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United Kingdom · Theory test

HGV theory test: how it works for lorry, bus and coach drivers

You need 85 out of 100 on the multiple-choice questions and 67 out of 100 on hazard perception to pass the HGV theory test. It’s part 1 of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), the qualification for driving a heavy goods vehicle (HGV), also called a large goods vehicle (LGV), or a bus or coach, known as a passenger-carrying vehicle (PCV). The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) runs it in England, Scotland and Wales, and your pass lasts 2 years.

  • 100Multiple-choice questions in part 1a
  • 1 hour 55 minutesTime for the multiple-choice part
  • 19Video clips in hazard perception
  • 2 yearsHow long a theory pass lasts
Where to studyHow the test works

Updated November 2026 · Written from the Highway Code, Know Your Traffic Signs and The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles or Driving Buses and Coaches

Key facts

At a glance

Who runs it
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), in England, Scotland and Wales
Where you take it
At a theory test centre
Before you can book
You need a provisional lorry or bus licence
The full qualification
Part 1, part 2, part 3a, part 3b and part 4
Bus and coach drivers
The same tests and pass marks, with a bus or coach instead of a lorry
Northern Ireland
A separate service, run by the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA)

How it works

How the HGV theory test works

Part 1a multiple choice · 85 to pass
Part 1b hazard perception · 67 to pass
To pass you need 85 of 100 on the multiple-choice part, and 67 of 100 on the hazard perception part.
  1. The theory test is part 1 of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). It has two parts, multiple-choice questions (part 1a) and hazard perception (part 1b).
  2. You book the two parts separately. You can take them on the same day, and it doesn’t matter which one comes first.
  3. In part 1a a question and several possible answers appear on a screen, and you select the right answer. Before it starts you get instructions and a practice question to get used to the screens.
  4. You can flag a question to come back to, and you can go back and change any answer. Once you’ve answered them all you can finish, so you don’t have to use the full time.
  5. Part 1b is 19 video clips of everyday road scenes, and it has its own page on this site.
  6. You get a letter at the test centre with the result for the part you’ve just taken. When you’ve passed both, you’re given your theory test certificate there too.

Topics

Subjects in the Driver CPC syllabus

These come from the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) syllabus, as background for the job and for part 4. They aren’t DVSA’s list of theory test topics. Its revision book has 15 topics of its own, and they may not match these.

01

Rational driving and vehicle controls

The first section of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) syllabus starts with how the engine, gears and brakes work, and how to get the best from them.

Key points (3)
  • Know the limits of the brakes and retarder, and how to use them together on downhill stretches.
  • Know what systems like anti-lock braking, traction control and electronic stability do.
  • To save fuel, read the traffic ahead, keep a sensible gap, hold a steady speed and keep tyre pressures right.
02

Risks in traffic

Spotting trouble early is a syllabus subject of its own, from bad weather to distraction.

Key points (3)
  • Adapt to the road, the traffic and the weather, and know when a journey has to be put off or cancelled.
  • Using devices, eating or drinking at the wheel counts as distracted driving in the syllabus.
  • The size and weight of your vehicle raise the stakes around pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
03

Loading a lorry

Lorry drivers learn how a load changes the way the vehicle behaves, and how to work out what it can carry.

Key points (3)
  • Work out the payload of the vehicle and the total volume of the load.
  • Spread the load properly, because overloading an axle has consequences.
  • Stability depends on the centre of gravity and the forces acting on the moving vehicle.
04

Carrying passengers

Bus and coach drivers have a section about keeping people comfortable and safe while they drive.

Key points (3)
  • Keep longitudinal and sideways movement gentle, with smooth braking.
  • Mind your road position, your overhang and dedicated lanes.
  • Manage the conflict between driving safely and your other jobs as a driver.
05

Rules for drivers

The second section covers the rules on working time and on carrying goods or passengers.

Key points (3)
  • Know the maximum working periods for the transport industry.
  • Failing to use a tachograph, using it wrongly or tampering with it brings penalties.
  • Lorry and bus drivers each study the rules for what they carry.
06

Crime and physical risks

This part of the third section is about staying safe at work and stopping crime, including trafficking in illegal immigrants.

Key points (3)
  • Be aware of the risks of the road and of accidents at work.
  • Know how to prevent crime and trafficking in illegal immigrants.
  • Know which movements and postures pose a risk, and how to protect yourself.
07

Fitness and emergencies

You need to be able to look after your own fitness to drive, and to judge an emergency when you come across one.

Key points (2)
  • Physical and mental ability both matter to the job.
  • Being able to assess an emergency is a syllabus skill and one of the things the part 4 test checks.
08

Service and the business

The last subjects look at how a driver’s behaviour affects the company, and how road haulage and passenger transport are organised.

Key points (3)
  • The standard of service a driver gives matters to the company.
  • A dispute can have commercial and financial effects.
  • Lorry drivers study the road haulage market, and bus drivers the market for carrying passengers by road.

Test day

What to take to the HGV theory test

  • A Great Britain photocard driving licence
  • Or a Northern Ireland photocard licence and its paper counterpart
  • Or an EU photocard licence, with the paper counterpart if you have one
  • Or, with no photocard, your paper licence and a valid passport
  • Proof of any name change made after you booked, such as a marriage certificate or deed poll

Before you go

  1. Check you hold a full car licence, because GOV.UK lists it as the first requirement.
  2. Get a D4 medical examination report filled in and apply for your provisional lorry or bus licence.
  3. Decide which vehicle you’re training for. The multiple-choice questions draw on a goods vehicle guide or a bus and coach guide.
  4. Book part 1a and part 1b once your provisional licence arrives.
  5. Bring the right documents. Without them the test is cancelled and you lose your fee.
GOV.UK: Book your theory testYou need your UK driving licence number, an email address and a credit or debit card. Northern Ireland has its own booking service.

Study options

Where to study

The multiple-choice questions are based on 3 books: The Highway Code, Know Your Traffic Signs, and DVSA’s guide to driving either goods vehicles or buses and coaches. Revise from those. The Driver CPC syllabus subjects on this page are ones GOV.UK publishes for periodic training and as the source of the part 4 topics, not as a list of theory test topics.

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official and free
Mock tests for lorry driversOfficial · webFrom Safe Driving for Life, a collaboration between the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and its official publisher, The Stationery Office (TSO). GOV.UK links to them. Each gives you 57 minutes with 43 to pass, and has a view like the real screens plus a voiceover.
Free2 mock tests of 50 questions
Mock test 1 ↗Mock test 2 ↗
Mock tests for bus and coach driversOfficial · webThe same set-up as the lorry mocks, with 57 minutes and 43 to pass, written for bus and coach drivers.
Free2 mock tests of 50 questions
Mock test 1 ↗Mock test 2 ↗
Part 2 case study mocksOfficial · webSafe Driving for Life’s lorry version has 3 case studies with 5 questions each, 25 minutes, and 12 correct to pass. Some questions use audio and hotspot images.
Free1 mock for lorries, 1 for buses and coaches
Lorry mock ↗Bus and coach mock ↗
Official, on GOV.UK
The Highway CodeOfficial · webOne of the 3 books behind the multiple-choice questions and the part 2 case studies.
Online on GOV.UK; print copy £4.99The whole Code on GOV.UK
Read on GOV.UK ↗
Know Your Traffic SignsOfficial · webThe second of the 3 books. Safe Driving for Life sells it with the Highway Code as a £9.99 bundle.
On GOV.UK; print copy £5.99The guide on GOV.UK
Open on GOV.UK ↗
Official and paid
The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods VehiclesOfficial · bookThe third book if you’re training for a lorry. Safe Driving for Life lists it for both the theory and the practical test.
£24.99
See the book ↗
The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and CoachesOfficial · bookThe third book if you’re training for a bus or coach.
£24.99
See the book ↗
The Official DVSA Theory Test for Drivers of Large VehiclesOfficial · bookThe 2026 edition of the revision book, for both lorries and buses. Its publisher says it has over 1,000 questions across 15 topics. It covers the multiple-choice part only.
£19.99
See the book ↗
Theory Test and Hazard Perception Kit for HGV driversOfficial · webDVSA’s revision questions with timed mocks and over 130 hazard perception clips. There’s a kit for bus and coach drivers too, from £25.
£25 for 30 days, £30 for 90 days, £40 for 365 daysThe mocks above
Lorry kit ↗Bus and coach kit ↗
Kit with Driver CPC part 2Official · webAll of the kit above, plus 60 part 2 case studies with explanations on the lorry version, or 40 on the bus and coach version. Both sell at the same prices. This is the one GOV.UK links to from its part 1 page.
£30 for 30 days, £37.50 for 90 days, £52.50 for 365 daysThe mocks above
Lorry kit with part 2 ↗Bus and coach kit with part 2 ↗
Driver CPC part 2: case studiesOfficial · webCase studies on their own, sold separately for lorry drivers and for bus and coach drivers.
£10 for 30 days, £15 for 90 days, £25 for 365 daysThe case study mocks above
For lorries ↗For buses and coaches ↗
Apps and websites
HGV Theory Test 2026 Kit UK (Andriy Gordiychuk)App · iPhone and iPad4.8 from 3.1k ratings on the UK App Store. Its listing says the revision questions are licensed by DVSA.
Free download; in-app purchases from £3.99 to £7.99The download
App Store ↗
HGV & LGV Theory Test Kit 2026 (Quantech)App · iPhone4.7 from 404 ratings on the UK App Store. The listing says the full version adds 20 practice case studies for part 2, and that its questions are reproduced under licence from DVSA.
Free download; all theory revision £9.99 in-appThe download, with mock tests
App Store ↗
2026 HGV & LGV Theory Test Kit (Quantech)App · iPhone4.8 from 248 ratings on the UK App Store. The paid version from the same developer. Its listing gives 48 hazard perception clips and 20 practice case studies.
£9.99
App Store ↗
In person
Training to become an HGV driverOfficial list · coursesGOV.UK lists 4 routes: Skills Bootcamps, apprenticeships, vocational qualifications and private driving schools. Which ones you can use depends on where you live.
Depends on the routeSkills Bootcamps in England
See the routes on GOV.UK ↗

Prices and ratings checked November 2026.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

Where to learnBookingCostHazard perceptionDriving testDriver CPCMedicalClass 1 and 2

Where to take it

Test centresNorthern Ireland

FAQ

Common questions

What is the pass mark for the HGV theory test?

85 out of 100 on the multiple-choice part and 67 out of 100 on hazard perception. They’re scored separately and you need to pass both.

How many questions are in the HGV theory test?

The multiple-choice part has 100 questions, and you get 1 hour and 55 minutes for them. Hazard perception has no questions. It’s 19 video clips.

How long is an HGV theory test pass valid for?

2 years from the day you passed the first part. Both parts have to be passed within 2 years of each other to get the certificate, and you have to pass part 3a and part 3b within those 2 years or take the theory test again.

What happens if I fail the HGV theory test?

You get a results letter with feedback on why you failed. You can book another test straight away, but you can’t take it for another 3 clear working days. You pay the fee again.

Is the HGV theory test run by DVLA or DVSA?

DVSA runs the test. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) deals with your licence, including the provisional licence you need first. You may also see the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) on old material. It existed from 1 April 1990 to 31 March 2014, then merged with another agency to create DVSA.

Is the LGV theory test the same as the HGV theory test?

Yes, it’s one lorry test under two names. GOV.UK says heavy goods vehicle (HGV), and DVSA’s publisher uses large goods vehicle in some of its web addresses.

Is the theory test the same for bus and coach drivers?

Yes on format and pass marks: 100 questions in 1 hour 55 minutes with 85 to pass, then 19 hazard clips with 67 to pass. Parts 2, 3a, 3b and 4 work the same way too, in category D or D1. What you study differs in one book, DVSA’s guide to driving buses and coaches, and the minimum age for category D is higher.

Can I take the HGV theory test online?

You book it online, but you sit it at a theory test centre. The online tests you’ll see are for revision, and their questions aren’t used in the real test.

Do I need a car licence before I take the theory test?

GOV.UK says you need a full car licence to become an HGV, bus or coach driver, and you can book the theory test as soon as you’ve got your provisional lorry or bus licence.

Is the HGV theory test hard, and what’s the pass rate?

DVSA doesn’t rate how hard it is, but it does publish results. Between April 2025 and March 2026, lorry drivers in Great Britain passed multiple choice 52.2% of the time and hazard perception 82.1%. Bus and coach drivers passed 55.8% and 82.4%.

Sources: GOV.UK · Safe Driving for Life · DVSA and 6 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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