CDL Practice Tests: School Bus Endorsement
Choose A Section:
Go!Which of the following DOES NOT describe the convex mirror on a bus?
- They present a view of people and objects that accurately reflect their size and distance from the bus.
- They provide a view of traffic, clearances, and students at the side of the bus
- They are normally located below the outside flat mirrors
- They are used to monitor the left and right sides at a wide angle
Which of the following are true about backing a school bus?
- You should never back a school bus when students are outside of the bus
- You should back your bus only when you have no other safe way to move the vehicle.
- All these are true
- Backing a school bus is strongly discouraged
What can you do as a bus driver to ensure safety in case of an emergency?
- Teach all students how to operate the various emergency exits and the importance of listening to and following all instructions given by you
- You can do all of these
- When possible, assign two responsible, older student assistants to each emergency exit. Teach them how to assist the other students off the bus.
- Assign an older student assistant to lead the students to a “safe place” after evacuation.
When you drive a vehicle with ABS, which of the following is NOT the proper procedure?
- Pump the brakes if you are in an emergency braking situation
- Use only the braking force necessary to stop safely and stay in control
- As you slow down, monitor your bus and back off the brakes (if it is safe to do so) to stay in control.
- Brake the same way, regardless of whether you have ABS on the bus. However, in emergency braking, do not pump the brakes on a bus with ABS.
When you drive a vehicle with ABS, you should brake as you always have. In other words:
- Use only the braking force necessary to stop safely and stay in control.
- Brake the same way, regardless of whether you have ABS on the bus. However, in emergency braking, do not pump the brakes on a bus with ABS.
- As you slow down, monitor your bus and back off the brakes (if it is safe to do so) to stay in control.
As a bus driver, anytime you leave the bus you must:
- Turn off the ignition switch and remove the key
- Put on the red flashing lights
- Open the rear safety door
- Secure the control arm to the overhead fastener
Secure the bus by:
- Turning off the ignition switch.
- Removing key if leaving driver’s compartment.
As a general rule, what is the best thing to do as a school bus driver for student safety and control during an emergency and/or impending crisis?
- Always keep the students on the bus until help arrives
- Keeping students on the bus if doing so does not expose them to unnecessary risk or injury
- None of these are correct
- Always get the students off the bus immediately
When approaching a bus stop in a school bus you should activate your alternating flashing amber warning lights:
- At least 200 feet (100 in an urban area) or approximately 5 to 10 seconds before the school bus stop
- No more than 100 feet before the stop or approximately 1 to 5 seconds before the school bus stop
- At least 500 feet (250 in an urban area) or approximately 10 to 20 seconds before the school bus stop
- at least 400 feet before the stop or approximately 8 to 12 seconds before the school bus stop
When approaching the stop, you should:
- Approach cautiously at a slow rate of speed.
- Look for pedestrians, traffic or other objects before, during and after coming to a stop.
- Continuously check all mirrors.
- If the school bus is so equipped, activate alternating flashing amber warning lights at least 200 feet (100 in an urban area) or approximately five to 10 seconds before the school bus stop or in accordance with state law.
- Turn on right-turn signal indicator about 100-300 feet or approximately three to five seconds before pulling over.
- Continuously check mirrors to monitor the danger zones for students, traffic and other objects.
- Move as far as possible to the right on the traveled portion of the roadway.
Which of the following is the proper procedure when at a railroad crossing in a school bus?
- Turn off all radios and noisy equipment and silence the passengers.
- Place the transmission in “Park” (if there is no “Park” shift point, use “Neutral”) and set the parking brake.
- Open the service door and driver’s window. Look and listen for an approaching train.
- All these are correct
At the crossing:
- Stop no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the nearest rail, where you have the best view of the tracks.
- Place the transmission in “Park” (if there is no “Park” shift point, use “Neutral”) and set the parking brake.
- Turn off all radios and noisy equipment and silence the passengers.
- Open the service door and driver’s window. Look and listen for an approaching train.
- After you have determined that no train is approaching, close the service door and proceed with caution.
How will you know if you've lost ABS function at one or more wheels?
- The yellow malfunction lamp blinks three times after the bulb check or blinks three times once you are underway
- The yellow malfunction lamp goes off soon after starting the vehicle or goes off once you are underway
- The yellow malfunction lamp stays on after the bulb check or goes on once you are underway
- The red malfunction lamp stays on after the bulb check or goes on once you are underway
If a student drops an object near the school bus, what should you instruct the student to do?
- None of these are correct
- Leave the object there and let the bus driver get it
- 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
- Grab the object quickly and get out of danger
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.
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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