I am thinking of doing the Operators’ CPC through a classroom study course. I have read some threads on here and it seems that this is the method that most people advise. I haven’t looked at any providers yet. I’m just about to do that. Any advice on what I should be looking at? Also, any advice on any training provider’s in south Wales? I suppose I would consider elsewhere but that would mean an additional cost of accommodation for a few days. Any advice is appreciated. Anybody knows what’s the pass rate with these courses? Thanks.
Good luck with the operators cpc
My experience of classroom driver’s cpc was appalling
The operator’s cpc refresher course which i attended was no better
I would recommend that you buy a copy of, " A study guide for the operator certificate of CPC in road freight (2018)" by Clive Pidgeon, about £20.00. Read and re-read .
Mooping:
Anybody knows what’s the pass rate with these courses? Thanks.
When I did mine it was about 45%, although it varies from exam to exam. The exact figures used to be published online by OCS, they possibly still are?
45% ! 
Must be pretty difficult in that case. My old TM had this qualification. That made me think it couldn’t be that difficult. 
This report for June 2017 shows a pass rate of 44%.(This is the passenger transport CPC). You can probably find reports for other exam dates and for freight transport but they will all be in that region.
ocr.org.uk/Images/461134-exa … cember.pdf
EDIT, just had a bit of a deeper look, more info and exam stats HERE
I did my national/international operator’s CPC, admittedly a long time ago. But I chose to attend classes on an intensive course because I knew that for me, dry studying in a vacuum wouldn’t work. It’s damned hard to sustain that kind of study without human interaction. The classroom worked for me, but we’re all different. If you have good study skills (perhaps left over from school or further education), the discipline to structure your swatting days; and a photographic memory then you might be OK on your own. I have to say, I actually enjoyed doing it the classroom way - blokes all in it together; moral support and all that. Horses for courses, then! Robert
I went to a fabulous bloke in Trowbridge so PM if you want details
It’s probably driveable from you depending where in South Wales you are
I mainly did mine self-study at home and then went to him for practice days but I admit I am ‘driven’ not to waste money so that helped me to study.
I’ve found I can’t do classroom lectures more as I have got older
I did it as a full-time residential course; a week in the Shropshire countryside. I believe that about two-thirds of us passed.
I did mine (nearly 20 years ago,where does the time go ?) via my local college. It was a 13 week course,2 nights a week,then the test. I don’t remember it being very expensive,but the course books (frienberry ?) were quite expensive.
Googled cpc college course (https://www.havering-college.ac.uk/business-logistics-ict/transport-logistics-courses/4439-manager-operator-cpc-ocr-level-3-certificate,and it seems the cost has risen,substantially.
ERF-NGC-European:
I did my national/international operator’s CPC, admittedly a long time ago. But I chose to attend classes on an intensive course because I knew that for me, dry studying in a vacuum wouldn’t work. It’s damned hard to sustain that kind of study without human interaction. The classroom worked for me, but we’re all different. If you have good study skills (perhaps left over from school or further education), the discipline to structure your swatting days; and a photographic memory then you might be OK on your own. I have to say, I actually enjoyed doing it the classroom way - blokes all in it together; moral support and all that. Horses for courses, then! Robert
I agree, if I’m reading something on my own I need to be really interested in it for it to go in, that’s why I got A grade history at school but failed the maths exam. 
and maybe why I just know the basics on a what I NEED to know system on driver’s hours regs…yawn yawn.
I took a CPC classroom course with all the benefits of interaction with others, instead of a home study for that reason…
(just realised it was 19 eighty bloody 4 for Christ’s sake )
It all depends on the nature of the individual, I knew guys who passed with the home study course no bother, but not for me personally.
Optimum:
I would recommend that you buy a copy of, " A study guide for the operator certificate of CPC in road freight (2018)" by Clive Pidgeon, about £20.00. Read and re-read .
amazon.co.uk/Operator-Certi … 0749481935
This looks interesting. Anybody else used it?
Double post
I haven’t seen the one you mention but I did make the mistake of buying the Lowe book at over £50 quid.
Complete waste of money if you ask me and Toddy2 you were absolutely correct!
Hi All
I would recommend the RHA Course its ten days in a classroom taken over a month and you really do need that time to digest all the information that you have to learn.
Did mine in December and passed the R1 first time and had to resit the R2 exam and passed that on the second attempt.
The nearest to you would be in Bristol.
You could try the home study course but the instructor informed us that most of the home study guys normally ended up in the classroom after failing the exams.
PM me if you want to ask any questions about the course.
I did an evening class course back in 1992 and passed. The tutor was not the best, appearing not to have any experience in the industry and reading from his script. His response to questions was “I’ll find out and let you know next week” It cost £65 at the local college.
Mooping:
I am thinking of doing the Operators’ CPC through a classroom study course. I have read some threads on here and it seems that this is the method that most people advise. I haven’t looked at any providers yet. I’m just about to do that. Any advice on what I should be looking at? Also, any advice on any training provider’s in south Wales? I suppose I would consider elsewhere but that would mean an additional cost of accommodation for a few days. Any advice is appreciated. Anybody knows what’s the pass rate with these courses? Thanks.
There is COTS at West Swansea Industrial Estate, off A483. I used to speak to their driving instructors when they were at Fabian Way for driving tests, seem a friendly helpful team.
Chiller:
Hi All
I would recommend the RHA Course its ten days in a classroom taken over a month and you really do need that time to digest all the information that you have to learn.
Did mine in December and passed the R1 first time and had to resit the R2 exam and passed that on the second attempt.
The nearest to you would be in Bristol.
You could try the home study course but the instructor informed us that most of the home study guys normally ended up in the classroom after failing the exams.
PM me if you want to ask any questions about the course.
Thanks for all your replies. Could you tell me how those ten days are organised? Two days a week plus a couple of extra days?
waddy640:
Mooping:
I am thinking of doing the Operators’ CPC through a classroom study course. I have read some threads on here and it seems that this is the method that most people advise. I haven’t looked at any providers yet. I’m just about to do that. Any advice on what I should be looking at? Also, any advice on any training provider’s in south Wales? I suppose I would consider elsewhere but that would mean an additional cost of accommodation for a few days. Any advice is appreciated. Anybody knows what’s the pass rate with these courses? Thanks.There is COTS at West Swansea Industrial Estate, off A483. I used to speak to their driving instructors when they were at Fabian Way for driving tests, seem a friendly helpful team.
Thanks. I have used COTS before for ADR training. They were fine.
good_friend:
I haven’t seen the one you mention but I did make the mistake of buying the Lowe book at over £50 quid.Complete waste of money if you ask me and Toddy2 you were absolutely correct!
Interesting point. But the Lowe books are a serious text book for a serious exam resulting in a serious qualification. Further Education text books have always been expensive. For what it’s worth, it used to be said that an operator’s CPC was worth an A-level. Perhaps we should be looking to retain this qualification as a prestigious road-transport passport to greater things. Personally, I think it was a great mistake to call the new drivers’ ‘knowhow’ qualification a ‘DCPC’ because it risked instantly dumbing down the National / International CPC certificate. Robert
Robert did you mean to be rude?
I did mine home study with a couple of days help and I passed both parts first time thank you very much
I used the EOS manual and couldn’t find a blinking thing in the Lowe book. In my mind that doesn’t make it useful for study