School Bus · Practice test 5

Question 1Not answered

Why should a driver evacuating students due to a collision on a busy road choose a gathering point away from moving traffic, even if it means a longer walk?

1. Standing near moving traffic after an evacuation introduces a new hazard on top of the original emergency
2. This concern applies only to evacuations that occur at night
3. The closest available spot to the bus is always the safest gathering point, whatever the traffic around it
4. Traffic conditions are irrelevant once students have evacuated the bus itself

Question 2Not answered

During the post-trip walk, you find a student's backpack under a seat but no student. What should you do?

1. Assume the owner will notice it's missing and do nothing further
2. Leave the backpack in place and skip the rest of the check, since a bag alone shows no student is on board
3. Immediately end the walkthrough without checking the remaining seats
4. Continue the check to be certain no student is present, then follow procedure for returning lost items

Question 3Not answered

During a school bus evacuation drill, what is a key priority for the driver?

1. Making sure every student collects their belongings first
2. Having students exit in reverse seating order only
3. Directing students to exit quickly and safely, using the rear or emergency exits if the front is unusable
4. Keeping all students seated until a school official arrives on scene and authorizes anyone to leave the bus

Question 4Not answered

Besides checking mirrors for students, what else should a driver confirm before departing a stop?

1. That the bus has spent exactly the same amount of time at this stop as at every other stop, to stay on schedule
2. That the radio volume is turned up to signal departure
3. That a student outside has given a thumbs up
4. That the door is fully closed and the expected number of students actually boarded

Question 5Not answered

What does it mean if the ABS warning lamp on a school bus stays lit after startup?

1. The bus has lost all braking ability and must not be moved until a mechanic has looked at it
2. The bus is due for an oil change
3. The fuel level is critically low
4. There is a malfunction in the antilock braking system, though the regular brakes still work

Question 6Not answered

Before opening the bus door to load waiting students, what must you confirm?

1. That every student waiting at the stop has lined up in their usual boarding order and has their bag in hand
2. That the bus is completely stopped and it is safe for the students to approach
3. That the radio has been turned off
4. That the engine has been shut off completely

Question 7Not answered

Why is anti-lock braking system (ABS) technology particularly valuable on a school bus, given its typical passenger load?

1. It helps the driver maintain steering control during hard braking, which is especially important with a bus full of children
2. ABS has no particular relevance to a vehicle carrying passengers
3. ABS is required only on school buses longer than 35 feet
4. ABS eliminates the need for any following distance regardless of the load, since the bus can then stop within just a few feet

Question 8Not answered

Why should a driver keep the bus stopped with the danger zone monitored until every student has moved a safe distance away from the vehicle, not just until they have exited the door?

1. The danger zone applies only during boarding, never during exiting
2. This concern applies only to students exiting from the rear door
3. Once a student exits the door they are automatically clear of any risk from the bus, so the driver can pull away at once
4. A student who has just exited may still be within the danger zone and at risk if the bus begins moving too soon

Question 9Not answered

What should a driver do if the school bus's engine stalls while stopped directly on railroad tracks?

1. Evacuate all students immediately and move well away from the tracks before attempting anything else
2. Have students exit the bus and attempt to push it off the tracks together
3. Keep students seated inside the bus while waiting for assistance
4. Attempt to restart the engine repeatedly before considering evacuating anyone, since a running bus can move off the tracks

Question 10Not answered

Your route runs late and you are tempted to skip the post-trip walkthrough just this once. What should you do?

1. Skip it, since you were paying close attention during the whole route and would have noticed a student
2. Do a partial check of just the front few rows
3. Have a student check the bus for you instead
4. Perform the walkthrough anyway, since skipping it even once risks missing a student or hazard

Question 11Not answered

Why should a driver activate hazard lights, separate from the bus's specific school bus warning lights, if the bus becomes disabled on the roadway?

1. This distinction matters only when the bus is disabled at night
2. Hazard lights are never appropriate to use on a school bus under any circumstance
3. Hazard lights signal a general vehicle problem distinct from the school bus loading signal, helping traffic understand the situation correctly
4. Hazard lights and school bus warning lights serve the exact same purpose with no distinction, so either set can be used in place of the other

Question 12Not answered

A student arrives at the stop just as you begin pulling away. What should you do?

1. Have the student wait for the bus at the next scheduled stop instead, since the bus has already left this one
2. Continue on, since you had already started moving
3. Stop safely, if it can be done without creating a hazard, and let the student board
4. Speed up slightly before the student reaches the bus

Question 13Not answered

Why should a school bus driver avoid activating the red lights and stop arm except when actually loading or unloading students?

1. It is only a concern on rural routes with light traffic
2. Using them when not actually stopping for students trains other drivers to start ignoring the signal when it matters most
3. It drains the bus battery too quickly when used at any other time, so the lights are saved for real stops only
4. It has no real downside and can be used at any time

Question 14Not answered

A student needs to cross the road after getting off the bus. What should the driver do?

1. Only watch closely if the student appears very young
2. Let the student cross whenever they feel it is safe, since older students know the traffic on their street
3. Pull away as soon as the student's feet touch the ground
4. Wait until the student can be waved across safely and watch until they are clear of the danger zone

Question 15Not answered

Which mirrors help a school bus driver monitor the danger zones around the bus?

1. Mirrors are not needed for the danger zones, only the driver's windows and a quick look over the shoulder are
2. Side mirrors adjusted to show only the sky
3. Cross-view mirrors mounted to show the areas directly in front and along the sides of the bus
4. Only the rearview mirror inside the cabin

Question 16Not answered

Why should a driver document any new damage or defect noticed during the post-trip inspection, even if it seems minor?

1. Documentation is required only for damage caused by a collision
2. Minor defects never need to be documented, only major ones
3. Post-trip defect reports are optional paperwork, so a driver may leave them out if the defect seems small
4. Documenting it ensures the issue is tracked and addressed before the bus is used again

Question 17Not answered

You feel the bus hydroplaning slightly in heavy rain despite having ABS. What does this tell you?

1. ABS is what caused the hydroplaning in the first place
2. Hydroplaning is impossible with ABS, so something else must be wrong with the tires or the road surface
3. ABS cannot restore traction lost when the tires ride on top of water, it only helps once the wheels can grip again
4. ABS has failed and needs immediate replacement

Question 18Not answered

You are stopped at a railroad crossing and see a train in the distance that looks far away. What should you do?

1. Ask a student near the front to signal when it looks safe
2. Cross quickly since the train still looks far away
3. Wait until the train has completely passed and it is clearly safe before crossing
4. Judge the train's distance by how loud its whistle sounds, and cross if the sound is faint enough to seem far away

Question 19Not answered

Why is a physical walk to the back of the bus part of the post-trip check, rather than just a visual scan from the front?

1. It adds nothing over a glance from the front, since a student on the bus would call out or move around
2. A student slumped low in a rear seat may not be visible from the front of the bus
3. It is required only for buses longer than the average length
4. It is meant only to check the condition of the rear bumper

Question 20Not answered

Why should a driver maintain a record or note of significant behavior incidents on the bus, even if they were resolved in the moment?

1. Only incidents resulting in injury need to be documented
2. A record helps identify patterns and provides documentation if the issue needs to be addressed further by the school
3. Recording incidents is unnecessary once the immediate situation has been resolved
4. Behavior records are the sole responsibility of school administration, with no input needed from the driver at any stage

Question 21Not answered

When braking hard on a slippery road with a functioning ABS, what should the driver do differently from a bus without ABS?

1. Apply steady, firm pressure to the brake pedal rather than pumping it, letting the system manage wheel lockup
2. Release the brake completely every few seconds
3. Apply the parking brake in place of the service brakes, since ABS works best when the wheels stop turning
4. Pump the brake pedal repeatedly for the best result

Question 22Not answered

Where should a school bus stop relative to where students will cross the road, when a choice is possible?

1. It doesn't matter as long as the warning lights are on
2. As close to a curve in the road as possible, so approaching traffic slows down before it reaches the bus
3. Just past the crest of a hill for shade
4. Where students have a clear view in both directions and other drivers can see the bus

Question 23Not answered

Why should a driver count students on and off the bus during loading and unloading, particularly for younger children?

1. Counting students is only relevant for buses carrying more than fifty students, since smaller loads are easy to track
2. Student counts have no bearing on loading and unloading safety
3. This practice is required only on the final stop of a route
4. It helps confirm every student who should be accounted for has actually boarded or exited safely

Question 24Not answered

Why should a school bus driver still practice smooth, gradual braking with a full load of students even when the vehicle is equipped with ABS?

1. ABS eliminates the need to consider student safety during braking entirely
2. Smooth braking helps prevent standing or unrestrained students from being thrown off balance, which ABS does not address
3. ABS makes braking technique irrelevant, since it automatically smooths every stop and keeps standing students steady too
4. Smooth braking is necessary only on buses without ABS installed

Question 25Not answered

Why should a driver use assigned seating, where implemented, as a tool for managing student behavior and safety?

1. This practice applies only to buses transporting fewer than ten students
2. Assigned seating has no bearing on managing behavior or safety on the bus
3. Assigned seating is used only to satisfy a state paperwork requirement, and it does nothing for behavior or safety
4. It can help separate students who do not get along and makes it easier to account for everyone

Question 26Not answered

The bus needs to be evacuated on a busy road with no shoulder to pull onto. Where should students be directed?

1. Away from the bus and away from traffic, to the safest side possible even if that means crossing carefully
2. Directly into the closest travel lane so passing drivers can see them clearly and slow down well in advance
3. Toward the rear bumper of the bus to wait together
4. Back onto the bus after a few minutes once things calm down

Question 27Not answered

Why should a driver designate a specific gathering point away from the bus during an evacuation, rather than letting students scatter?

1. It helps the driver keep track of all students and confirm everyone is accounted for and safe
2. This practice applies only to evacuations caused by a mechanical breakdown
3. A gathering point is unnecessary since students should return to their seats immediately after evacuating
4. Scattering students in different directions is always the safer choice during an evacuation

Question 28Not answered

Why is managing student behavior an important part of a school bus driver's job?

1. Only behavior at the bus stop matters, not on board
2. It is solely the school's responsibility to handle conduct, so the driver should focus only on the road ahead
3. Student behavior has no real effect on driving safety
4. Distractions or unsafe behavior on board can affect the driver's attention and the safety of everyone on the bus

Question 29Not answered

Why shouldn't a driver assume ABS alone guarantees a shorter stopping distance?

1. ABS always cuts the stopping distance in half compared with a bus that has no ABS, so speed matters much less
2. ABS only functions when the bus is completely empty
3. ABS removes the need to start braking early
4. ABS helps maintain steering control during hard braking, but it does not shorten the physical distance needed to stop

Question 30Not answered

Why should a driver scan the danger zone continuously while students are boarding or exiting, rather than checking just once?

1. A single check at the start of loading is enough for the whole process, since students stay where they are once the door has opened
2. The danger zone becomes irrelevant once the bus doors are open
3. A child's position can change quickly, and continuous scanning helps catch a child who moves into a risky spot
4. Continuous scanning is required only when more than twenty students are boarding