Georgia CDL School Bus Test cheat sheet

School Bus Endorsement Knowledge (Georgia CDL Program)

• Georgia CDL school bus endorsement (S) requires a knowledge test plus a skills test in a school bus; the S endorsement is added to a CDL and cannot be issued without the underlying CDL (or CLP) class.

• Required Georgia school bus knowledge topics: loading/unloading procedures, danger zones, student management, emergency evacuation, railroad-highway crossings, and post-trip child-check duties.

• Danger zone: the area within 10 feet around the bus. Students must be visible and drivers must account for them before, during, and after loading/unloading.

• Stop-arm law: when the red lights flash and the stop arm extends, traffic in both directions must stop on undivided roads; on a divided highway with a median, only traffic behind the bus must stop.

• Loading/unloading rule: count students as they leave and re-enter; a student who disappears from view must be located before the bus moves.

• Railroad-highway crossing: stop, open the service door, turn off noisy equipment, listen and look both ways, close the door, then proceed only when the tracks are clear.

• Emergency evacuation sequence: stop safely, set the parking brake, put the transmission in neutral or park, shut off the engine, activate hazard lights, and evacuate students to a safe distance upwind and away from traffic.

• Post-trip inspection: walk the full length of the bus, check under and between seats for sleeping or hiding children, and report the child-check completion per district policy.

• Georgia disqualification: a school bus driver may not be under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance, and DUI convictions carry lifetime CDL disqualification for a second offense.