A bus that carries no hazardous materials has one fire extinguisher. What is the lowest rating 49 CFR 393.95 accepts for it?49 CFR 393.95, (a)(1)(ii). ASE S1 content area A, Safety and Emergency Equipment Systems Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
A fire extinguisher bracket is replaced. How must the extinguisher be mounted, under 49 CFR 393.95?49 CFR 393.95, (a)(4). ASE S1 content area A, Safety and Emergency Equipment Systems Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
A new bracket is bolted to a stop signal arm. How much of the white border may mounting hardware cover on each side, under FMVSS 131?49 CFR 571.131, S5.2.1. ASE S1 content area A, Safety and Emergency Equipment Systems Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
A push-out emergency window is hard to release. What is the most force a low-force release may need, under FMVSS 217?49 CFR 571.217, S5.3.3.2. ASE S1 content area A, Safety and Emergency Equipment Systems Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
Show all 50 questions (46 more)
Safety and emergency equipment, continued
A school bus signal lamp is re-aimed after a roof cap repair. What aim tolerance does FMVSS 108 give at 25 feet?49 CFR 571.108, S6.4.5. ASE S1 content area A, Safety and Emergency Equipment Systems Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
A seat track is refitted near the rear emergency door of a large school bus. How big a box must still pass through the opened door, under FMVSS 217?49 CFR 571.217, S5.4.2.1(a)(1). ASE S1 content area A, Safety and Emergency Equipment Systems Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
A stop signal arm is adjusted after a hinge repair. When extended, how far must its vertical centerline stand from the side of the bus, under FMVSS 131?49 CFR 571.131, S5.4.1(c). ASE S1 content area A, Safety and Emergency Equipment Systems Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
How many emergency reflective triangles does 49 CFR 393.95 call for, when triangles are the warning devices carried?49 CFR 393.95, (f). ASE S1 content area A, Safety and Emergency Equipment Systems Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
How much force may it take to work the release of a school bus emergency exit door, under FMVSS 217?49 CFR 571.217, S5.3.3.1(c). ASE S1 content area A, Safety and Emergency Equipment Systems Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
Which extinguishing agent does 49 CFR 393.95 call for in the fire extinguisher of a bus?49 CFR 393.95, (a)(5). ASE S1 content area A, Safety and Emergency Equipment Systems Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
Body and interior 14
A body panel joint is repaired. How strong must a school bus body panel joint be, under FMVSS 221?49 CFR 571.221, S5.1. ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
A driver's seat is refitted after its suspension base is repaired. What forward force must an occupant seat withstand under FMVSS 207?49 CFR 571.207, S4.2. ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
A flip-up seat cushion is latched and then pushed upward at the center of its bottom. What force must it hold without separating, under FMVSS 222?49 CFR 571.222, S5.1.5. ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
A mirror of outside mirror System B is remounted on the fender. Which requirement does FMVSS 111 place on its installation?49 CFR 571.111, S9.3(b). ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
A replacement seat back is narrower than the bench. How wide must a school bus seat back be at 610 mm above the seating reference point, under FMVSS 222?49 CFR 571.222, S5.1.2. ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
A stone chip sits in the driver's view of the windshield. When does 49 CFR 393.60 allow it to stay?49 CFR 393.60, (c)(3). ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
A windshield is reinstalled in a bus. How must it be mounted, under 49 CFR 393.60?49 CFR 393.60, (b). ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
A wiper motor is replaced and the system is checked. What is the fastest speed FMVSS 104 requires a wiping system to reach?49 CFR 571.104, S4.1.1. ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
How is a wiper arm fixed to the wiper transmission, and what keeps the blade on the glass?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 17-17. ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
Interior panels are riveted back on after a repair. How long may an unattached segment of a body panel joint be, under FMVSS 221?49 CFR 571.221, S5.1.1. ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
One crack runs across the driver's view of the windshield. When is a crack an allowed exception under 49 CFR 393.60?49 CFR 393.60, (c)(2). ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
Seat covering material is being chosen. How fast may an interior material burn, under FMVSS 302?49 CFR 571.302, S4.3(a). ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
What roof load is used in the school bus rollover protection standard, FMVSS 220?49 CFR 571.220, S4. ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
Which seats need a restraining barrier in front of them, under FMVSS 222?49 CFR 571.222, S5.2. ASE S1 content area B, Body and Interior Maintenance (14 of 50 questions)
Wheelchair lifts and special equipment 10
A bent lift handrail is replaced. How high above the platform surface must its graspable portion be, under FMVSS 403?49 CFR 571.403, S6.4.9. ASE S1 content area C, Installed Special Equipment Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
A lift platform seems to drop too fast. What is the fastest the platform may travel with a passenger, under FMVSS 403?49 CFR 571.403, S6.2.2.1. ASE S1 content area C, Installed Special Equipment Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
A lift will not leave the stowed position. Which condition must the interlock see before it lets the lift operate, under FMVSS 403?49 CFR 571.403, S6.10.2.2. ASE S1 content area C, Installed Special Equipment Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
A public use lift is lowered while a wheelchair sits on the threshold area. When must the threshold warning come on, under FMVSS 403?49 CFR 571.403, S6.1.3. ASE S1 content area C, Installed Special Equipment Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
A wheelchair lift is replaced on a school bus with a GVWR over 10,000 pounds. Which lift does FMVSS 404 require?49 CFR 571.404, S4.1.1. ASE S1 content area C, Installed Special Equipment Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
A wheelchair securement anchorage is replaced in the floor. What force must each anchorage withstand, under FMVSS 222?49 CFR 571.222, S5.4.1.3. ASE S1 content area C, Installed Special Equipment Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
The lift is deployed and the driver tries to pull away. What must the interlock do, under FMVSS 403?49 CFR 571.403, S6.10.2.1. ASE S1 content area C, Installed Special Equipment Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
The lift loses electrical power with a student on the raised platform. What must the manual backup mode be able to do, under FMVSS 403?49 CFR 571.403, S6.9.1. ASE S1 content area C, Installed Special Equipment Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
What form must the visual threshold warning of a lift take, under FMVSS 403?49 CFR 571.403, S6.1.4. ASE S1 content area C, Installed Special Equipment Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
The wheelchair retention device will not deploy. Above what platform height must the interlock stop the lift from moving, under FMVSS 403?49 CFR 571.403, S6.10.2.5. ASE S1 content area C, Installed Special Equipment Diagnosis and Repair (10 of 50 questions)
Heating systems 16
A bus is slow to warm up and the heaters blow lukewarm air. In which position is a thermostat designed to fail, by TM 9-8000?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 9-9. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
A fuel-fired coolant heater is serviced. Where must its products of combustion go, under 49 CFR 393.77?49 CFR 393.77, (b)(9). ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
A heater hose is replaced on a hot water heating system. What does 49 CFR 393.77 require of the hose?49 CFR 393.77, (b)(6). ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
A rusty, scaled cooling system is refilled with fresh coolant that contains inhibitors. What will the inhibitors do, by TM 9-8000?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 9-5. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
A sweet smell fills the bus and a greasy film fogs the windshield above the defroster vent. What is the likely cause?Wikipedia, Heater core, Possible problems. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
Air comes from the floor outlets but will not switch to the windshield. Which part of the heater unit selects heat, vent or defrost?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 17-19. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
An underseat heater is refitted with its cover left off. What does 49 CFR 393.77 require around its fan?49 CFR 393.77, (b)(2). ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
The engine reaches temperature but one heater gives little heat, and the coolant has not been changed for years. What is a likely cause?Wikipedia, Heater core, Possible problems. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
What advantage do vacuum-operated heater doors have over cable-operated doors, by TM 9-8000?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 17-19. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
What are the standard heat ranges of thermostats, by TM 9-8000?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 9-9. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
What does a heater core do?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 17-19. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
What gives a heater blower motor its choice of speeds, by TM 9-8000?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 17-19. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
What is a water jacket heater, among the engine heaters described in TM 9-8000?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 17-20. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
Which mix of ethylene glycol and water gives the lowest freezing point, by TM 9-8000?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 9-5. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
Why is the pellet-type thermostat the one in current use, by TM 9-8000?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 9-9. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
Windows fog while the heater runs, and the intake is found stuck on recirculate. Which door chooses between outside air and interior air?US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), paragraph 17-19. ASE S1 content area D, Heating Systems Diagnosis and Repair (16 of 50 questions)
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the test specifications and task list for Body Systems and Special Equipment (Test S1) in the ASE School Bus Study Guide (https://ase.com/wp-content/uploads/ASE_SchoolBus_Study_Guide.pdf, copyright 2026, read 2026-10-13): A safety and emergency equipment systems diagnosis and repair 10 questions, B body and interior maintenance 14, C installed special equipment diagnosis and repair 10, D heating systems diagnosis and repair 16; total 50. The bank holds the same 10, 14, 10 and 16. Each fact was read on 2026-10-13 in the public text named under its question: the federal motor vehicle safety standards for school buses, seats, lamps and lifts (49 CFR 571.104, 571.108, 571.111, 571.131, 571.207, 571.217, 571.220, 571.221, 571.222, 571.302, 571.403 and 571.404) and 49 CFR Part 393 (393.60, 393.77, 393.95) at ecfr.gov; US Army TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985), chapter 9 and paragraphs 17-17, 17-19 and 17-20; and, for two questions, Wikipedia. The sample questions printed in the study guide were not used. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
This free ASE S1 practice test covers school bus body systems and special equipment in 50 questions of our own, weighted by ASE's four content areas. It is unofficial, and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has no part in it.
Read the full guide
How the 50 questions are split
ASE's School Bus study guide counts 50 scored questions: safety and emergency equipment 10, body and interior maintenance 14, installed special equipment (wheelchair lifts and securement) 10, and heating systems 16. This bank follows that split.
Where the answers come from
Exits, stop arms, seats, body joints, mirrors and lifts are set by federal motor vehicle safety standards, so those questions cite the standard and its paragraph. Heating and cooling questions rest on an Army automotive manual and the federal heater rule.
What federal standards leave to others
A state may add its own school bus specifications, and the bus and lift makers' manuals govern a repair. Neither is in this bank.
Heating is the largest area, 16 of 50. Know the cooling system parts before the heater controls.
For lift questions, learn the interlocks: what must be true before the lift moves, and before the bus moves.
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the ASE S1 test?
The S1 certification test has 60 questions and a 75 minute limit in ASE's 2026 School Bus study guide. Only 50 count toward the score. A technician who has passed it once recertifies on 25 questions in 30 minutes.
What does the ASE S1 test cover?
Body Systems and Special Equipment: emergency exits, stop arms and warning devices, seats, floors, doors, mirrors, glass and wipers, wheelchair lifts and securement, and the heating, ventilating and defrosting system with its coolant side.
Is S1 required for Master School Bus Technician?
No. ASE's School Bus study guide marks tests S2 through S6 as required for ASE Certified Master School Bus Technician status. S1 and S7, air conditioning, are not marked.