CDL Practice Tests: School Bus Endorsement
Choose A Section:
Go!How will you know if your school bus is equipped with ABS?
- A yellow ABS sticker near the back emergency door
- A yellow ABS malfunction light on the back of the bus below the brake lights
- Red ABS malfunction lamp on the instrument panel
- Yellow ABS malfunction lamp on the instrument panel
As a bus driver, anytime you leave the bus you must:
- Turn off the ignition switch and remove the key
- Secure the control arm to the overhead fastener
- Open the rear safety door
- Put on the red flashing lights
Secure the bus by:
- Turning off the ignition switch.
- Removing key if leaving driver’s compartment.
If a student drops an object near the school bus, what should you instruct the student to do?
- Grab the object quickly and get out of danger
- None of these are correct
- Leave any dropped object and move to a point of safety out of the danger zones and then attempt to get the driver’s attention to retrieve the object
- Leave the object there and let the bus driver get it
Students should be told to leave any dropped object and move to a point of safety out of the danger zones and then attempt to get the driver’s attention to retrieve the object.
Some school buses are equipped with roof-mounted, white strobe lights. If your bus is so equipped, the overhead strobe light should be used when:
- You have a problem with your ABS system
- You have limited visibility
- You are waiting for children to cross the street
- You are in a construction zone or crossing railroad tracks
When students are loading the bus at the school campus you should:
- Remove key if leaving driver’s compartment
- All these are correct
- Position yourself to supervise loading as required or recommended by your state or local regulations
- Turn off the ignition switch
The loading procedure is essentially the same wherever you load students, but there are slight differences. When students are loading at the school campus, you should:
- Turn off the ignition switch.
- Remove key if leaving driver’s compartment.
- Position yourself to supervise loading as required or recommended by your state or local regulations.
When stopping a school bus at a bus stop, what is the last thing you must do before completely opening the door and signaling students to approach?
- Beep the horn to make sure students are paying attention
- Pump the brakes at least 5 times to reduce air pressure in the parking brakes
- All these are correct
- Make a final check to see that all traffic has stopped
When stopping, you should:
- Bring the school bus to a full stop with the front bumper at least 10 feet away from students at the designated stop. This forces the students to walk to the bus so you have a better view of their movements.
- Place transmission in “Park” (if there is no “Park” shift point, place in “Neutral” and set the parking brake at each stop.
- Activate alternating red lights when traffic is a safe distance from the school bus and ensure stop arm is extended.
- Make a final check to see that all traffic has stopped before completely opening the door and signaling students to approach.
The blind spot behind the bus extends how far depending on the length and width of the bus?
- 300 to 500 feet and could extend up to 1000 feet
- 150 to 350 feet and could extend up to 500 feet
- 50 to 150 feet and could extend up to 400 feet
- 200 to 400 feet and could extend up to 600 feet
If you get into an emergency as a school bus driver and there is no radio to call for help, what should you do?
- Keep all students on the bus no matter what and wait for help to arrive
- Lead the entire group of students in the direction you feel you can find help the fastest
- Dispatch a passing motorist or area resident to call for help. As a last resort, dispatch two older, responsible students to go for help.
- Sit a safe distance from the bus and wait for help. They will come looking for you when they discover you are late.
When unloading students on a school bus route, which of the following is NOT the correct procedure?
- Count the number of students while unloading to confirm the location of all students before pulling away from the stop.
- Tell students to exit the bus and walk at least 10 feet away from the side of the bus to a position where you can plainly see all students.
- Have the children lined up at the front of the bus, but behind the white line as you approach the stop
- Have the students remain seated until told to exit.
- Have the students remain seated until told to exit.
- Check all mirrors.
- Count the number of students while unloading to confirm the location of all students before pulling away from the stop.
- Tell students to exit the bus and walk at least 10 feet away from the side of the bus to a position where you can plainly see all students.
What can you do as a bus driver to ensure students are in a safe place during an emergency?
- Lead students to a safe place at least 100 feet off the road in the direction of oncoming traffic
- Lead students as far away from railroad tracks as possible and in the direction of any oncoming train.
- You can do all of these
- Lead students upwind of the bus if a fire is present.
Some tips to determine a safe place to lead students during an emergency:
- A safe place will be at least 100 feet off the road in the direction of oncoming traffic. This will keep the students from being hit by debris if another vehicle collides with the bus.
- Lead students upwind of the bus if a fire is present.
- Lead students as far away from railroad tracks as possible and in the direction of any oncoming train.
- Lead students upwind of the bus at least 300 feet if there is a risk from spilled hazardous materials.
- If the bus is in the direct path of a sighted tornado and evacuation is ordered, escort students to a nearby ditch or culvert if shelter in a building is not readily available and direct them to lie face down, hands covering their head. They should be far enough away so the bus cannot topple on them. Avoid areas that are subject to flash floods.
About The School Bus CDL Exam
The School Bus CDL Exam is required if you want to get a school bus or charter bus endorsement. It is not required for getting a Class A CDL to drive a big rig. Bus drivers must have a commercial driver's license if they drive a vehicle designed to seat 16 or more persons, including the driver.
Bus drivers must have a passenger endorsement on their commercial driver license. To obtain the endorsement, you must pass a knowledge test on the Safe Driving and (this section) portions of the CDL manual. If your bus has air brakes, you must also pass a knowledge test on air brakes. You must also pass the skills/drive tests required for the class and type of passenger vehicle you plan to drive.
This section covers:
- Vehicle Inspection
- Loading
- On the Road
- After-trip Vehicle Inspection
- Prohibited Practices
- Use of Brake-door Interlocks
Vehicle Inspection
Before driving your bus, make sure it is safe. You must review the inspection report made by the previous driver. Only if defects reported earlier have been certified as repaired or not needed to be repaired, should you sign the previous driver's report. This is your certification that the defects reported earlier have been repaired.
Make sure the following are in good working order before driving:
- Service brakes, including air hose couplings (if your bus has a trailer or semitrailer).
- Parking brake.
- Steering mechanism.
- Lights and reflectors.
- Tires (front wheels must not have re-capped or re-grooved tires).
- Horn.
- Windshield wiper or wipers.
- Rear-vision mirror or mirrors.
- Coupling devices (if present).
- Wheels and rims.
- Emergency equipment
Loading And Trip Start
Do not allow riders to leave carry-on baggage in a doorway or aisle. There should be nothing in the aisle that might trip other riders. Secure baggage and freight in ways that avoid damage and:
- Allow the driver to move freely and easily.
- Allow riders to exit by any window or door in an emergency.
- Protect riders from injury if carry-ons fall or shift.
Forbidden Hazardous Materials
Buses may carry small-arms ammunition labeled ORM-D, emergency hospital supplies and drugs. You can carry small amounts of some other hazardous materials if the shipper cannot send them any other way. Buses must never carry:
- Division 2.3 poison gas, liquid Class 6 poison, tear gas, irritating material.
- More than 100 pounds of solid Class 6 poisons.
- Explosives in the space occupied by people, except small-arms ammunition.
- Labeled radioactive materials in the space occupied by people.
- More than 500 pounds total of allowed hazardous materials and no more than 100 pounds of any one class.
Riders sometimes board a bus with an unlabeled hazardous material. Do not allow riders to carry on common hazards such as car batteries or gasoline. See Section 2 and Section 9 for additional information on hazardous materials.
Common Bus Accidents
Accidents In Intersections:
The Most Common Bus Accidents: Bus accidents often happen at intersections. Use caution, even if a signal or stop sign controls other traffic. School and mass transit buses sometimes scrape off mirrors or hit passing vehicles when pulling out from a bus stop. Remember the clearance your bus needs and watch for poles and tree limbs at stops. Know the size of the gap your bus needs to accelerate and merge with traffic. Wait for the gap to open before leaving the stop. Never assume other drivers will brake to give you room when you signal or start to pull out.
Speed In Curves
Accidents on curves result from excessive speed, often when rain or snow has made the road slippery. Every banked curve has a safe "design speed." In good weather, the posted speed is safe for cars but it may be too high for many buses. With good traction, the bus may roll over; with poor traction, it might slide off the curve. Reduce speed for curves. If your bus leans toward the outside on a banked curve, you are driving too fast.
Railroad Crossings
Bus drivers must stop at railroad crossings:
- - At streetcar crossings.
- - Where a policeman or flagman is directing traffic.
- - If a traffic signal is green.
- - At crossings marked as "exempt" or "abandoned.
Prohibited Practices
- Avoid fueling your bus with riders on board unless absolutely necessary. Never refuel in a closed building with riders on board.
- Do not talk with riders or engage in any other distracting activity while driving.
- Do not tow or push a disabled bus with riders aboard the vehicle, unless getting off would be unsafe. Only tow or push the bus to the nearest safe spot to discharge passengers. Follow your employer's guidelines on towing or pushing disabled buses.
Questions You Should Know For The Exam
- 1. Name some things to check in the interior of a bus during a pre-trip inspection.
- 2. What are some hazardous materials you can transport by bus?
- 3. What are some hazardous materials you cannot transport by bus?
- 4. What is a standee line?
- 5. Does it matter where you make a disruptive passenger get off the bus?
- 6. How far from a railroad crossing should you stop?
- 7. When must you stop before crossing a drawbridge?
- 8. Describe from memory the “prohibited practices” listed in the manual.
- 9. The rear door of a transit bus has to be open to put on the parking brake. True or False?
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