When properly adjusted, the outside side flat mirrors on a school bus should allow the driver to see along the sides of the bus; the rear tires touching the ground; and 200 feet behind the bus.

If approaching a railroad crossing while driving a transit bus, school bus, or placarded vehicle, special procedures apply. Before crossing, stop your vehicle within 50 feet of, but not less than 15 feet from, the nearest rail. Activate your four-way flashers while crossing. Do not stop, change gears, or change lanes while any part of your vehicle is proceeding across the tracks.

You should always check the adjustment of all your mirrors before operating a school bus.

During a vehicle inspection test, you must ensure that all lug nuts are present, free of cracks and distortions, and showing no signs of looseness, such as rust trails or shiny threads. Verify that all bolt holes are free of cracks and distortions.

You must drive in a safe and responsible manner during the on-road driving test. This includes wearing your safety belt; obeying all traffic signs, signals, and laws; and completing the test without an accident or moving violation.

When checking the engine compartment during the vehicle inspection test, you must check the power steering, water pump, alternator, and air compressor belts. In addition to cracks and frays, you should check the belts for snugness, allowing up to three-quarters of an inch of play at the center of each belt. If any of these items are not belt-driven, you must identify them and ensure that their components are operating properly, are not damaged or leaking, and are mounted securely.

Backing in a school bus is strongly discouraged and should be done only if there is no other safe way to move the vehicle. If you must drive in reverse at a student pick-up point, you should wait until all students have first loaded the bus.

A school bus driver should load and unload students only at designated stops that have been approved by appropriate school district officials.

During the basic vehicle control skills test, you must place the vehicle in neutral and set the parking brake before exiting the vehicle to check its position. You may check the position of the vehicle no more than twice, except during the straight line backing exercise, where you may look no more than once.

Maneuvers that may be included in the basic vehicle control skills test include straight line backing, offset back/right parking, offset back/left parking, driver side parallel parking, conventional parallel parking, and alley docking.

Maneuvers that may be included in the basic vehicle control skills test include straight line backing, offset back/right parking, offset back/left parking, driver side parallel parking, conventional parallel parking, and alley docking.

During the on-road driving skills test, make sure you do not put your vehicle over curbs, sidewalks, or lane markings. Stop behind stop lines, crosswalks, or stop signs. On multiple-lane roads, complete turns in the proper lane. Always move to or remain in the rightmost lane, unless the lane is blocked.

School bus drivers should approach stops slowly and cautiously.

You should finish each exercise with your vehicle in the exact position described by the examiner. You can be penalized for failing to complete an exercise exactly in the manner described by the examiner, potentially resulting in failure of the basic control skills test.

If students are evacuated due to a school bus being in the direct path of a sighted tornado, the driver should lead them to shelter in a nearby building. If no such shelter is available, the driver should escort them to a nearby ditch or culvert. They should avoid areas that may be subject to flash flooding and should be far enough away from the bus that it would not fall on them if it tipped over.

If you must back up a school bus at a student pick-up point, be sure to pick up all students before you begin backing up. When backing, it is especially important to keep an eye out for latecomers.

The driver of a school bus should observe students as they enter or exit the bus to ensure that they are not caught in the door or handrails. It is also important to make sure the students have moved a safe distance away from the unloading area after they have exited the bus.

If you are asked to alley dock, you should first pull past the alley and stop your vehicle in a position that is parallel to the outer boundary. From there, you should back your vehicle entirely into the alley parking area. Your vehicle should be parked in a straight position within the boundaries of the parking space.

The examiner will score the number of times your vehicle touches or crosses an exercise boundary line. Each encroachment will count as an error, resulting in points against your skills test score.

When inspecting a trailer during a vehicle inspection test, ensure that its landing gear has no missing parts and that it is fully raised. The crank handle should be secure and the support frame should not be damaged.