Vermont School Bus Test
Winter roads on Route 100 don't care about your schedule — this test makes sure you know how to handle them.
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Twenty questions, 80% to pass. Vermont's school bus test covers loading, railroad crossings, and winter driving — all the stuff that matters on our rural roads.
Key Topics
- •Loading & unloading procedures
- •Railroad crossing rules
- •Emergency evacuation drills
About the Vermont School Bus Test
Topics Covered
- ✓Loading and unloading procedures — Vermont's rural stops often have no sidewalks, so you need to know exactly when to flash your red lights and where kids should stand.
- ✓Railroad crossing rules — Vermont has hundreds of unguarded crossings on school bus routes. The law says you stop, open the door, listen, and look both ways. Every single time.
- ✓Student management and behavior — kids on a bus full of snow gear can get rowdy. The test covers how to handle distractions without losing focus on the road.
- + 3 more topics
📘 Study Tips & State Info
Start with the Vermont CDL manual's School Bus section. Read it like it's the only thing between you and a ticket. Vermont examiners love asking about the exact order of the eight-light warning system — they'll give you a scenario and ask which lights to use. Memorize that sequence.
Don't skip the railroad crossing questions. Vermont has more than 700 public crossings, and many school bus routes cross them daily. The test will ask about when to stop, how far from the track, and what to do if the bus stalls on the crossing. That last one's a big deal in rural Vermont where help can be 20 minutes away.
Practice with a timer. The real test gives you about 25 minutes for 20 questions. That's plenty of time if you know your stuff, but if you're guessing, you'll run out. Use our practice tests to get comfortable with the format and the Vermont-specific details. And don't forget — the pre-trip inspection questions are a favorite of Vermont examiners. They want to see you know the brake check, the stop-arm test, and the emergency exit check by heart.
The Vermont DMV handles all CDL testing. For the School Bus endorsement (S endorsement), you'll take the written knowledge test at a DMV office — Montpelier, Rutland, Burlington, and St. Johnsbury are the main testing sites. You need an appointment for CDL tests. Walk-ins rarely work. Call ahead or book online.
The written test costs $30 for the endorsement (as of 2025). You'll also need to pass a skills test in a school bus after you get your CLP. The skills test includes a pre-trip inspection, a basic control test (like backing and turning on narrow roads), and a road test that includes railroad crossings and student stop scenarios. Vermont requires you to bring a school bus for the skills test — your employer usually provides one if you're already hired.
One thing that catches people: Vermont requires a separate Passenger endorsement (P) if you're driving a school bus with more than 15 passengers. That's another written test. But if you only drive a small bus (under 15 passengers), you don't need the P endorsement. Check your specific situation with the DMV before you schedule.
About the Vermont School Bus Test
If you're driving a school bus in Vermont, you're not just a driver — you're the most important adult those kids see before and after school. The Vermont School Bus endorsement test makes sure you know how to handle that responsibility. It's 20 multiple-choice questions, and you need 16 right to pass.
Vermont's not like other states. Our routes run through narrow dirt roads, past frozen lakes, and across railroad crossings that don't have gates. You'll need to know the exact procedure for loading and unloading kids in the dark, on ice, and sometimes with a snowbank blocking your mirror view. The test covers that.
You'll also get questions about pre-trip inspections — because a school bus that breaks down on a -20°F morning isn't just an inconvenience, it's a safety hazard. And we cover emergency evacuation, which in Vermont might mean getting 50 kids off a bus stuck in a snowdrift on Route 100 near Stowe. The state examiners expect you to know the sequence cold.
This practice test follows the Vermont CDL manual and the federal standards. Take it a few times until you're scoring 90% or better. Then go book your test at the Montpelier or Rutland DMV — those are the busiest CDL testing locations in the state.
Topics Covered
Study Tips
Start with the Vermont CDL manual's School Bus section. Read it like it's the only thing between you and a ticket. Vermont examiners love asking about the exact order of the eight-light warning system — they'll give you a scenario and ask which lights to use. Memorize that sequence.
Don't skip the railroad crossing questions. Vermont has more than 700 public crossings, and many school bus routes cross them daily. The test will ask about when to stop, how far from the track, and what to do if the bus stalls on the crossing. That last one's a big deal in rural Vermont where help can be 20 minutes away.
Practice with a timer. The real test gives you about 25 minutes for 20 questions. That's plenty of time if you know your stuff, but if you're guessing, you'll run out. Use our practice tests to get comfortable with the format and the Vermont-specific details. And don't forget — the pre-trip inspection questions are a favorite of Vermont examiners. They want to see you know the brake check, the stop-arm test, and the emergency exit check by heart.
Vermont Specific Information
The Vermont DMV handles all CDL testing. For the School Bus endorsement (S endorsement), you'll take the written knowledge test at a DMV office — Montpelier, Rutland, Burlington, and St. Johnsbury are the main testing sites. You need an appointment for CDL tests. Walk-ins rarely work. Call ahead or book online.
The written test costs $30 for the endorsement (as of 2025). You'll also need to pass a skills test in a school bus after you get your CLP. The skills test includes a pre-trip inspection, a basic control test (like backing and turning on narrow roads), and a road test that includes railroad crossings and student stop scenarios. Vermont requires you to bring a school bus for the skills test — your employer usually provides one if you're already hired.
One thing that catches people: Vermont requires a separate Passenger endorsement (P) if you're driving a school bus with more than 15 passengers. That's another written test. But if you only drive a small bus (under 15 passengers), you don't need the P endorsement. Check your specific situation with the DMV before you schedule.