The practical test is the moment everything builds up to, and most of the nerves come from not knowing what will happen. It is two separate tests. Part 3a is a short off-road test of your reversing (plus uncoupling if you are going for Class 1). Part 3b is about an hour on real roads with a DVSA examiner. Here is each one, step by step, in the words GOV.UK uses.
You need to have passed the Driver CPC part 1 theory test (the multiple choice and hazard perception test) before you can book either part of the practical. You must pass part 3a before you take part 3b.
The Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) is the professional qualification every lorry driver needs on top of the licence itself. The practical driving test counts as part 3 of it.
Part 3a lasts up to 30 minutes and is done away from traffic. The main exercise is an S-shaped reverse into a bay: you reverse the lorry through a curve and finish in a marked bay, using your mirrors to control both the line and where you stop.
If you are taking a test with a trailer, such as Class 1 (Category C+E, the articulated lorry), you also show the uncoupling and recoupling procedure: separating the unit from the trailer and joining them back together safely, in the right order.
You can take part 3a with DVSA or with an approved private test provider. If your training organisation is also your test provider, the assessor must not have been involved in your training. Pass and you get a certificate, which you take to your part 3b test. You then have 6 months to pass part 3b, or part 3a has to be taken again.
Part 3b includes vehicle safety questions and about an hour of driving on real roads. The vehicle safety questions are the "show me, tell me" questions: the examiner asks you to show how you would carry out a check, or tell them how you would do it. DVSA publishes the full list on GOV.UK, and they are worth learning word for word.
On the road, the examiner is watching how you handle the lorry in normal traffic. That includes:
Around 10 minutes of part 3b is independent driving. Instead of turn by turn directions, the examiner asks you to follow road signs or a set of directions to a destination. The point is to see you drive safely while making your own decisions, so if you miss a sign, stay calm and keep driving well.
You pass part 3b with 12 or fewer driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults. A driving fault is a minor error that is not dangerous on its own. A serious fault is one that could have been dangerous. A dangerous fault involves actual danger to you, the examiner, the public or property. One serious or dangerous fault means a fail, however good the rest of the drive was.
You can carry on if you make a mistake. The examiner only stops the test if they think your driving is a danger to others, so a wobble early on is not the end of the test.
Forget the documents and the test is cancelled and the fee is lost, so pack them the night before.
You can book another test straight away. For part 3a you must leave at least 24 hours before you take it again. For part 3b you cannot retake it for 3 working days, not counting the day of the test.
Your examiner talks you through the faults at the end. Write them down while they are fresh, because those notes are exactly what a short refresher lesson should focus on.
You train one to one on a full-size truck with a DVSA-registered instructor, and your reversing (3a) and on-road (3b) test fees are included in the course price. Training for Kent learners runs on the roads around the Medway Ambley Road DVSA test centre (formerly Gillingham LGV), so the junctions, roundabouts and dual carriageways on test day are ones you have already driven.
Part 3a, the off-road reversing test, lasts up to 30 minutes. Part 3b includes vehicle safety questions and about an hour of driving on the road.
You pass part 3b with 12 or fewer driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults. Any serious or dangerous fault is a fail.
An S-shaped reverse into a bay, done off-road as part 3a of the test. Class 1 and other trailer tests also include uncoupling and recoupling.
Yes. Around 10 minutes of the on-road test is independent driving, following road signs or directions to a destination.
You can book straight away. Part 3a needs at least 24 hours before the retake. Part 3b cannot be retaken for 3 working days, not counting the test day.
Yes. You must pass the Driver CPC part 1 theory test (multiple choice and hazard perception) before you can book the practical test.
One to one training on a full-size truck, with your reversing and on-road test fees included in the course price. Call our team or see every course price on one page.
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Gillingham LGV test centre: your HGV test day in Kent · Driver CPC Module 4 - the practical demonstration · The Class 2 licence (Category C) explained · The Class 1 licence (Category C+E) explained · How to get your HGV licence — every step · All HGV and PCV guides