New Jersey School Bus CDL Practice Test

This is a free 20-question practice test for the School Bus portion of the New Jersey 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 New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission 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 New Jersey.

Question 1 of 20

A school bus evacuation is required when:

Fire is on or in the bus, the bus is in danger of fire (downed wires, fuel spill), the bus is on or near tracks, the bus is in path of a train, or the bus is in danger of being hit
Only when the bus is empty
Only at night
Only after a flat tire

Correct. Evacuate for fire, danger of fire, on/near railroad tracks, in path of a train, or danger of being hit by another vehicle.

Question 2 of 20

You see a student running back toward the bus after being unloaded. You should:

Wait until the student is clear, account for them, before moving
Continue moving
Honk and accelerate
Open the door while moving

Correct. Stop and account for the student. Many fatal incidents involve students returning for forgotten items in the danger zone.

Question 3 of 20

When backing a school bus, you should:

Avoid backing whenever possible; if you must back, use a helper, sound the horn, never back across a roadway, never back with students aboard if avoidable
Back at full speed
Back with no warning
Back across roadways

Correct. Backing in a school bus is the highest-risk maneuver. Avoid it. If required, use a helper, sound the horn, do not back across roadways, and ideally do not back with students aboard.

Question 4 of 20

When you arrive at a school for unloading, you should:

Stop in the designated unloading area, set parking brake, follow school traffic-control instructions
Stop in the road
Drive into the school yard
Honk to clear traffic

Correct. School unloading is at designated stops with school staff and traffic-control patterns. Follow them.

Question 5 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 6 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 7 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 8 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 9 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 10 of 20

When you approach a railroad crossing in a school bus, you must stop:

Between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail
On the tracks
100 feet ahead
Anywhere within 200 feet

Correct. Stop 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail, open door and driver window, look and listen, then proceed without shifting gears.

Question 11 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 12 of 20

Before resuming travel after a stop, the driver should:

Mirror-check, count students, verify all are clear of the danger zone, deactivate the lights, then proceed slowly
Drive immediately
Only check the rear
Skip the count

Correct. Mirror sweep, count crossing students, verify clear danger zone, deactivate lights and stop arm, proceed slowly.

Question 13 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 14 of 20

A school bus must stop at every railroad crossing:

Yes, with limited exceptions
No, never
Only if a train is in sight
Only at night

Correct. School buses must stop at every railroad crossing 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail. Open the entrance door and driver window, look and listen, then proceed without shifting gears.

Question 15 of 20

A school bus stopped on a highway during loading or unloading is protected by:

State laws requiring all approaching vehicles to stop (with limited divided-highway exceptions)
Federal law only
No law
State school district policy

Correct. State laws (informed by federal recommendations) require approaching vehicles to stop. Many states have stiff fines for passing a stopped school bus.

Question 16 of 20

Pre-trip inspection of a school bus should include:

All standard items plus emergency exits, signaling devices (red and amber lights, stop arm, crossing-control arm), wheelchair lift if equipped, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher, body fluid clean-up kit
Only the engine
Only the brakes
Only the seating

Correct. Standard CMV inspection plus school-bus-specific equipment: lights, stop arm, crossing arm, lift, kits, mirror condition.

Question 17 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 18 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 19 of 20

When you change a flat tire en route with students aboard:

Move students to a safe location off the bus and away from the road
Have them stay aboard
Have them help
Have them stand near the tire

Correct. Move students to safety off the road during any tire change or breakdown. Risk of being struck or jack failure.

Question 20 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.

About the New Jersey 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 New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission 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 New Jersey CDL practice tests.