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CDL · Student Management

What endorsement does a school bus driver need?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

Both the P (Passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements, with the S endorsement requiring an additional written knowledge test, road skills test, and (in most states) a background check

  1. A Only the standard CDL
  2. B Only the P endorsement
  3. C Only the S endorsement
  4. D Both the P (Passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements, with the S endorsement requiring an additional written knowledge test, road skills test, and (in most states) a background check

Why this is the answer

School bus drivers need both the P (Passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements. The P endorsement covers passenger transport generally; the S endorsement adds school-bus-specific knowledge (danger zones, loading/unloading procedures, railroad crossings, evacuations, student management, anti-bullying). The S endorsement requires: passing the school bus written knowledge test; passing a road skills test in a representative school bus; passing a background check (most states); meeting state-specific physical and character requirements that may exceed standard CDL requirements. Some states require additional training hours, fingerprinting, and ongoing background monitoring. Background checks are renewed periodically.
Source: FMCSA CDL Manual 10.0 Endorsement Requirements

Practice more questions

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About this topic: Student Management

Student management questions cover setting and enforcing rules, handling misbehaviour without compromising driving, and the limits of a driver's authority. The safe option is to stop the bus before dealing with a serious problem. This is one of 9 School Bus questions on student management, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our CDL exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

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