Indiana School Bus CDL Practice Test

This is a free 20-question practice test for the School Bus portion of the Indiana Commercial Driver's License knowledge exam. Questions are pulled from a pool of 55 drawn from the AAMVA CDL Manual, which is the source document the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles uses to write its actual exam.

How it works: Click an answer. The correct choice highlights in green, and you'll see a short explanation. Aim for 85% or better before you sit for the real test in Indiana.

Question 1 of 20

When evacuating students, they should be moved to a safe area:

At least 100 feet off the roadway in the direction of oncoming traffic, away from the bus
Right next to the bus
Across the road
Anywhere

Correct. Move students at least 100 feet away, off the roadway, in the direction of oncoming traffic so they can see and be seen by approaching drivers.

Question 2 of 20

Student management is important because:

Distracted driving by managing students causes crashes
It does not affect driving
Only the bus matters
Students never affect safety

Correct. Distracted driving from student-management issues is a leading cause of school-bus crashes. Pull off safely to address behavior.

Question 3 of 20

A school bus driver who notices fluid leaks during pre-trip:

Should determine the type and source, and not put the bus in service if any safety-critical leak is found
Ignore them
Only address oil leaks
Address only at end of day

Correct. Identify what is leaking. Brake-fluid, fuel, or coolant leaks render the bus unsafe. Repair before service.

Question 4 of 20

When a school bus is on a divided highway with a barrier or median:

Some states allow vehicles on the opposite side not to stop when the bus is stopped — verify state law
Always require stop
Always require pass
Are not regulated

Correct. Most states exempt opposing traffic on divided highways with a physical barrier. Some require all traffic to stop. Know your state law.

Question 5 of 20

Bullying or fighting on the bus:

Pull off safely if behavior is dangerous, address per district policy, report incidents
Continue route
Encourage peers to intervene physically
Speed up

Correct. Pull off safely if behavior endangers driving. Address verbally and document per district policy. Notify school administration.

Question 6 of 20

When a bus is in motion, students must:

Remain seated, facing forward, not block the aisle
Stand
Move around
Sit on the floor

Correct. Seated, facing forward, hands and feet to themselves, aisle clear. This protects them in any sudden stop.

Question 7 of 20

After unloading at the end of the route, the driver must:

Walk through the bus to check for sleeping or hiding students, lost items, damage
Skip the walkthrough
Lock and leave
Only check the front

Correct. Always walk every aisle and check every seat. Sleeping children left aboard a parked bus is a recurring tragedy that the post-trip walk prevents.

Question 8 of 20

When you receive an emergency request to evacuate the bus, you should:

Calmly direct students to the appropriate exit, supervise an orderly evacuation, account for all students at the safe area
Panic
Run away first
Skip the count

Correct. Calm authoritative voice. Direct to nearest safe exit. Move to safe area at least 100 feet off road. Account for all students.

Question 9 of 20

A school bus stop in low-light or poor-visibility conditions:

Activate flashers earlier, use additional lights if equipped, allow extra time for traffic to react
Skip flashers
Move quickly
Drive past

Correct. Reduced visibility means earlier flashers, more conspicuous stop, more time for traffic to react.

Question 10 of 20

After delivering students to school in the morning:

Walk through the bus to verify no students remain
Lock and leave immediately
Only walk if requested
Skip the walk

Correct. Walk every aisle, every seat. Confirm bus is empty before leaving for the day or for the next trip.

Question 11 of 20

A school bus with red lights flashing and stop arm extended:

Tells approaching traffic to stop until the bus moves
Allows traffic to pass slowly
Has no meaning
Tells traffic to honk

Correct. Red flashers + stop arm = required stop for approaching traffic in both directions (with the divided-highway exception in some states).

Question 12 of 20

When you cannot account for all students after unloading:

Stop the bus, set the brake, search the danger zone and surrounding area immediately
Drive on
Continue route
Wait until end of route

Correct. Missing student requires immediate search. Stop, brake, search the bus and the area around it before continuing.

Question 13 of 20

When approaching the bus stop, you should activate the alternating amber warning lights:

About 200 feet in advance (more in 50+ mph zones)
At the stop
After unloading
Only at night

Correct. Activate amber warning lights about 200 feet before the stop (further in higher-speed zones), giving traffic time to slow.

Question 14 of 20

A school bus must have how many mirrors at minimum?

Standard side mirrors plus crossover mirrors that allow the driver to see the danger zone in front and on the right side
Just one
Just two
None

Correct. School buses have side mirrors plus crossover mirrors at the front so the driver can see the danger zone in front of the bus and on the right.

Question 15 of 20

When loading students at the stop, the driver should:

Account for every student, watch for late students from nearby houses, count and recount
Just open the door
Skip the count
Move quickly

Correct. Count students before, during, and after loading. Late students may approach in your blind spot.

Question 16 of 20

During the loading process, students should:

Wait at the bus stop until the bus has fully stopped and the door is opened
Approach while the bus is moving
Cross before the bus stops
Run to the bus

Correct. Students wait until the bus has fully stopped, the parking brake is set, the door is opened, and the driver signals before approaching.

Question 17 of 20

When you encounter a railroad crossing without warning devices on a low-traffic spur:

Some states permit no-stop with conditions; verify the bus operator's policy
Skip stop always
Drive across without looking
Only if police direct

Correct. Limited exceptions exist for industrial spurs and abandoned tracks. Always verify and prefer to stop when in doubt.

Question 18 of 20

The "danger zone" around a school bus is generally:

10 feet in front, on each side, and behind the bus, plus any area required for the bus to maneuver
Only behind the bus
Only in front
5 feet on each side

Correct. The danger zone extends 10 feet in front, 10 feet on each side, and 10 feet behind the bus, plus the area needed to maneuver. Most students killed by their own bus are in this zone.

Question 19 of 20

School-bus driver disqualifications can include:

Felony involving the use of a CMV, controlled-substance offenses, certain crimes against children — varies by state
None
Only speeding
Only parking violations

Correct. School-bus drivers face additional background-check standards. Convictions can permanently disqualify a driver from the S endorsement.

Question 20 of 20

A "post-trip" inspection of the school bus should include:

Walk every aisle, check every seat, check restrooms or rear compartments where applicable
Skip the walk-through
Look only at front
Skip seats

Correct. Post-trip = walk every aisle, check every seat, all compartments. Document on DVIR.

About the Indiana School Bus exam

Most states administer 20 School Bus questions and require 80% to pass. The exam emphasizes loading and unloading procedures, the danger zone around the bus, emergency exit and evacuation procedures, railroad-highway crossings, and student management.

The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles follows the federal CDL standards established by FMCSA. To earn the School Bus credential, you must answer at least 80% of the questions correctly. Many candidates score lower the first time because the test pulls from a large pool — refreshing this page will give you a different mix of questions, drawn from the same authoritative source.

Want more practice? Try the full School Bus question bank or browse all Indiana CDL practice tests.