Preparing for the HGV tests in London
The practical side of HGV and LGV training is split into two tests: an off-road exercise (part 3a) and an on-road drive (part 3b). In London those on-road hours have to deal with dense traffic, bus lanes, cyclists and tight yards, so practice time is used carefully rather than spent only on quiet industrial roads.
This page covers how those tests work, how to practise for them around the capital, and how Driver CPC and PCV routes sit alongside a lorry licence. No training provider can promise a test result: DVSA examiners decide every test.
Off-road and on-road: what you actually do
Part 3a is taken on a manoeuvring area. For Category C it centres on a reversing exercise into a marked bay; for C+E you also practise uncoupling and recoupling the trailer. Part 3b is a drive on public roads, including independent driving, and is where London traffic, junctions and other road users really count.
Good training alternates yard work with driving on a mix of faster roads and busier streets, so the test does not feel like the first time you have met those conditions.
How this sits with other licences
Professional lorry work also needs the Driver CPC: you pass the CPC Module 2 case study test before you can book CPC Module 4, the yard walk-and-talk demonstration. If you would rather carry people than goods, PCV training covers passenger carrying vehicles – a minibus (D1), a bus or a coach (Category D). The same Driver CPC structure applies, with vehicle-specific modules.
Many learners take a lorry licence first and add a PCV later, or the other way around. The practical tests are different, so each route needs its own practice.
Courses
HGV training by area
How this fits with other licences
Our courses cover the lorry side – HGV/LGV training – and the passenger side: PCV training for minibus, bus and coach work, where a passenger carrying vehicle licence is needed. Professional drivers also complete Driver CPC, including the CPC Module 2 case studies and the CPC Module 4 practical demonstration.
Questions?
Use the online enquiry form to ask about this course.