European legislation requiring a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) qualification in addition to a driving licence will apply to new drivers acquiring PCV licence from September 2008 and for drivers acquiring an LGV licence from September 2009. Those who already hold a vocational licence before these dates will be given acquired (grandfather) rights meaning there is no requirement for them to complete the initial CPC licence.
The initial CPC licence is the qualification required before you are entitled to drive professionally for hire or reward. If you do not complete this initial CPC, you will be entitled to drive the category of vehicle you have gained you licence for privately but you will not be able to drive for hire or reward until you hold this qualification.
What all this basically means now is for those who wish to drive a category D or D1 vehicle or for those who passed their driving test after 1st January 1997 and wish to drive a goods vehicle, the following process will have to be followed.
- Complete medical and licence application as before
- Complete theory and hazard perception tests as before
- Complete new initial CPC part 2 case studies theory test
- Complete practical training and testing as before
- Complete new initial CPC part 4 practical demonstration test
There are no definative answers to the questions you may be asked on these two initial tests and the questions have not and will not be released to any training provider for the purpose of learning question and answer combinations despite what some training providers may claim.
The initial CPC componants of the course are designed to increase your awareness of the modern requirements and laws surrounding each of these categories of vehicles. Our courses are not designed to give you a database of answers, they are designed to cover key areas and make you aware of how the questions will be ask along with how you will be expected to answer and demonstrate your answers.
This technique has already proved a great success, and although we are learning more from each test completed, this knoledge is put straight into the next course allowing you to have the most up to date information at hand.
