Mississippi Passenger CDL Practice Test

This is a free 20-question practice test for the Passenger portion of the Mississippi Commercial Driver's License knowledge exam. Questions are pulled from a pool of 58 drawn from the AAMVA CDL Manual, which is the source document the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Driver Service Bureau 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 Mississippi.

Question 1 of 20

A "passenger vehicle" requiring a P endorsement is generally:

Any commercial vehicle
A vehicle designed to transport 16 or more people, including the driver
A vehicle that carries cargo
A school bus only

Correct. The P endorsement is required for any commercial motor vehicle designed to carry 16 or more passengers including the driver.

Question 2 of 20

Bus emergency exits must be:

Operable, clearly marked, and unobstructed
Locked
Hidden
Optional

Correct. Emergency exits must be operable, clearly identified, and never blocked by cargo or passengers.

Question 3 of 20

Buses must stop at every railroad crossing:

Yes, with limited exceptions (industrial switching tracks in city traffic, abandoned tracks, streetcar tracks)
No, never
Only at night
Only if a train is in sight

Correct. Buses, school buses, and placarded hazmat vehicles must stop at every railroad crossing 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail, with narrow exceptions.

Question 4 of 20

On a bus with a wheelchair lift, you should:

Verify the lift is operating and stowed correctly during pre-trip
Ignore it
Operate it only after passengers complain
Skip the lift

Correct. Test lift operation during pre-trip; verify it stows correctly so it does not interfere with door operation or hit cars during the route.

Question 5 of 20

Driving a bus on slick roads requires:

Lower speed, longer following distance, and gentler steering and braking
Higher speed
Same speed as a car
Only the trailer brake

Correct. Reduce speed, increase following distance, and treat all inputs as if a passenger is standing — they may be.

Question 6 of 20

When a bus has standees, the driver should:

Drive smoothly, accelerate and brake gently, take corners with care
Drive aggressively
Brake hard at every stop
Ignore standees

Correct. Standees can fall in any sudden movement. Drive smoothly to keep them safe.

Question 7 of 20

Which of the following is part of the bus pre-trip inspection?

Passenger seat condition, emergency exits, signaling devices, kneeling mechanism, wheelchair lift if equipped
Only the engine
Only the brakes
Only the lights

Correct. Bus inspection includes all standard items plus passenger-area items: seats, emergency exits, signaling devices, kneeling/lift equipment, fire extinguisher.

Question 8 of 20

When you are about to leave a stop with passengers aboard, you should:

Confirm doors are closed, mirror-check for late-boarding passengers and pedestrians, then proceed slowly
Move quickly
Use only the trailer brake
Skip the mirror check

Correct. Doors closed, mirrors check, slow gentle start. Late-boarders and pedestrians are common at busy stops.

Question 9 of 20

Crowd control during boarding:

Manage the line, watch for fare evaders if applicable, ensure passengers are inside before closing the door
Push them aboard
Skip fare collection
Allow boarding while moving

Correct. Boarding is a controlled process. Manage the line, watch for safe fare collection, ensure all passengers are aboard before closing the door.

Question 10 of 20

A bus driver should:

Refuse boarding to obviously intoxicated passengers if they pose a danger
Carry any passenger
Carry only adults
Only carry seated passengers

Correct. Carriers may refuse boarding for safety reasons (intoxication, weapons, threatening behavior). Document and report such refusals.

Question 11 of 20

When backing a bus, you should:

Sound the horn before moving and use a helper outside the bus when available
Back without warning
Back only at night
Back only with passengers

Correct. Sound the horn before backing. Use a helper to guide whenever possible — bus blind spots are large.

Question 12 of 20

Speed control on a long downgrade in a bus is critical because:

Brake fade can occur, and braking distance grows quickly with passenger load
Speed is irrelevant
Buses cannot go downhill
Speed is the same as a car

Correct. Heavy passenger load + long downgrade = brake fade risk. Select a lower gear before starting down and use intermittent firm braking.

Question 13 of 20

A bus driver who is convicted of using the bus to commit a felony or driving under the influence with passengers aboard faces:

No penalty
Permanent disqualification or extended disqualification
A fine only
A warning

Correct. Federal rule: certain offenses (using the CMV in a felony, DUI with passengers) bring extended or permanent disqualification.

Question 14 of 20

A bus driver who picks up a passenger between scheduled stops:

Is permitted in all cases
Must follow the carrier's policy and applicable regulations — many companies prohibit unscheduled pickups
Should always accept
Should always refuse

Correct. Carrier policy and regulations govern unscheduled stops. Most companies prohibit them for safety and liability reasons.

Question 15 of 20

A bus driver must never:

Refuse to allow standees forward of the standee line
Use turn signals
Honk the horn
Wear a uniform

Correct. You should always enforce the standee line and prohibit standing or sitting in stairwells where they could be ejected in an emergency stop.

Question 16 of 20

Bus drivers must check:

Brake condition before every shift
Only annually
Only when problems are noticed
Only at the dealership

Correct. Pre-trip inspection — including brake condition — is required before every shift, regardless of how recently the bus was driven.

Question 17 of 20

When you stop a bus, you should:

Stop smoothly to avoid throwing standing passengers off-balance
Stop suddenly
Use only the parking brake
Stop on a hill always

Correct. Smooth stops protect standing passengers and reduce surge for seated ones. Plan stops in advance.

Question 18 of 20

Buses transporting children on field trips:

Follow standard bus rules unless they are school buses, which have additional rules
Are unregulated
Have no inspection
Have no driver requirements

Correct. School buses have stricter rules including the S endorsement. A motorcoach used for a field trip follows the standard P rules.

Question 19 of 20

Discharging passengers should be done:

Only at safe locations — paved curb, off the road, away from traffic
Anywhere
In the middle of an intersection
Only on highways

Correct. Stop at designated stops or safe pull-offs. Never discharge into a travel lane.

Question 20 of 20

On highway travel:

Maintain steady speed, avoid abrupt lane changes, signal early
Accelerate hard
Tailgate
Lane-weave to make time

Correct. Smooth, predictable driving keeps passengers comfortable and safe.

About the Mississippi Passenger exam

Most states administer 20 Passenger questions and require 80% to pass. The exam covers passenger safety, vehicle inspection, loading and unloading, prohibited cargo, emergency exits, and conduct expected of a passenger-vehicle operator. A separate skills test in a representative passenger vehicle is also required.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety Driver Service Bureau follows the federal CDL standards established by FMCSA. To earn the Passenger 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 Passenger question bank or browse all Mississippi CDL practice tests.