To get a C+E Licence can you do your test with a ridgit lorry and trailer or does it have to be a tractor unit and trailer as they both seem a different set up to me ?
You can do it with a rigid lorry and trailer and in fact several training schools offer this as an easier option for passing.
I passed mine with a rigid and trailer and then did a short stint on an artic after passing just to familiarise myself with the differences.
Yes, they are the same thing, a goods vehicle (Category C) towing a trailer (Category E).