MODULE 8: Course Exam and Evaluation
There is a Federal requirement that each State have minimum standards for the licensing of commercial drivers.192 However there is no such requirement for pilot/escort vehicle operators (P/EVO) at the national level. For commercial driver's licenses (CDL) drivers, both written and driving tests are required. A passing grade on a closed-book knowledge test is required for basic drivers.
No current Federal law requires that each State have minimum standards for P/EVOs. In most States that do require P/EVOs be certified, the P/EVO must pass a written, closed-book test, although States vary in what the test includes. The Pilot/Escort Vehicle Operators Best Practices Guidelines document suggest the examination should include at least 30 questions, that the questions be objective in nature (multiple choice questions are recommended), and that the test be administered without notes or reference materials. Further, the guidelines suggest the examination should include questions covering each of the modules in this training manual. Typically States have established a passing score of at least 75 percent.193
After reading the material presented here, along with the variety of source documents, the P/EVO is ready to go forward, not only to become certified, but more significantly, to continue learning from experienced well-trained P/EVOS.
192 Adapted from American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, Model Commercial Driver License Manual (AAMVA, July 2014), Section 1. Available at: http://www.aamva.org/CDL-Manual/. [ Return to note 192. ]
193 See also U.S. Department of Transportation, "Accidents That Shouldn't Happen: A Report of the Grade Crossing Safety Task Force to Secretary Federico Pena," March 1, 1996, p. 22. [ Return to note 193. ]
