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United Kingdom · Theory test

HGV driving test: part 3a off-road and part 3b on-road

There are two tests to pass. Part 3a is off-road exercises of up to 30 minutes, and part 3b is on the road, with 1 hour of driving and vehicle safety questions. Together they make up the HGV driving test, also called the practical test, for a heavy goods vehicle (HGV). The bus and coach version works the same way. You have to pass the theory test first, then part 3a, then part 3b within 6 months. Part 4 of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) is a separate test.

  • 1 hourPractical road driving in part 3b
  • 12 or fewerDriving faults allowed in part 3b
  • Up to 30 minutesLength of the part 3a test
Where to study

Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

The HGV reversing test in part 3a

Part 3a includes an S-shaped reverse into a bay. If you’re taking a test with a trailer, you also show the uncoupling and recoupling procedure. You can carry on if you make a mistake, and the examiner only stops the test if your driving is a danger to others.

You can take part 3a with an approved private provider or with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). If your training company is also your provider, your assessor can’t have been involved in your training. If you pass, you get a certificate to take to part 3b.

What happens on the road in the HGV driving test?

You drive for an hour, including 10 minutes of independent driving. During the test you’re also asked vehicle safety questions, known as ‘show me, tell me’, from GOV.UK’s published lists. The examiner watches how you:

  • use the controls and the mirrors
  • move away at an angle, uphill and downhill
  • do a controlled stop
  • signal, and anticipate what other road users will do
  • manage your progress and speed
  • deal with hazards and choose a safe place to stop

You pass with 12 or fewer driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults. At the start of a practical test you also read a number plate on a parked vehicle, and the medical page explains what happens if you can’t.

Show me, tell me questions ↗With a trailer ↗Eyesight rules for the test →

What to bring to the HGV practical test

  • A lorry, bus or coach that meets the test rules, in the category you want on your licence
  • Your theory test pass certificate, unless you’re upgrading to tow heavier trailers
  • Your part 3a pass certificate, for part 3b
  • A photocard licence, with the paper counterpart if it’s from Northern Ireland or you have one from the EU
  • Or, with no photocard, your paper licence and a valid passport

Without these your test is cancelled and you lose your fee. You need the same category of vehicle for both parts.

Where tests are held →

Rules for the test vehicle

Every test vehicle must be capable of 50mph. It needs L-plates, or D-plates in Wales if you like, front and rear, along with a tachograph, anti-lock brakes, two sets of outside mirrors and a seat belt for the examiner.

CategorySmallest allowed
C1 medium lorry4 tonnes, 5 metres long
C large lorry12 tonnes, 8 metres by 2.4 metres
D1 minibus9 to 16 seats, 4 tonnes, 5 metres long
D bus or coachOver 8 seats, 10 metres by 2.4 metres

The weights are maximum authorised mass (MAM), the highest weight allowed when fully loaded. Some vehicles and trailers must also carry a minimum real load, such as 10,000 kg on a category C lorry.

GOV.UK’s guidance, updated on 2 September 2026, makes clear the vehicle must actually require the category you’re testing for, not a lower one. Its example is a zero emission vehicle of 4,250kg MAM: you can drive it on a car licence, so it can’t be used for a C1 test.

Full rules for lorries ↗Full rules for buses and coaches ↗

HGV driving test pass rates

TestLorriesBuses
Part 3a off-road71.4%86.1%
Part 3b on-road60.7%66.2%

DVSA’s figures for Great Britain, April 2025 to March 2026. The lorry figures cover 2,038 off-road and 70,797 on-road tests. DVSA approves other organisations to run off-road tests, and its tables don’t say whether they’re counted, so the off-road figures may not cover private providers.

If you fail, or your HGV test runs out

TestWait before retaking
Part 3aAt least 24 hours
Part 3b3 working days, not counting test day

You can book again straight away, and GOV.UK doesn’t set a limit on how many times you can take a test. Your part 3a pass runs out if you don’t pass part 3b within 6 months, and you’d have to pass part 3a again. Both must be passed within the 2 years your theory pass lasts.

The 2021 changes to the HGV test

Changes brought in on 15 November 2021 let you take one test for both a rigid and an articulated lorry, without passing in a rigid lorry first. The same goes for a bus or coach with a trailer. They also opened the off-road exercises up to assessors outside DVSA, which is why part 3a has private providers.

So you can go straight for an articulated lorry, category CE, in one go.

Class 1, class 2 and categories →Book a driving test →
Sources: GOV.UK · DVSA and 5 more. Checked November 2026.

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

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