Washington School Bus CDL Practice Test

This is a free 20-question practice test for the School Bus portion of the Washington 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 Washington State Department of Licensing 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 Washington.

Question 1 of 20

During a fire on the bus, you should:

Stop in a safe area, evacuate students upwind from the fire, move them to a safe distance, call 911
Continue driving
Only fight the fire
Have students stay aboard

Correct. Stop, evacuate upwind to a safe distance (≥100 feet off the road), call 911. Use extinguisher only on small fires you can safely manage.

Question 2 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 3 of 20

When stopped to load or unload students, the bus driver should:

Set parking brake, place transmission in neutral, activate red lights and stop arm, count students, watch mirrors
Just open the door
Only honk the horn
Skip the parking brake

Correct. Standard procedure: parking brake set, neutral, red flashers and stop arm out, count students on/off, mirror check before resuming.

Question 4 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 5 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 6 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 7 of 20

Most school-bus fatalities of students happen:

Inside the bus
Outside the bus, in the danger zone, particularly during loading and unloading
In another vehicle
At the school

Correct. The majority of student deaths involving school buses occur outside the bus, often in the danger zone right after unloading.

Question 8 of 20

When loading students at a bus stop in front of houses:

Watch for late students approaching from houses, count and recount before moving
Move quickly
Skip the count
Honk the horn

Correct. Late students may approach from houses or driveways. Count, watch mirrors, and pause before moving.

Question 9 of 20

Speed limits in school zones apply to a school bus driver:

As they apply to all drivers — sometimes lower than posted highway limit
Do not apply to school buses
Are higher for buses
Are decorative

Correct. School-zone limits apply to school-bus operators just as to other drivers; observe posted reduced limits when in effect.

Question 10 of 20

Pre-trip inspection should also verify:

All emergency equipment is present and functional, including the body-fluid clean-up kit
Only the lights
Only the brakes
Skip equipment check

Correct. Body-fluid clean-up kit, fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, three reflective triangles, and other emergency equipment must be present and functional.

Question 11 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 12 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 13 of 20

The school bus stop arm:

Extends to signal traffic to stop while children load or unload
Is decorative
Is for parking
Is optional

Correct. The stop arm signals approaching traffic to stop. Drivers who pass a stopped school bus with red lights flashing face heavy fines.

Question 14 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 15 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 16 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 17 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 18 of 20

A school bus driver should never:

Allow students to use the emergency exits as routine entry/exit points
Allow students to be seated
Use the parking brake
Stop at red lights

Correct. Emergency exits are for emergencies. Routine use is unsafe and may damage the door or trigger interlocks.

Question 19 of 20

When loading wheelchair students:

Use the lift correctly, secure the wheelchair with 4-point tie-downs, use occupant restraints, ensure the lift is fully stowed before moving
Skip securement
Drive without securing
Use 1 tie-down

Correct. 4-point tie-down for the chair plus occupant lap and shoulder restraints. Verify lift stowed before moving.

Question 20 of 20

When the bus must stop because of crossing students, you should also:

Use the crossing-control arm (if equipped), signaling students to walk far enough in front of the bus to be seen
Skip the crossing arm
Have them walk behind
Have them run

Correct. The crossing-control arm extends in front of the bus, forcing students to walk where the driver can see them.

About the Washington 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 Washington State Department of Licensing 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 Washington CDL practice tests.