Series 1-7: Shifting Gears, Accelerating and Decelerating

The Alberta School Bus Practice Test chapter “Shifting Gears, Accelerating and Decelerating” focuses on essential driving skills for school bus operators.

Alberta School Bus Test - SERIES 1-7: Shifting Gears, Accelerating and Decelerating

1 / 30

To obtain additional power for quick acceleration with an automatic transmission, you should:

Depress the brake and accelerator together

Turn off overdrive manually

Shift to neutral and rev the engine

Depress the accelerator firmly to the floor

2 / 30

When starting a bus with a standard transmission, what should you do first regarding the gears?

Shift immediately into the highest gear

Release the parking brake

Depress the accelerator pedal

Familiarize yourself with the gear pattern and recommended starting gear

3 / 30

When driving in difficult terrain with an automatic transmission, you may gain better traction by:

Always leaving the selector in the highest gear

Coasting in neutral

Manually selecting a lower gear with the gear selector

Using only the parking brake for speed control

4 / 30

When downshifting a standard transmission, what is the correct initial action?

Shift to neutral and coast

Depress the clutch and release the accelerator

Apply the parking brake first

Depress the accelerator and release the clutch

5 / 30

As speed increases in an automatic transmission bus, the transmission will:

Automatically shift into the next higher gear

Stay in the lowest gear

Require manual shifting with the clutch

Shift only when you release the accelerator

6 / 30

Why is it improper to depress the clutch at high speed and keep it depressed while braking to a stop?

Because this is “coasting to a stop” and you should always use appropriate gears

Because it cools the brakes too much

Because it saves fuel and should be avoided

Because it forces the transmission to shift automatically

7 / 30

Shifting before proper engine speed is reached can cause the engine to:

Shut down automatically

Stall immediately

Lug

Overheat instantly

8 / 30

Releasing the clutch too quickly will most likely:

Improve acceleration

Reduce engine wear

Prevent stalling under any conditions

Stall the engine

9 / 30

A key benefit of proper shifting, accelerating, and decelerating techniques is that they:

Save wear on the engine and clutch and give passengers a smoother ride

Eliminate the need for regular maintenance

Increase fuel usage and reduce comfort

Make the bus louder but more powerful

10 / 30

Double clutching involves:

Shifting without using the clutch

Depressing the brake pedal twice quickly

Using two clutches at the same time

Depressing the clutch pedal, releasing it, and depressing it again while shifting

11 / 30

In downshifting by double clutching, after shifting to neutral, you should:

Release the clutch momentarily to engage it and accelerate the engine to more than original speed

Apply the parking brake

Keep the clutch depressed and let the engine idle

Turn off the engine

12 / 30

Racing the engine and not releasing the clutch quickly enough will:

Improve fuel economy

Protect the clutch from wear

Cause the clutch to slip excessively

Have no effect on the clutch

13 / 30

During double clutching, when the bus is out of gear, re-clutching and revving the engine will usually:

Prevent the bus from moving

Increase gear grinding

Prevent excessive gear grinding

Force an automatic shift

14 / 30

Keeping your left foot on the clutch when not actually shifting is called:

Coasting

Power braking

Riding the clutch

Double clutching

15 / 30

Before moving off in an automatic transmission bus, after depressing the brake you should:

Move the gear selector lever into the appropriate position

Pump the brake pedal repeatedly

Turn off the engine

Release the accelerator

16 / 30

On non-synchromesh transmissions, double clutching helps by:

Increasing engine RPM beyond safe limits

Coordinating engine speed and transmission speed for smoother shifting

Allowing you to skip more gears safely

Eliminating the need for using the clutch

17 / 30

Before shifting into the next higher gear, you should accelerate the bus to:

The proper engine speed

Idle speed only

Any speed; engine speed is not important

The maximum possible speed

18 / 30

Before shifting into the starting gear on a standard transmission, you must first:

Release the parking brake

Turn off the engine

Depress the accelerator pedal

Depress the clutch pedal

19 / 30

Holding the vehicle in too low a gear while the engine races will:

Improve passenger comfort

Prevent engine wear

Reduce fuel consumption

Cause excessive wear on the engine

20 / 30

When parking the bus to leave it, one of the required actions is to:

Keep the engine racing

Leave the clutch partially depressed

Leave the transmission in neutral with no brake

Set the parking brake and secure the bus

21 / 30

To bring the bus to a complete stop, you should apply the brake and gradually increase pressure, then:

Turn off the engine before stopping

Shift directly to neutral at any speed

Depress the clutch immediately at high speed

Depress the clutch after reducing speed to between 8–16 km/h

22 / 30

When beginning a downshift from cruising speed, you should first:

Depress the accelerator

Reduce speed

Apply the parking brake

Shift immediately to the lowest gear

23 / 30

What is the normal practice regarding skipping gears while shifting?

Only skip gears when downshifting

Skip as many gears as possible

Only skip gears when upshifting

Avoid skipping gears when upshifting or downshifting

24 / 30

When starting off with a standard transmission, you should release the clutch to:

Just enough to move the bus a little

The floor as quickly as possible

Halfway only

The friction point

25 / 30

After releasing the clutch to the friction point, what is the next step when starting off?

Remove your foot from the brake, move it to the accelerator, and accelerate gradually

Depress the accelerator fully to the floor

Depress the clutch again

Apply the parking brake

26 / 30

What must you do after the bus starts moving to avoid excessive clutch wear?

Keep light pressure on the clutch pedal (“ride the clutch”)

Pump the clutch pedal intermittently

Remove your left foot from the clutch slowly and completely and place it on the floor

Depress the clutch halfway at all times

27 / 30

When starting to move with an automatic transmission, the first step after starting the engine is to:

Depress the brake pedal

Shift directly to a lower gear

Depress the accelerator pedal

Release the parking brake

28 / 30

For upshifting by double clutching, what is the correct first step?

Depress the accelerator and clutch at different times

Depress the clutch pedal and release the accelerator simultaneously

Shift to neutral and accelerate

Depress the clutch and brake together

29 / 30

To upshift smoothly with a standard transmission, you should:

Release the clutch and accelerator at the same time

Depress the clutch and release the accelerator simultaneously before shifting

Depress the accelerator and clutch at different times

Shift without using the clutch

30 / 30

After selecting the gear and releasing the parking brake in an automatic transmission, you should:

Depress the accelerator fully to the floor immediately

Shift repeatedly between gears

Keep the brake applied while accelerating

Release the brake pedal and smoothly depress the accelerator

Your score is

Proper gear shifting ensures smooth driving and control, especially in changing road conditions or on inclines. The chapter emphasizes the importance of accelerating gradually to maintain passenger comfort and safety. Decelerating smoothly by anticipating stops and reducing speed early helps prevent abrupt braking, which can be hazardous for students. Mastery of these techniques is crucial for safe and efficient school bus operation. This chapter prepares drivers to respond confidently to real-world driving situations, ensuring the safety of everyone on board.