CDL S Endorsement Study guide

What is an S Endorsement?     

An S endorsement on your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) means that you are allowed to professionally drive and operate a school bus. Having an S Endorsement also means that you have already obtained a P Endorsement on your CDL which allows you to drive a passenger vehicle. 

If you wish to have an S endorsement, visit and apply at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Every state has several offices assigned to each county. Each state may have slightly different processes and requirements. For information on a quick and smooth application in the state you are inquiring about, you may visit Dmv.org.

But the very first thing you need is a RELIABLE CDL practice test to be 100% ready. 

 

Should You Get an S endorsement?

You are now considering getting yourself a School Bus Endorsement on your CDL and have a career as a bus driver. Is it a financially rewarding career? Is it enough for you that your job is in essence one of the most important jobs because you quite literally carry the future of the nation? Let us discuss the pros and the cons of being an S Endorsed school bus driver.

If you are in it for earning the most money out of being a school bus driver, then you might set yourself to be disappointed. Being a school bus driver does not really pay that much. You are only paid for about 4 to 5 hours a day; 2 to 2 ½ hours to pick up and drop students at school in the morning and another 2 to 2 ½ hours to drive students to their homes in the afternoon. You are not paid for those hours between your morning and afternoon trips unless you are driving the students on field trips or chartered trips which do not always happen.

But if you are at a stage in your life or in a situation where money is not the most important thing and you just want to have something to do and to have an easy, steady work schedule, then school bus driving is definitely for you. Work starts and ends at the same time every day, there are no crazy emergency shifts, you ride the same routes day in and day out and you get to deal with kids every day. The work conditions can be rewarding on their own.

Depending on what outcome you want, you can decide if school bus driving is the job for you. If you want an outcome where you make the most money out of your career, then you might want to consider being another kind of commercial driver. But if you want an easy lifestyle with some income and a lot of free time, then maybe getting a school bus (S) endorsement is for you.

Who is Qualified to Apply for an S Endorsement on their CDL?

• All S endorsement applicant drivers must be at least 21-years old and should possess a valid residential status or passport.
• The applicant must take and pass the eye exam.
• The applicant should have a valid and current Commercial Driver’s License.
• Possess the needed documents like your Birth Certificate, Lawful Presence in the country, Social Security Number, and so on.
• If you have an S Endorsement from another state besides the one you are applying to, make sure to surrender the out-of-state license before proceeding to apply for your S Endorsement.

Steps in Applying for an S Endorsement

• Take and pass the given written Knowledge test for and School Bus (S) Passenger and Vehicle (P) Endorsements.
• Submit your passing test results at your local driver’s license office and apply for yourself a new commercial learner’s permit for the class of school bus you will be driving. You will be allowed to use this learner’s permit for a minimum time of 14 days. Practice driving in the school bus class you will be using during this time before taking the skills/road test.
• Pass the pre-trip Inspection.
• Take and pass the skills/road test of the school bus class you are going to drive.
• Meet your state’s Driving History Review Requirements for school bus drivers
• Submit your passing skills test result to your local driver’s licensure office for your new P and S Endorsed Commercial Driver’s License.
• Pay all fees for all CDL tests and new P and S Endorsed CDL.

School bus endorsement practice test

Several steps are uniform to every state when applying for an S Endorsement. One is they all have a written Knowledge Test you should take. This knowledge test will examine your basic and advanced knowledge about driving and operating a school bus. Test questions in this exam will include safely unloading and loading students, using emergency exits and evacuating passengers in an event of an emergency, federal and state laws regarding safely crossing highway rails, and the like.

In order to pass on the first go, you will definitely need a CDL school bus endorsement practice test. And we have to say we’re proud that our FREE CDL practice test is one of the best platforms to practice! All practice questions are based on the official manual and updated quickly.

Study Tips for S Endorsement Test

 

Passing the endorsement test is like taking a school exam. The exam becomes difficult when you don’t read and study the materials at all. However, anyone who took the time to do so carefully will surely have a higher possibility of passing the said written test.

The best way to pass the test is to know the subjects or details it covers. As previously mentioned, the exam coverage is found in Chapter 10 of your commercial driver’s manual. If you have vacant time, you can take a seat and start flipping those pages over. Also, be reminded that all test takers are not allowed to open and use any CDL manual and other study materials during the said test. Hence, don’t think of doing it so that your application will not be rejected.

Another way to prepare yourself for the test is through an online platform. The internet will provide you with many websites that will allow you to take relevant tests entirely free. You can also get study materials online without paying anything that will significantly help you pass the endorsement test. By doing this, you’ll have enough time to practice answering relevant questions and learn more information.

Aside from that, you can also ask for tips from drivers who already took and passed the test. You can ask them what questions they found difficult so that you can maximize your time by doing quick research to find answers to those questions.

These are the easy study tips you can consider doing before your exam date. Hence, if you think you’re ready enough and confident to ace this endorsement written exam, you can go to the local DMV office near your area.

The Pre-Trip Inspection

Before you take the Skills/Road Test, there is the Pre-Trip Inspection, which entails the knowledge of inspecting your school bus if it is in optimum running condition.

The pre-trip examiner can test you through three possible scenarios depending on the lot you draw. The three scenarios you can draw are the pre-trip inspection test for the school bus entrance to the end of the bus. Everything from where the students enter to the bus’s taillights. The second is an inspection test of the section of the bus that contains the engine.  The third scenario is that you might be tested for a pre-trip inspection of the whole bus! The engine, lights, seats, windows, emergency exits, etc.

Now, you’ve got enough information for S endorsement. Let’s take the practice test now!

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