Understanding Your Driver CPC Theory Test

If you want to traverse the open road as an HGV driver, you are looking into one of the most freeing and exciting driving career opportunities out there. But this isn’t a job they give to just anyone. And just having a normal car driving license isn’t enough to get your driving HGV’s for Tesco. Instead, you will need to undergo hundreds of hours of training to earn your Driver CPC (certificate of professional competence), otherwise known as your HGV license. Your Driver CPC consists of 4 parts – 2 theory and 2 practical. In this post, we will look at the theory parts, what’s involved and what happens if you need to retake your theory test.

How To Book Your Theory Test

Once you are ready, booking your theory test is a simple, straightforward process. Simply visit GOV website to find your nearest testing centre and book your slot. We recommend that you book your test only through this website unless you are training through a certified centre who can book it for you. Booking through third party websites can often mean you end up paying much more for the tests. Your theory test shouldn’t cost you more than £37 – £26 for the multiple choice section and £11 for the hazard perception. You can take these tests together or separately, whichever you are more comfortable with. If you have hearing or reading difficulties, or you need the test translated into another language, get in touch with the testing centre and they will be able to make arrangements.

What Will Happen On The Day

On testing day, you will need to remember to bring your provisional driving license with you, as well as your booking confirmation. Once you’re all booked in you will be sat down in front of a computer, a mouse and some headphones, ready to take your tests.

Hazard Perception.  In the hazard perception section of the test, you will see 19 different films, each with 1 hazard in them (with the exception of one film, which features2 hazards). All you have to do is click on or touch the hazard as soon as you spot it developing. The earlier you spot the hazard, the more points you get, with a maximum of 5 points available for each hazard. There are 100 points up for grabs, and you must score above 67 to pass. And for anyone thinking they can pass simply by clicking everywhere, or in a pattern, doing this displays a warning and scores you 0 for that film. Continuing will result in an overall score of 0.

Multiple Choice. The multiple choice element of your Driver CPC test is fairly simple. You are presented with a question and several different options for answers. All you have to do is click or touch the screen for the right one, and it will move on to the next question. There are 100 questions in all, and you will need to get at least 85 right in order to get a pass mark. You have 115 minutes to complete the test, and you are able to ‘flag’ questions and come back to you later if you need to. In some cases, there will be more than one correct answer to a question, and if you try to move on without selecting enough answers, the screen will display a message.

If You Need To Retake

Even the best of us have bad days. Whether you weren’t quite as ready as you thought, something happened in your personal life or you were just feeling under the weather, there are many reasons you might fail your Driver CPC theory. This happens more often than you’d think, and many HGV drivers have had to retake part of their theory section. Luckily, you can retake your theory test if you need to, at no extra cost.

At Surrey and Hampshire HGV Training, we specialise in helping budding HGV drivers understand their journey through basic HGV training through to taking their tests and setting off on their journey. For more information about the Driver CPC theory section, or to book onto one of our driver training courses, get in touch with our team today.