The CPC qualification is your ticket to a long and rewarding career as a professional driver in the haulage or transport industries. With CPC training and either an HGV or PCV licence, you have access to an entire world of work opportunities ranging from long haul lorry driving to coach operations. Best of all, your road to the CPC qualification starts right here at the HGV Training Services (HGV Training Centre).
We have been training professional drivers throughout the UK for decades. Our experience and individual commitment to each student are just what you need to complete your training, obtain your licence, and start working as quickly as possible. Rest assured that our training approach works, as demonstrated by the tens of thousands of satisfied and accomplished drivers who have passed through our doors.
For more details call us on 03308183333
Understanding the CPC Qualification
Before a new driver begins training, it is important that he or she understand what the CPC qualification is. There remains quite a bit of confusion as a direct result of all of the media attention the CPC programme got in 2013 and 2014. We want to erase that confusion in your mind, so that you know just what you are getting into when you begin training.
Prior to 2008, obtaining a PCV or HGV licence was a straightforward four-step process:
- Pass a routine medical exam and apply for a provisional entitlement
- Prepare for, take, and pass the HGV/PCV theory test
- Undergo several weeks of intense practical skills training
- Take and pass a two-part practical skills test.
The implementation of the CPC scheme included some additional requirements. It also resulted in a few changes in the testing system. For administrative purposes, the government now classifies all of the testing requirements as a single CPC test broken down into four parts. Those four parts:
- Driver CPC part 1 test: theory
- Driver CPC part 2 test: case studies
- Driver CPC part 3 test: driving ability
- Driver CPC part 4 test: practical demonstration.
For the purposes of practical implementation, we still take the approach of preparing students for four separate tests designed to accomplish different things. We will explain each part to help you better understand what the CPC qualification entails.
Driver CPC Part 1 Test: Theory
Just as you took a theory test prior to obtaining your current car licence, you will need to take a theory test for your HGV or PCV licence. This test is a bit more involved than the car test inasmuch as there is more to pay attention to when driving large, commercial vehicles. The test itself is broken down into two parts:
- Multiple Choice – The first part is a 100-question multiple-choice exam designed to test your knowledge of general road safety and safe driving. You must answer 85 out of 100 questions correctly to pass this portion.
- Hazard Perception – Part two involves watching 19 videos containing 20 developing hazards. Your job is to identify those hazards as quickly and correctly as possible. There are associated questions with each video, and you must get a total of 67 out of 100 correct in order to pass.
You can book the two parts of the test separately or take them together. Should you decide to book separately, you have to pass both parts within two years or each other in order for the results to be valid. Allowing more than two years between exams means you will have to start over.
Driver CPC Part 2 Test: Case Studies
Part two of the CPC qualification is where the direct CPC training was inserted into the old programme. You can book this test as soon as you have your provisional entitlement in hand, regardless of whether or not you have taken the theory test. Having said that, we believe it is best to take and pass the theory test first.
The case studies test involves being presented with seven case studies you will work through using a computer. Each case study has accompanying questions designed to test your knowledge. The goal of this test is to present you with scenarios you will likely face during your career as a professional driver, to see if you can apply common sense solutions to the problems presented.
CPC Part 3 Test: Driving Ability
The third and fourth parts of the CPC qualification involve the two tests you will take once your practical skills training at the HGV Training Services (HGV Training Centre) is complete. Both parts are taken at the same time, at an approved testing facility. Part three, the driving ability test, is all about proving you can physically handle the commercial vehicles you intend to drive professionally.
This test starts with a series of vehicle safety questions asked by the examiner. It is followed by a session of practical road driving in which you will be put through a series of routine challenges that demonstrate your skills in areas such as braking, accelerating, cornering, and reversing. This is followed by a number of off-road exercises that further demonstrate whether you have the knowledge and skills to handle a commercial vehicle safely.
CPC Part 4 Test: Practical Demonstration
The fourth and final part of the CPC qualification is the practical demonstration. It is designed to test your knowledge regarding the topics found in the government’s Driver CPC Syllabus. You will be presented with five different topics covering things such as walkaround checks, vehicle loading and load securement, emergency situation assessment, and avoiding illegal immigrant trafficking.
Each topic includes 20 questions; you must answer 15 correctly in each section for a total minimum grade of 80%. The examiner will inform you at the conclusion of your test whether you have passed or not.
Why You Should Train with Us
Now that you know how the road to CPC qualification works, the only remaining question is why you should train with us. What is it about the HGV Training Services (HGV Training Centre) that makes us different? Why are we one of the most respected training companies in the UK? The answers are simple, but they are numerous.
When you train with us, you will receive the following:
- Specialist Coordinator – Every student who passes through our doors is assigned a specialist coordinator tasked with helping that student work his or her way through the programme. The assistance provided by the coordinator includes helping to prepare for tests, signing up for additional courses, reviewing paperwork, etc.
- Administrative Assistance – We provide our students with the administrative support they need throughout their training. This includes pre-booking exams and making sure all necessary paperwork is correctly completed and submitted to the appropriate agencies and on time.
- Instructor Support – Our instructors provide individual support as necessary for each student. In short, instructors are personally invested in the success of their students. So much so that they accompany students to testing centres when it is time to take exams.
- All Necessary Resources – We do not expect our students to come to training having supplied their own materials and resources. We handle all of that. For example, all new drivers are given two information packs that include paperwork for both medical exam and provisional entitlement. All of our theory students are given access to free software that will prepare them to take the test.
Why train with the HGV Training Services (HGV Training Centre)? Because we go the extra mile – no pun intended – to make sure every single one of our drivers completes the CPC qualification in as short a time as possible and for the least amount of money. Our number one goal is to get you driving professionally as quickly as we can. You have our commitment to personalised service and support, administrative assistance, and job placement assistance when your training is complete.
Read More about Getting CPC Certified
The following articles provide further information on the HGV Training Service’s (HGV Training Centre) Courses.
- Low Cost Bus Driver CPC Training Course
- What You Need to Be A CPC Qualified Coach Driver
- Find Low Cost – Top Quality – CPC Driver Training Courses
- The Road to Your CPC Qualification Begins Here
- UK Wide – Low Cost Professional CPC Training Courses
- Driver CPC Certification Training – Top Quality UK Wide Courses
- What Is CPC Driver Certification and Who Needs It?
