Do I need the Passenger endorsement to get the S endorsement?

Yes. Federal rule 49 CFR 383.123 says an applicant must pass the knowledge and skills test for a passenger vehicle endorsement. The school bus endorsement also has its own skills test, in a school bus.

How many questions are on the school bus test?

Your state sets the number of questions and the passing score. Check your state's CDL manual. Federal rules set 80% as the minimum passing score.

Do school bus rules change from state to state?

Yes. The manual says many school bus procedures may differ from state to state. Learn the laws in your state and your local school district.

School Bus Endorsement Test: What It Covers and the Numbers

The school bus endorsement test covers Section 10 of the CDL manual: danger zones, mirrors, loading and unloading, evacuation and railroad crossings. To drive a school bus you pass it along with the General Knowledge and Passenger tests, and it asks for exact distances.

Who needs the S endorsement?

Federal rule 49 CFR 383.93 says an operator must get a state-issued endorsement on their CDL to drive commercial vehicles that are "School buses." The same rule says the school bus endorsement needs "a knowledge and a skills test."

You also need the Passenger endorsement first. Rule 383.123 says an applicant must "Pass the knowledge and skills test for obtaining a passenger vehicle endorsement." The school bus skills test is separate. You take it in a school bus "of the same vehicle group" as the bus you will drive.

So your knowledge tests are General Knowledge, Passenger and School Bus. The manual says the general knowledge test is "taken by all applicants" and the passenger test is "taken by all bus driver applicants." See which CDL tests you need for the full list.

States add their own school bus rules. Check your state's manual and licensing office. The manual itself says many procedures "may differ from state to state."

What Section 10 covers

Danger zones and mirrors. Where children are most at risk, and how to set each mirror.
Loading and unloading. Approaching the stop, loading, unloading on the route and at school, and the post-trip check.
Emergency exit and evacuation. When you must evacuate, how, and where to take students.
Railroad-highway crossings. Crossing types, signs, and the stop procedure.
Student management. Handling problems without losing focus on the road.
Antilock braking systems. What ABS does and does not do.
Special safety. Strobe lights, high winds, backing and tail swing.

Your state sets the number of questions and the passing score. Federal rule 49 CFR 383.135 sets 80% as the minimum passing score.

The numbers drivers miss

What	The number
Danger zone, front	As much as 30 feet from the front bumper, first 10 feet most dangerous
Danger zone, sides and rear	10 feet from the left and right sides, 10 feet behind the rear bumper
Flat mirrors must show	200 feet or 4 bus lengths behind the bus
Blind spot behind the bus	50 to 150 feet, could extend up to 400 feet
Amber lights on	At least 200 feet or about 5 to 10 seconds before the stop
Right turn signal on	About 100 to 300 feet or 3 to 5 seconds before pulling over
Front bumper at the stop	At least 10 feet away from students
Students walk away from the bus	At least 10 feet from the side
Hazard lights before a crossing	About 200 feet before
Stopping distance at a crossing	No closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the nearest rail
Containment area at a crossing	Bus length plus 15 feet
Safe place after evacuation	At least 100 feet off the road, in the direction of oncoming traffic
Lead students if hazmat may spill	Upwind of the bus at least 300 feet
Tail swing	Up to three feet

Some states teach different distances for danger zones and hazard lights. If your state's manual gives a different number, learn your state's number.

Traps on the test

Amber versus red. Amber flashing lights come on before the stop. Red lights come on when traffic is a safe distance away and the stop arm is out.
Where students go. Students walk at least 10 feet away from the side of the bus. Those who cross walk at least 10 feet in front of the right corner of the bumper.
Stalled on the tracks. Get everyone out right away. Move them away from the tracks and toward the train, at an angle.
Multiple tracks. Stop only before the first set of tracks. Cross all of them without changing gears.
A gate that comes down as you cross. The manual says to drive through it, even if you break the gate. If it stays down after the train passes, do not drive around it. Call your dispatcher.
Missed a stop. Do not back up. Follow local procedures.
ABS in an emergency. Do not pump the brakes. ABS may not shorten stopping distance.
Student problems. Do not deal with them while loading or unloading. Never put a student off the bus except at school or at their designated stop.

Try 10 exam-style questions built from the official CDL manual.

How to study it in a few days

Day one, read Section 10 and learn the danger zones and the mirrors. Day two, copy the table above from memory. Day three, say the loading, evacuation and railroad crossing steps out loud in order. Then take practice tests and read why each wrong answer is wrong. You also need the Passenger test, so try the Passenger practice test too.