Driving Safely

Read the Driving Safely domain material end to end and rewrite the speed-management and following-distance rules in your own words.
Define each key term in Domain 1 (stopping distance, perception distance, reaction distance, brake lag, hydroplaning, escape ramp) on flashcards.
Work through at least 60 Domain 1 practice questions and log every miss with the reason you chose the wrong answer.
Build a one-page cheat sheet listing the posted-speed and following-distance numbers you must memorize.

A completed Domain 1 cheat sheet plus a scored log of 60 practice questions showing your accuracy percentage.

Week 2

Practice the hazard-recognition scenarios in Domain 1 (night driving, rain, snow, fog, work zones, railroad crossings) and state the correct action for each.
Explain out loud, without notes, how total stopping distance changes with speed, load, and road surface.
Re-attempt every Domain 1 question you missed in week 1 and confirm you can justify the correct answer.
Write five original scenario questions of your own covering skids, tire blowouts, and brake failures, then answer them.

A timed 40-question Domain 1 quiz scored at 85% or better, with written corrections for every miss.

Week 3

Study the Air Brakes domain and label a hand-drawn diagram of the air brake system: compressor, governor, reservoirs, safety valve, foot valve, slack adjusters, and spring brakes.
Recite the air brake pre-trip leakage test and the low-pressure warning check in the correct order.
Describe how to use the parking (spring) brakes and what happens when air pressure drops below the warning level.
Read Basic Control of Your Vehicle and list the correct procedures for starting, backing, turning, and stopping a loaded combination vehicle.

A labeled air brake system diagram plus a written step-by-step leakage test checklist from memory.

Week 4

Work through the Transporting Cargo Safely domain and list the rules for weight distribution, securement, and load limits.
Identify which cargo requires special securement (hazardous materials, livestock, hanging meat, sealed loads) and state the driver's responsibility for each.
Study Vehicle Inspection and memorize the seven-step inspection method in order.
Practice performing a verbal pre-trip inspection walk-around on a vehicle or a labeled photo set, naming each part and its defect criteria.
Answer 40 mixed practice questions across Cargo and Inspection and log your misses.

A recorded or written seven-step pre-trip inspection walkthrough covering at least 25 components with pass/fail criteria.

Week 5

Study Shifting Gears and Seeing Hazards and explain the difference between progressive and skip shifting and when each is used.
List the conditions that require downshifting before a downgrade and describe how to check brake condition on a long descent.
Read Communication and Space Management and describe the signals, lane position, and following-distance adjustments used in traffic.
Practice identifying hazards in written scenarios and rank them by risk level.
Complete 50 practice questions across Domains 6 and 7 and correct every miss.

A written hazard log of 15 scenarios, each with the identified hazard, risk ranking, and planned response.

Week 6

Memorize the hours-of-service limits that apply to your operation (driving limit, on-duty limit, required break, reset) and write them from memory.
Describe the causes and warning signs of fatigue and list at least five countermeasures that work before drowsiness sets in.
Study Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driver Wellness and state the BAC limits and the consequences of a DUI for a CDL holder.
List the health and wellness factors that affect driving fitness and the reporting obligations that come with them.
Answer 40 practice questions across Domains 8 and 9 and review every explanation.

A one-page hours-of-service and wellness reference card written entirely from memory and checked against the source material.

Week 7

Re-read your week 1-4 notes and flashcards, focusing only on items you previously missed.
Take a full-length mixed practice exam weighted like the real test (30% Driving Safely, 12% Cargo, 12% Air Brakes, 10% Inspection) and score it.
Categorize every missed question by domain and identify your two weakest areas.
Drill your two weakest areas with 30 targeted questions each until you reach 90% accuracy.

A full-length practice exam score report with a domain-by-domain breakdown and a list of your two weakest areas.

Week 8

Re-take the full-length practice exam and compare the score to week 7, confirming improvement in your weak areas.
Review all flashcards and cheat sheets one final time, retiring cards you now answer instantly.
Practice the pre-trip inspection walkthrough one more time at test pace.
Confirm your test-day logistics: appointment time, required documents, and what to bring.

A final full-length practice exam scored at 90% or better, with all remaining weak items resolved.

Week 2: Score 85% or better on a timed 40-question Domain 1 quiz and be able to explain stopping distance and hazard responses without notes.

Week 4: Deliver the seven-step pre-trip inspection walkthrough from memory and score 80% or better on mixed Cargo and Inspection questions.

Week 6: Write the hours-of-service limits and the air brake leakage test from memory with no errors.

Week 8: Score 90% or better on a full-length mixed practice exam with no domain below 80%.