LGV Theory Test Study Guide 2026

The theory test for lorry and bus drivers

The lorry (LGV) and bus or coach (PCV) theory test is also Driver CPC part 1. It has two parts, which you book separately. You can take them on the same day, in either order.

• You can flag questions and change answers in the multiple-choice part.
• Each hazard perception clip has at least one developing hazard (one clip has two). You score up to 5 points per hazard. Clicking constantly or in a pattern scores nothing.
• You must pass both parts within 2 years of each other. The certificate lasts 2 years from your first pass.
• Within that time, you must pass the Driver CPC part 3a (off-road) and part 3b (on-road) driving tests.
• If you fail, you can rebook straight away, but you must wait 3 clear working days.
• Bring a GB photocard licence (or a Northern Ireland or EU photocard licence). Without a photocard, bring your paper licence and a valid passport.

To book, you need provisional lorry or bus entitlement, which needs a D4 medical report. Revise with The Highway Code, Know your traffic signs and the DVSA guide for your vehicle type. GOV.UK has a free practice test on the same topics. After you qualify, you keep your Driver CPC with 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years, and you carry your Driver Qualification Card when driving professionally.

Lorry licence categories

Drivers' hours

Most lorries over 3.5 tonnes follow the assimilated rules (previously called the EU rules) when driving in the UK, or to, from or through the EU. All driving under these rules must be recorded on a tachograph.

GB domestic rules

Goods vehicles that are exempt from the assimilated rules usually follow the GB domestic rules in England, Wales and Scotland. You may drive no more than 10 hours a day, and be on duty no more than 11 hours on a day you drive. Record hours on a weekly record sheet or a tachograph. Northern Ireland has its own rules.

Tachographs and driver cards

• You may hold only one driver card. It is personal to you.
• Report a lost or stolen card to DVLA.
• If your card stops working, apply for a replacement within 7 days.
• If your card is lost, stolen, damaged or faulty, you may drive for up to 15 calendar days using printouts from the vehicle unit.
• Apply to renew at least 15 working days before it expires. You cannot drive with an expired card.
• Be ready to show records for the current day and the previous 28 days. On international journeys between the UK and the EU, LGV drivers can show 56 days.

Speed limits and lane rules

Built-up areas have a limit of 30 mph in England and Scotland, and 20 mph in Wales, unless signs say otherwise. Many large vehicles have speed limiters, often set at 56 mph. Under rule 265, goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes must not use the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes, except in the special cases listed in the Code. A red X above a lane means it is closed.

Braking, hills and vehicle checks

Choose a lower gear before a long descent and use an endurance brake (retarder) if your lorry has one. Using the footbrake all the way down makes the brakes overheat and fade. Do not coast in neutral; you lose engine braking. ABS helps you keep steering control in an emergency stop.

If the low air pressure warning comes on, stop safely as soon as you can. Water collects in air tanks, so drain them as needed. Do a walkaround check before every journey.

• Lorry tyres must have at least 1 mm of tread across three-quarters of the breadth, in a continuous band all round.
• Leave at least a two-second gap in good conditions, at least double it in the wet, and up to ten times more on ice.
• You must not leave the engine running unnecessarily while parked on a public road.

Loads and weights

The driver is responsible for making sure the load is secure, even if someone else loaded it. DVSA guidance says the restraint should hold at least 80% of the load's weight forwards and 50% sideways and backwards. Standard curtains on curtain-siders are not designed to restrain the load.

• When you make several drops, think about axle weights. Removing part of the load can leave one axle overloaded.
• If something falls from your lorry on a normal road, stop and pick it up only if it is safe.
• On a motorway, do not try to remove it yourself. Report it from an emergency telephone.
• A trailer must have a secondary coupling in case the main coupling fails. If it snakes, ease off the accelerator gently.
• Goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes must not park on verges or pavements without police permission, except when needed for loading, and then must not be left unattended.

Restricted view and vulnerable road users

Rule H1 says those driving vehicles that can cause the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce danger. A lorry driver must take extra care with pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders.

• Check all mirrors and look before moving off; people can be hidden close to the cab.
• When turning, do not cut across cyclists going ahead (rule H3), and give way to pedestrians crossing the road you are turning into (rule H2).
• Leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at up to 30 mph, and more at higher speeds.
• Long vehicles may need to straddle lanes at roundabouts, and may cross a mini-roundabout's centre only if they cannot physically go round.
• If you cannot see when reversing, get someone to guide you.
• Know your vehicle's height to avoid low bridges.
• High-sided vehicles are most affected by strong winds.

At level crossings, drivers of long, low or slow vehicles must obey signs telling them to phone the signal operator before crossing, because a train could arrive before they clear it.

Breakdowns and incidents

• On a normal road, put a warning triangle at least 45 metres behind your vehicle. Never use one on a motorway.
• On a motorway with a hard shoulder, leave by the nearside door and wait behind the barrier.
• Without a hard shoulder, try to leave at the next exit or reach an emergency area, then call for help.
• Plain orange plates mean dangerous goods in packages. At such incidents, keep well away, switch off engines, do not smoke, and give the emergency services the details.
• After a collision, if you do not give your details at the scene, report it to the police as soon as possible and within 24 hours.

You, the driver

The drink-drive limit for lorry drivers is the same as for other drivers: 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 50 mg in Scotland. You must not use a hand-held phone while driving, except to call 999 or 112 in a genuine emergency when it is unsafe to stop. Wear a seat belt if one is fitted, check that medicines do not affect your driving, and stop to rest if you feel sleepy. In a Clean Air Zone that charges lorries, those meeting the Euro VI standard are usually not charged.