Sorry to reserect an older thread!
DieselDave or anyone in the know, I understand that ou can take your ADR course once 4 years have elapsed, or at least 5 weeks before the licence expires, but please clarify.
For instance:
ADR passed 01/01/2007
Expires 01/01/2012
Sit new course on 02/03/2011
New expiry date 01/01/2017?
Is this correct?
5 years from the original date, or 5 years from when the “refresher” is taken?
Thanks for the response in advance
Also, if you want to do tanks this time, and didn’t on the first licence, can you just add onto the licence, but will this run out on a different date if you did the senario above?
theonlybigman:
Sorry to reserect an older thread!
Hi theonlybigman,
It’s your choice to resurrect an older thread or to start a new one. 
theonlybigman:
DieselDave or anyone in the know, I understand that ou can take your ADR course once 4 years have elapsed, or at least 5 weeks before the licence expires, but please clarify.For instance:
ADR passed 01/01/2007
Expires 01/01/2012Sit new course on 02/03/2011
New expiry date 01/01/2017?Is this correct?
5 years from the original date, or 5 years from when the “refresher” is taken?
Thanks for the response in advance
You’re correct that a refresher course can be taken any time in the last year ( = after 4 years) but not with less than 5 weeks validity remaining.
Once you’re within that ‘time window,’ any unexpired portion of your present ADR certificate will be added to your new certificate.
There are two types of ADR course:
If you attend a refresher course, you’re only eligible to refresh the modules showing on your present ADR certificate.
If you attend a refresher course, you must produce your present ADR certificate to confirm your entitlement to attend.
Advantages of refresher course:
Disadvantages of refresher course:
In terms of the exams, there is no difference between an initial course and a refresher course.
The exam timings and durations are the same, as is the £20 per exam (no VAT) SQA marking fee.
IMHO and from nearly 8 years of teaching ADR, my advice is that the vast majority of candidates will struggle with a refresher course, and also IMHO, it’s the driver’s company who must accept full responsibility for failing to have kept the driver up to date with the changes to ADR that automatically happen every two years. The idea of keeping a driver updated is actually a legal requirement in ADR.
Sorry to bang on about the last point, but I really feel for the drivers when I’m delivering at the speed required by SQA (and ADR) for a refresher course.
I hope this helps.
Thanks Dave
Very informative as always.
So just to clarify, (so I can print the answer off and pass to driver) If you do not have the tank part on your licence already, you cannot do it on a refresher course? If that is how I am reading this, then how would you go about gaining it and does it create strange expiry dates for the new licence that will have both parts on?
Thanks again
theonlybigman:
Also, if you want to do tanks this time, and didn’t on the first licence, can you just add onto the licence, but will this run out on a different date if you did the senario above?
Hi theonlybigman,
This changes everything!!
The tanker module can be added at ANY time during the validity of your ADR certificate.
However, you CANNOT add the (new to you) tanker module during a refresher course.
To take care of this possibility, (SQA saw you coming!! 
) there is provision for the instructor to sign you off as “refresher + additional” at the bottom of the SQA form that you will sign when you join day #1 of the course.
In order to add the tanker module at the same time time as you ‘refresh,’ that would require you to attend an initial course, because you’re an initial tanker candidate.
You would attend an initial course, but as a refresher candidate, thereby getting the advantage of the refresher in that you get the unexpired portion of your present ADR certificate added to the ‘old’ expiry date, but you’ve also got the additional (initial) tanker module taken care of and all lumped in together. The tuition for the whole of this would come at ‘normal’ speed and duration.
Another advantage is that you could also gain (at extra cost) your choice of either 7, 14, 21 or 28 DCPC hours too, if the ADR provider is also registered as a DCPC provider and has their course registered for these options.
I hope this helps.
theonlybigman:
So just to clarify, (so I can print the answer off and pass to driver) If you do not have the tank part on your licence already, you cannot do it on a refresher course? If that is how I am reading this, then how would you go about gaining it and does it create strange expiry dates for the new licence that will have both parts on?
Hi theonlybigman,
It seems our posts might have crossed in the ether.
I hope I’ve already answered that above, and yes, it’s OK to print it off and give it to your driver.
Please don’t forget that if you take the option to add the tanker module, you’ll need to produce the existing ADR certificate AND tell the instructor on an INITIAL course that you’re a “refresher + additional.”
Sorted!!
i would just like to say that of all the posters on this site that in my humble opinion DD is the No 1 for all aspects of his posts. ALWAYS accurate, helpful and polite and asks nothing in return, no hidden agendas
Top Man in my opinion
Wait until you get the bill for the pies… 
44 Tonne Ton:
Wait until you get the bill for the pies…
green456:
i would just like to say that of all the posters on this site that in my humble opinion DD is the No 1 for all aspects of his posts. ALWAYS accurate, helpful and polite and asks nothing in return, no hidden agendas
Top Man in my opinion
makes a good brew too!..
Thanks again Dave!
My ADR is not due till 2016, but I think I will do this as I do not have tanks, and for the additional day, seems worth getting.
wirralpete:
green456:
i would just like to say that of all the posters on this site that in my humble opinion DD is the No 1 for all aspects of his posts. ALWAYS accurate, helpful and polite and asks nothing in return, no hidden agendas
Top Man in my opinionmakes a good brew too!..
Top advice, as above
theonlybigman:
Thanks again Dave!My ADR is not due till 2016, but I think I will do this as I do not have tanks, and for the additional day, seems worth getting.
My honest and impartial advice here is that I’d carefully consider whether (or not) to take the tanker module, unless you’re likely to need to drive a dangerous goods tanker.
Of course, if it’s just the DCPC hours you need, then please enquire with the ADR provider beforehand, because there aren’t that many ADR providers who have registered their ADR tanker module with JAUPT for DCPC.
If the ADR provider has registered their tanker module, then you’ll probably get 7 DCPC hours for it.
Just a thought.
Cheers matey, much appreciated
Was talking to my mate about his ADR yesterday and he tells me his has expired but he can’t just do a refresher now he has to do the whole course again! Is this true? Thanking you in anticipation.
44 Tonne Ton:
Was talking to my mate about his ADR yesterday and he tells me his has expired but he can’t just do a refresher now he has to do the whole course again! Is this true? Thanking you in anticipation.
Hi 44 Tonne Ton,
Yes mate, I’m afraid that’s correct.
An ADR refresher course can be taken after four years of validity have elapsed, but there must be a minimum of five weeks of validity remaining.
Thanks for the prompt reply Dave!
44 Tonne Ton:
Thanks for the prompt reply Dave!
No problem mate, I’d been alerted to another ADR post, so as the saying goes, I was in the area.
I would advise him to do a dcpc approved ADR course if he needs to get some hours in
I think I remember DD saying that things change so much over 5 years that it is advisable for those coming to the end of their 5 year ADR term to do the full course again
Besides a ADR refresher can only get 7 hours of dcpc if approved for it whereas the basic course gets 21 hours if dcpc approved