49 C.F.R. Subpart H—Tests
Title 49 - Transportation
Source: 53 FR 27657, July 21, 1988, unless otherwise noted.
(a) Driver information manuals. Information on how to obtain a CDL and endorsements shall be included in manuals and made available by States to CDL applicants. All information provided to the applicant shall include the following: (1) Information on the requirements described in §383.71, the implied consent to alcohol testing described in §383.72, the procedures and penalties, contained in §383.51(b) to which a CDL holder is exposed for refusal to comply with such alcohol testing, State procedures described in §383.73, and other appropriate driver information contained in subpart E of this part; (2) Information on vehicle groups and endorsements as specified in subpart F of this part; (3) The substance of the knowledge and skills which drivers shall have as outlined in subpart G of this part for the different vehicle groups and endorsements; (4) Details of testing procedures, including the purpose of the tests, how to respond, any time limits for taking the test, and any other special procedures determined by the State of issuance; and (5) Directions for taking the tests. (b) Examiner procedures. A State shall provide to test examiners details on testing and any other State-imposed requirements in the examiner's manual, and shall ensure that examiners are qualified to administer tests on the basis of training and/or other experience. States shall provide standardized scoring sheets for the skills tests, as well as standardized driving instructions for the applicants. Such examiners' manuals shall contain the following: (1) Information on driver application procedures contained in §383.71, State procedures described in §383.73, and other appropriate driver information contained in subpart E of this part; (2) Details on information which must be given to the applicant; (3) Details on how to conduct the tests; (4) Scoring procedures and minimum passing scores; (5) Information for selecting driving test routes; (6) List of the skills to be tested; (7) Instructions on where and how the skills will be tested; (8) How performance of the skills will be scored; and (9) Causes for automatic failure of skills tests. [53 FR 27657, July 21, 1988, as amended at 53 FR 39051, Oct. 4, 1988] (a) All tests shall be constructed in such a way as to determine if the applicant possesses the required knowledge and skills contained in subpart G of this part for the type of motor vehicle or endorsement the applicant wishes to obtain. (b) States shall develop their own specifications for the tests for each vehicle group and endorsement which must be at least as stringent as the Federal standards. (c) States shall determine specific methods for scoring the knowledge and skills tests. (d) Passing scores must meet those standards contained in §383.135. (e) Knowledge and skills tests shall be based solely on the information contained in the driver manuals referred to in §383.131(a). (f) Each knowledge test shall be valid and reliable so as to assure that driver applicants possess the knowledge required under §383.111. (g) Each basic knowledge test, i.e., the test covering the areas referred to in §383.111 for the applicable vehicle group, shall contain at least 30 items, exclusive of the number of items testing air brake knowledge. Each endorsement knowledge test, and the air brake component of the basic knowledge test as described in §383.111(g), shall contain a number of questions that is sufficient to test the driver applicant's knowledge of the required subject matter with validity and reliability. (h) The skills tests shall have administrative procedures, designed to achieve interexaminer reliability, that are sufficient to ensure fairness of pass/fail rates. (a) The driver applicant must correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions on each knowledge test in order to achieve a passing score on such knowledge test. (b) To achieve a passing score on the skills test, the driver applicant must demonstrate that he/she can successfully perform all of the skills listed in §383.113. (c) If the driver applicant does not obey traffic laws, or causes an accident during the test, he/she shall automatically fail the test. (d) The scoring of the basic knowledge and skills tests shall be adjusted as follows to allow for the air brake restriction (§383.95): (1) If the applicant scores less than 80 percent on the air brake component of the basic knowledge test as described in §383.111(g), the driver will have failed the air brake component and, if the driver is issued a CDL, an air brake restriction shall be indicated on the license; and (2) If the applicant performs the skills test in a vehicle not equipped with air brakes, the driver will have omitted the air brake component as described in §383.113(c) and, if the driver is issued a CDL, the air brake restriction shall be indicated on the license.
Title 49: Transportation
PART 383—COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE STANDARDS; REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES
Subpart H—Tests
§ 383.131 Test procedures.
§ 383.133 Testing methods.
§ 383.135 Minimum passing scores.
