Become a qualified HGV or bus driver: Driver CPC part 3a and part 3b tests

Find out how the Driver CPC part 3a (off-road exercises) test and Driver CPC part 3b (on-road driving) test work, how to book and what to take.

Details

The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) part 3 (driving ability) test is 1 of the 4 tests you have to pass to drive a lorry or bus for a living.

The test is going to be split into 2 parts from 29 November:

Driver CPC part 3a test: off-road exercises
Driver CPC part 3b test: on-road driving

These guides explain how the tests will work if you take them from 29 November.

There’s different guidance if you’re taking the single Driver CPC part 3 test before 29 November.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Publication for Northern Ireland

Driver CPC part 3a test: off-road exercises

a large rigid lorry (category C) test, when you’ve already got a medium-sized lorry (category C1) licence
a large articulated lorry test (category CE), when you’ve already got a large rigid lorry (category C) licence
a bus or coach (category D) test, when you’ve already got a minibus (category D1) licence
a bus or coach towing a trailer (category DE) test, when you’ve already got a bus or coach (category D) licence

If you take your test before 29 November, it will be a single Driver CPC part 3 test instead of being in 2 parts.

Book your test

You can either:

book your test with an approved training organisation - they can charge up to £40 for the test (this does not include the cost of training and vehicle hire)
book your test with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) - it costs £40 (you must choose an appointment from 29 November onwards)

The test works the same and is assessed to the same standard, whichever option you choose.

What to take to your test

You must bring a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) or a bus or coach that meets the rules.

You must use a vehicle in the subcategory you want to get your licence for. For example, you must use an articulated lorry (category CE) if you want a full licence for this category.

Documents

You must take your theory test pass certificate with you (if you needed to take one).

You must also bring one of the following:

a Great Britain photocard driving licence
a Northern Ireland photocard driving licence and paper counterpart
an EU photocard driving licence (and paper counterpart, if you have one)

If you do not have a photocard driving licence, bring your paper licence and a valid passport.

Your test will be cancelled and you’ll lose your fee if you do not bring these.

Wearing a face covering

Check the training organisation’s rules about whether you have to wear a face covering if you’re taking your test with them.

If you take your test with DVSA, you must bring and wear a face covering at the start and end of the test when you’ll be talking to the examiner, unless you have a good reason not to. Good reasons are things like:

having a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability
wearing it would cause you severe distress

If you cannot wear a face covering at the start and end of the test, you or your instructor must tell DVSA when booking.

Your test with DVSA will be cancelled if you come for your test without a face covering and you did not say that you could not wear one when you booked it.

Taking a coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow test before your driving test

You can choose to take a rapid lateral flow test in the 48 hours before your driving test if you do not have COVID-19 symptoms. Find out how to:

When you must not go to your test

You must not go to your test if either:

you need to quarantine because you recently entered the UK
you’re self-isolating, for example because you tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19)

Find out about:

How the test works

The off-road exercises will include:

an ‘S’ shaped reverse into a bay
showing the uncoupling and recoupling procedure if you’re taking a test with a trailer

Test result

After the test, your assessor or examiner will tell you if you’ve passed and explain how you did.

If you fail, you can book another test straight away, but you cannot take it until the following day.

Cancelled tests

Check the training organisation’s terms and conditions about what happens if they cancel your test at short notice.

If you take your test with DVSA, you can apply for a refund of out-of-pocket expenses if they cancel it at short notice.

Driver CPC part 3b test: on-road driving

What to take to your test

You must bring a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) or a bus or coach that meets the rules.

You must use the same subcategory of vehicle as you used for your Driver CPC part 3a test. For example, if you passed the part 3a test in an articulated lorry (category CE), you must use an articulated lorry for the part 3b test.

You must bring a face covering, unless you have a good reason not to wear one.

Documents

You must take your theory test pass certificate with you (if you needed to take one).

You must bring one of the following:

a Great Britain photocard driving licence
a Northern Ireland photocard driving licence and paper counterpart
an EU photocard driving licence (and paper counterpart, if you have one)

If you do not have a photocard driving licence, bring your paper licence and a valid passport.

Your test will be cancelled and you’ll lose your fee if you do not bring these.

Wearing a face covering

You must bring and wear a face covering at the start and end of the test when you’ll be talking to the examiner, unless you have a good reason not to. Good reasons are things like:

having a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability
wearing it would cause you severe distress

If you cannot wear a face covering at the start and end of the test, you or your instructor must tell the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) when booking.

Your test will be cancelled if you come without a face covering and you did not say that you could not wear one when you booked it.