What’s involved in the HGV / LGV Lorry Driving DVSA test ?

Your trainer will accompany you to the DVSA test centre (situated a few roads away from our training centre) and the vehicle. Your trainer will sit with you until your name is called by the driving examiner. The examiner will check your driving licence (make sure you have it with you, or no test). After that you and the examiner will go to your training vehicle and usually the first exercise will be the reversing exercise after he has explained it to you. The off-road reverse will include an ‘S’ shaped reverse into a bay and an uncoupling and recoupling procedure if you are taking a test with a trailer. You will be asked some show me, tell me vehicle safety questions and then the driving test. The driving test will last for approximately one hour and he will observe you use the vehicle controls, move away at an angle, uphill and downhill, correct use of mirrors, give appropriate signals, show awareness and anticipation of other road users, manage your progress in a fuel efficient manner and speed, deal with hazards and select a safe place to stop. The types of roads can include built up areas (town centre), minor and major roads, dual carriageway and possibly motorway use as well. Within the practical driving test there will be an element of independent driving (usually 10 minutes). On completion of the test the examiner will tell you if you have passed or not and explain how you did. You will pass your test if you make 15 or fewer driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults.

Your examiner will ask you if you are happy for your trainer to listen in to your debrief which we advise.

We fully understand that most customers will be nervous and apprehensive and we always try to put everyone at ease by making sure a pre-test drive is carried out, confirmation of what is going to happen and accompany you right up to the examiner calling you.

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