Question regarding training / booking practical

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hi everyone

I’m just at the start of my training and have booked in for an assessment drive with a training company next week to determine how many hours I’m going to need.

Due to constraints with taking leave at work, I Ideally need to get my training done in the next 4 weeks, otherwise I may have to wait until October before I can get the necessary time off (Unless the training company offers weekend sessions). To try and get ahead of the game I’ve booked myself in for my theory test on Monday next week and my hazard perception on the Wednesday morning, followed by my assessment at 12.

Looking at gov.uk/become-lorry-bus-dri … driver-cpc its my understanding that I can do my practical when I’ve completed my Theory and Hazard perception, then do module 2 and 4 at another time, but not be able to drive professionally until I do is this correct?

Essentially, what I’m hoping for is that if all goes well with the assessment drive the company may have a slot in the next couple of weeks to do a 3/4/5 day course with the exam at the end. I’m just wondering if there’s anything practical that might restrict this (other than lack of availability at the training company) The kind of things I’m thinking of are things like time taken to update DVLA records of passes, lack of avilability of test slots etc.

On a related note, possible silly question, but do training companies get to reserve practical exam blocks before they know the candidates details ie they know they’re most likely to be running a course in a few weeks, they provisionally reserve an exam date then confirm details within a time date or do they have to go through the same process as Joe Public.

Any information would be much appreciated.

Thanks

2

You can train before you pass both theory tests but can’t take a driving test so that’s first.

CPC can be taken before or after practical but in reality Mod2 and Mod4 may take 4-6 weeks to book and pass so my advice is run that at the same time as the theory/practical training.

Trainers use a system called trainer booking to book and pay for empty test slots up to 10 weeks ahead. However these slots are allocated to candidates sometimes as soon as they’re booked. It’s complicated but basically trainers can only reserve an average of the tests they’ve actually used over the previous 5 weeks. This limit only applies on the day the next batch of tests are released. Busy test centres sometimes sell out within minutes of new tests becoming available. Confused ■■ It’s what we do every day. Call your trainer he will advise you depending on your circumstances.

3

LGVTrainer:
You can train before you pass both theory tests but can’t take a driving test so that’s first.

CPC can be taken before or after practical but in reality Mod2 and Mod4 may take 4-6 weeks to book and pass so my advice is run that at the same time as the theory/practical training.

Trainers use a system called trainer booking to book and pay for empty test slots up to 10 weeks ahead. However these slots are allocated to candidates sometimes as soon as they’re booked. It’s complicated but basically trainers can only reserve an average of the tests they’ve actually used over the previous 5 weeks. This limit only applies on the day the next batch of tests are released. Busy test centres sometimes sell out within minutes of new tests becoming available. Confused ■■ It’s what we do every day. Call your trainer he will advise you depending on your circumstances.

Hi John

I’ve actually got my Mod2 exam booked for the first week in July, but in reality it doesn’t matter if I cant book my Mod4 for a few weeks as I should be able to get the odd days off over summer to do it, it’s just unlikely I’d be able to get the 4/5 days in a row required for the practical training after the middle of July.

Thanks for the info regarding reserving the slots, that gives me a much better idea of how it works. I’ve got a shortlist of training providers I’m looking at so I’ll give them a bell over the next few days see what they can sort.

Thanks for the info :slight_smile:

4

Just remember, even if you can complete your training ASAP, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to pass your test. I always advise newbies to take their time - don’t rush, you only put increased pressure on yourself which isn’t advisable!

Also, if somewhere can fit you in to start training next week, you’ve got to wonder why. Always visit the training provider before you book, unless you have a rock solid reccomendation you can rely on. Check the facilities, vehicles etc. before you part with any money.

Best of luck with your theory tests and practical training. Keep us posted :slight_smile:

5

Hi ITtoHGV,

I have my Mod 3 and 4 tests tomorrow (top secret but none of my friends or family are on TruckNet!).

I passed the Theory, Hazard Perception and Case Study tests on the same day last Thursday. You said that you have already booked your theory test, so presumably you started revising for this some time ago? My instructor said not to under-estimate the amount of revision needed for these tests so not to leave it too late, and I’m glad I listened to her!

I bought ‘The Complete LGV & PCV Theory, Hazard & Driver CPC Tests 2016 disc pack’ by Focus Multimedia (desktopdriving.co.uk/product … cts_id=489), and it was instrumental in me passing the tests. I couldn’t believe how many questions there were to learn for the multi-choice theory (over 500) or the case studies (over 250), and the hazard perception was much trickier than I anticipated (there was some invaluable information given about controlled multi-tapping of the mouse button, to give you the best chance of getting high marks on each clip). Well worth the £37 odd I paid for it, if you decide to put your test back and don’t have any learning material.

All the best with your training.

James

6

ITtoHGV:
Hi everyone

I’m just at the start of my training and have booked in for an assessment drive with a training company next week to determine how many hours I’m going to need.

Due to constraints with taking leave at work, I Ideally need to get my training done in the next 4 weeks, otherwise I may have to wait until October before I can get the necessary time off (Unless the training company offers weekend sessions). To try and get ahead of the game I’ve booked myself in for my theory test on Monday next week and my hazard perception on the Wednesday morning, followed by my assessment at 12.

Looking at gov.uk/become-lorry-bus-dri … driver-cpc its my understanding that I can do my practical when I’ve completed my Theory and Hazard perception, then do module 2 and 4 at another time, but not be able to drive professionally until I do is this correct?

Essentially, what I’m hoping for is that if all goes well with the assessment drive the company may have a slot in the next couple of weeks to do a 3/4/5 day course with the exam at the end. I’m just wondering if there’s anything practical that might restrict this (other than lack of availability at the training company) The kind of things I’m thinking of are things like time taken to update DVLA records of passes, lack of avilability of test slots etc.

On a related note, possible silly question, but do training companies get to reserve practical exam blocks before they know the candidates details ie they know they’re most likely to be running a course in a few weeks, they provisionally reserve an exam date then confirm details within a time date or do they have to go through the same process as Joe Public.

Any information would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Hi mate

As a newly qualified driver (i only just passed my mod 4 today) the only advice i could possibly give to anyone is DONT RUSH YOUR TRAINING!

It took me about a year from passing my theories and mod 2 to passing my c/c+e and finally getting my cpc qualification today. Some people can do it in a few months though. I was amazed at the amount of revision needed to get through for the theory and module 2 alone. Believe me its a long journey and i cant believe how far ive come looking back. I really dont think i personally would have done as well with the added pressure of not taking things at my own pace. I passed everything first time except for my c+e which i passed on my second attempt.

Theres no point in rushing about imo unless youre REALLY desperate for a driving job ASAP. I really would take your time and try a few companies for assessment drives and check out their centres,prices of retests,staff and waiting times etc. If the worst should happen (im sure it wont though) and you need a retest with possibly more training youll be glad of the lack of pressure.

I tried a few before deciding to go with PSTT and i was really surprised at the difference between the 3 or 4 companies i had assessments with.

I had the luxury of having a reliable job while i was learning and preparing for tests etc so i wasnt in any rush and i really think it helped me to keep a level(ish) head through it all,there was so much to learn being an absolute newbie to the world of HGVs.

Its your hard earned cash mate and theres no denying its expensive to get your license but in my experience it really was a benefit to take it at my own pace.

7

There’s a great deal of sense in those comments - and congratulations on passing the final step. But, as you have said, you were able to train whilst in steady, reliable employment.

Sadly, for many folks, this just isn’t the case. It’s quite normal for the training fees to be invested in the expectation of a reasonably quick return - often for loan repayments etc.

But no-one should pile on so much pressure that it becomes destructive. To do so is not a good plan. Everyone knows how well they deal with training/testing situations and they should try and plan within those limits.

To try and mitigate some of the pressure, our customer service team is on a mission to make everyone’s’ training process as straightforward as possible. And they normally succeed!

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

8

Peter Smythe:
There’s a great deal of sense in those comments - and congratulations on passing the final step. But, as you have said, you were able to train whilst in steady, reliable employment.

Sadly, for many folks, this just isn’t the case. It’s quite normal for the training fees to be invested in the expectation of a reasonably quick return - often for loan repayments etc.

But no-one should pile on so much pressure that it becomes destructive. To do so is not a good plan. Everyone knows how well they deal with training/testing situations and they should try and plan within those limits.

To try and mitigate some of the pressure, our customer service team is on a mission to make everyone’s’ training process as straightforward as possible. And they normally succeed!

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

Thanks Pete,im so glad to have finally got all my tests passed and be a qualified driver. Your centre and great staff really are a credit to the industry,i really dont think i would have done as well otherwise. Everything seemed so painless,even the dreaded test days lol.

But like you say i was quite lucky to be able to fit my training around a steady job while some people arent. The OP seemed to imply hes in steady employment also though.

9

Thanks everyone for the comments and advice.

The main reason I’m trying to get my training completed quickly is purely because, owing to work commitments, I’d have to wait until October to get 3-4 days off in a row, however in my haste the other night I forgot about the possibility of doing weekend training, so thats certainly another option I can explore.

BishBashBosh - I take your point with regards to a company being able to fit you in at short notice, I think I was more hoping than expecting to catch a late unfilled slot or cancellation. Either way I am going to visit one potential company today (who are on the recommended lists on here), however if that doesnt work out I’ll be giving Pete Smythe a call as the recommendations on here speak volumes.

A couple of people asked me to let them know how I get on, well so far it’s as follows:
Monday 27th June LGV Theory test - Passed 94/100
Wednesday 29th June HLGV hazard perception test - Passed 84/100

So I’m very happy with the start so far.

JEA - Thanks for the recommendation of the training products. I had already purchased the theory test book about a year ago, but had mostly just thumbed through it on occassion. I found the following free site helped massively with my theory test prep:
mocktheorytest.com/highway-code/heavy_vehicle/
I am however struggling to find any decent material relating CPC practice tests, so I may well look to invest in something similar to what you recommended.

I am in steady employment at the moment, so I’ll have no rush to find a driving job as soon as I’ve passed, I will take my time until the right opportunity presents itself…Having said that, after working in IT for 17 years I can’t wait to ditch the keyboard and get behind the wheel :smiley: :smiley: