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Free CA CDL School Bus Practice Test 2025

  • Perfect for first-time and renewal CDL/CLP applicants, and those adding endorsements
  • Based on 2025 CA commercial driver's license manual
  • Triple-checked for accuracy
  • Updated for September 2025

If you’re in California, this free CDL school bus practice test is for you!

Did you know that California has been recently adopting electric school buses? Various districts in the state have started transitioning to electric buses to promote environmental sustainability while also increasing the safety and comfort of their students. Although these vehicles might feature advanced technologies and several automated systems, their drivers are still required to hold a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with a School Bus (S) endorsement. They must also pass a medical examination, background checks, drug tests, and even complete ongoing safety training.

If the school bus you intend to drive is equipped with air brakes, you must remove this restriction from your CDL by passing an air brakes knowledge test. Drivers are generally required to stop when a school bus displays flashing red lights and has its stop arm extended, signaling that children are getting on or off the bus. Some states, including California, have specific rules regarding this matter. If there is a physical barrier on a divided or multilane highway, vehicles on the opposite side of the road do not need to stop.

As a school bus driver in the Golden State, you must know these state-specific rules. You’ll find them in the official 2025 CDL manual (https://driving-tests.org/california/ca-cdl-handbook/), which contains basic information related to several aspects of commercial driving, including the School Bus endorsement.

Our School Bus practice tests have 20 questions that cover student safety, passenger management, loading and unloading procedures, and stopping procedures. These questions are similar to what you’ll encounter during the actual exam and are all based on the School Buses section of the CDL manual. While you are still in the learning phase, it is recommended that you spend enough time studying and practicing on our tests. You get unlimited attempts and there is no time limit, so you should disregard the score during your first attempts.

Each question comes with a detailed explanation of the correct answer, which is displayed after you make a choice. Your progress is permanently displayed along with the number of correct and incorrect answers. To pass, you need a score of 80%, but it is completely normal to fail during your first attempts.

Pass the first time with Premium
CA commercial driver's license
  • Perfect for first-time and renewal CDL/CLP applicants, and those adding endorsements
  • Triple-checked for accuracy

What you need to know

5 min to complete
Available in EN and ES
Verified by Steven Litvintchouk, M.S., Chief Educational Researcher, Member of ACES. See our detailed commitment to accuracy and quality in our practice tests.
Ensuring the accuracy and quality of our program is paramount. Learn more about our rigorous standards in our Commitment to Accuracy article.

What to expect on the actual CA DMV exam

20

questions

16

correct answers to pass

80%

passing score

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