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School bus endorsement practice test

The school bus test earns the S endorsement. It is about the loading zone: the danger zones around the bus, mirror adjustment, the stop arm and flashing lights, student loading and unloading, and emergency evacuation. The sample questions below come from Section 10 of the FMCSA CDL manual.

Free school bus practice questions

Ten questions from the PassRig bank. Pick an answer in your head, then show the answer to read why. The full bank, timed mock exams and AI explanations live in the app.

  1. The "danger zone" around a school bus extends about how far from the sides and rear?

    • 3 feet
    • 10 feet
    • 30 feet
    • 100 feet
    Show answer
    Answer: B. 10 feet

    The danger zone is where students are most at risk of being hit, either by the bus or by passing traffic. It reaches 10 feet from each side and the rear, and as much as 30 feet from the front bumper, where the driver cannot see small children.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 10.1 (Danger Zones and Use of Mirrors)

  2. Before pulling away from a stop after loading students, you should:

    • Leave immediately to stay on schedule
    • Count the students, check all mirrors to be sure no one is around the bus, and then move off
    • Honk the horn twice
    • Turn off the amber lights and go
    Show answer
    Answer: B. Count the students, check all mirrors to be sure no one is around the bus, and then move off

    A student who dropped something or ran back into the danger zone is invisible unless you look. Count heads, check every mirror, and only then release the brake.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 10.2.2 (Loading Procedures)

  3. If student behavior on the bus becomes a safety problem, you should:

    • Pull over in a safe place, stop, stand up and speak to the students respectfully and firmly
    • Keep driving and discipline them later
    • Put the student off at the next corner
    • Turn around and drive back to school
    Show answer
    Answer: A. Pull over in a safe place, stop, stand up and speak to the students respectfully and firmly

    Never discipline while driving. Stop safely, secure the bus, and address the problem face to face. A student may be put off only at school or at their assigned stop, never somewhere along the road.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 10.5 (Student Management)

  4. After the last student leaves at the end of a route, you must:

    • Drive straight to the fuel pump
    • Walk through the bus to check for sleeping or hiding students and left items before securing it
    • Lock the door from the outside without looking
    • Report mileage only
    Show answer
    Answer: B. Walk through the bus to check for sleeping or hiding students and left items before securing it

    A sleeping child left on a parked bus is a well-known tragedy. Walk the aisle to the back, look in and under every seat, then secure the bus.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 10.2.4 (Post-trip Inspection)

  5. When should school bus mirrors be adjusted and checked?

    • While driving slowly on the route
    • Only when the bus is serviced
    • While the bus is parked and before leaving, not while driving
    • Once at the start of the school year
    Show answer
    Answer: C. While the bus is parked and before leaving, not while driving

    Each mirror is designed to show a specific area around the bus. Adjust and check them before every trip so the whole danger zone is covered.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 10.1.2 (Correct Mirror Adjustment)

  6. When approaching a student stop, you should turn on the right turn signal:

    • Just as the bus stops
    • At least a mile before the stop
    • Only if traffic is behind you
    • About 300 to 500 feet, or 3 to 5 seconds, before pulling over
    Show answer
    Answer: D. About 300 to 500 feet, or 3 to 5 seconds, before pulling over

    The turn signal and the amber warning lights tell drivers behind you what is about to happen. Give them time to react before you slow and stop.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 10.2.1 (Approaching the Stop)

  7. A student drops a paper under the bus while getting off. The student should:

    • Crawl under the bus quickly to get it
    • Wait behind the bus until the driver leaves
    • Leave it and get the driver's attention; never go near or under the bus to pick it up
    • Ask another student to get it
    Show answer
    Answer: C. Leave it and get the driver's attention; never go near or under the bus to pick it up

    Dropped or forgotten objects pull children into the danger zone where the driver cannot see them. Teach students to tell the driver instead of going back.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 10.2.4 (Special Dangers of Loading and Unloading)

  8. Students are evacuated to a spot 100 feet off the road in the direction of oncoming traffic in order to:

    • Keep them from being hit by debris if another vehicle strikes the bus
    • Help them see the bus better
    • Satisfy a rule that applies in every state
    • Let them flag down other drivers
    Show answer
    Answer: A. Keep them from being hit by debris if another vehicle strikes the bus

    If the stopped bus is hit from behind, debris flies forward in the direction traffic is moving. Students upstream of the bus are out of that path.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 10.3.1 (Planning for Emergencies)

  9. The railroad advance warning sign is:

    • A red octagon
    • A white rectangle with black letters
    • A blue square with a train
    • A round yellow sign with a black X and the letters RR
    Show answer
    Answer: D. A round yellow sign with a black X and the letters RR

    The advance warning sign tells you to slow down, look and listen, and be ready to stop at the tracks ahead.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 10.4.2 (Warning Signs and Devices)

  10. A student keeps misbehaving after you have spoken to them. You should:

    • Put the student off at the next corner
    • Stop and make the student walk home
    • Follow your school's procedures, and never put the student off the bus except at school or the student's designated stop
    • Pull over and call the police every time
    Show answer
    Answer: C. Follow your school's procedures, and never put the student off the bus except at school or the student's designated stop

    Putting a child off at a strange place creates a far bigger danger than the misbehavior. Handle it through the school's process.

    Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Section 10.5.2 (Handling Serious Problems)

What the school bus test covers

  • Danger zones and mirror adjustment
  • Loading and unloading students
  • Emergency exits and evacuation
  • Railroad crossings with a school bus
  • Student management and strobe light use
  • Antilock brakes and special safety considerations

Who needs it

School bus drivers. The S endorsement sits on top of the P endorsement, so you take both tests.

The test has 20 multiple-choice questions and the passing score is 80%, so you can miss 4. Your state DMV or DOT administers it; the federal rules are on the FMCSA CDL page. Study Section 10 of the CDL manual alongside these questions.

More CDL practice tests

School Bus test questions

How many questions are on the school bus endorsement test?

20 questions. 16 correct answers reach the 80% pass mark.

Do I need the passenger endorsement for a school bus?

Yes. The S endorsement requires the P endorsement, so you pass the passenger vehicles knowledge test as well as the school bus test, plus a skills test in a school bus.

What are the danger zones around a school bus?

The areas within about 10 feet of the bus on every side where a student is hard to see. The test asks where they are and how to use the mirrors to cover them.