TheoryHGV Theory UK
Practice Test
Prepare for your HGV/LGV theory test with 800+ DVSA-style questions on vehicle safety, tachograph rules, drivers' hours and road law. Drive your career forward.
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HGV Theory UK exam — full Q&A walkthrough
Every question read aloud with the answer explained. Play it on your commute, then test yourself.
30 free HGV Theory UK questions
Sampled across every topic area — not just the first page. Try them as a quiz or flip them as flashcards.
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UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You are driving a fully laden articulated lorry down a long, steep gradient. The retarder has been active for several minutes and you notice it is becoming less effective. What is the most likely cause?
Correct — C. Retarders (hydraulic or electromagnetic) generate heat when absorbing kinetic energy; prolonged use causes the fluid or components to overheat, reducing braking effectiveness — the driver should use lower gears and allow cooling rather than relying solely on the retarder. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
An articulated vehicle with a 13.6 m semi-trailer is negotiating a tight left-hand roundabout. The driver positions the cab close to the right-hand kerb before turning. Why?
Correct — B. The swept path of a long semi-trailer means the rear wheels cut significantly inward on a left turn; by swinging the cab rightward first, the driver increases the radius the trailer tyres follow, preventing the rear corner from mounting or striking the left-hand kerb. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You are about to drive under a railway bridge. Your loaded vehicle is 4.1 metres high and the posted clearance is 4.2 metres. What should you do?
Correct — B. DVSA guidance warns that posted bridge heights are nominal minimums and load heights measured at rest can increase due to road camber, suspension sag changes, or measurement error — a margin of only 100 mm is unsafe and an alternative route should be used. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You are descending a steep hill in a 44-tonne vehicle. You selected the correct gear at the top, but your speed is now creeping above the safe limit. What is the FIRST corrective action you should take?
Correct — B. The DVSA advises using progressive service braking to control speed on descents and only changing to a lower gear once speed is already controlled — attempting to downshift while accelerating risks transmission damage and loss of control. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
When driving a long vehicle, you notice that the nearside rear wheels are tracking over a raised kerb during a left turn at a junction. What does this indicate about your line choice?
Correct — D. Turning the steering too early on a left bend reduces the arc available to the trailer wheels, causing the rear to cut inward and mount the kerb — the correct technique is to delay the turn and take a wider initial line. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You are driving a PCV with a high centre of gravity on a cambered rural road. The nearside wheels begin to follow a dip in the road surface. What specific risk does this create for this vehicle type?
Correct — C. A high-sided PCV has a high centre of gravity; when nearside wheels drop into a road dip, the vehicle's effective lean angle increases and the stability margin against rollover is significantly reduced — drivers must maintain appropriate speed and smooth steering. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
What is the maximum overall length permitted for a standard articulated lorry (tractive unit plus semi-trailer) on UK roads without a special order?
Correct — C. UK road traffic regulations specify a maximum overall length of 16.5 metres for a standard articulated vehicle (tractive unit and semi-trailer combined) without requiring an abnormal load authorisation. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You are driving a vehicle with an automatic gearbox down a long hill. To engage engine braking, you move the selector to position '3'. What should you be aware of?
Correct — D. Selecting a lower range on an automatic gearbox locks out higher gears and enables engine braking, but the driver must ensure vehicle speed has been reduced to within the safe rev range for that gear before selecting it to avoid transmission damage. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You are about to cross an old humpback bridge in a 32-tonne rigid vehicle. The bridge has no weight restriction sign. What should you do?
Correct — D. Not all structurally limited bridges carry up-to-date signage; DVSA guidance and the Highway Code advise professional drivers to use appropriate route-planning resources and consult bridge owners when in doubt, especially for heavy vehicles. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You are driving an unladen 44-tonne artic on a motorway in strong crosswinds. You notice the empty trailer is yawing slightly. Compared to a fully laden trailer, what makes the unladen trailer MORE susceptible to yaw instability?
Correct — A. With low mass, the inertial resistance to lateral movement is reduced; aerodynamic side forces (which are mainly a function of body area, not mass) therefore represent a much higher proportion of the total restoring force, making yaw oscillation more likely in high winds. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
During a descent, a driver uses the 'cadence braking' technique because the vehicle is NOT fitted with ABS. Which description best defines cadence braking?
Correct — D. Cadence braking manually replicates the lock-release cycle that ABS performs automatically — by releasing before full lock-up and reapplying, the driver maintains some steering ability and maximises braking friction on slippery surfaces. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You are driving a double-deck PCV through a town and approach a street with a 4.5 m height restriction sign. Your vehicle's normal unladen height is 4.35 m. What should concern you about proceeding?
Correct — B. The 4.35 m figure is the base body height; ancillary equipment mounted on the roof — such as HVAC pods, aerials, or emergency hatches — adds to this and could take the total above the posted restriction, so the driver must know the full equipped height of their specific vehicle. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You are loading a curtainsider trailer with pallets of tinned goods. The total weight is within the gross vehicle weight limit, but all the pallets are loaded at the rear of the trailer. What is the primary risk of this loading arrangement?
Correct — B. DVSA guidance requires load to be distributed so that no individual axle exceeds its rated limit and the drive axle retains sufficient weight for traction; concentrating load at the rear can lift drive-axle weight, causing wheelspin and loss of directional control. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
A 6-axle artic has a gross train weight of 44 tonnes. The front (steer) axle limit is 7.5 t, the drive bogie limit is 11.5 t per axle, and the tri-axle trailer bogie limit is 10 t per axle. What is the maximum permissible total weight those trailer axles can legally carry?
Correct — A. A tri-axle trailer bogie is limited to 24 tonnes under UK law (three axles at 8 t average in a close-coupled group), but where axles are spaced to attract the 10 t individual limit the group limit still caps at 24 t — however three axles each at 10 t would be 30 t, which reflects the three-axle group limit applicable when axle spacing qualifies; DVSA Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 set the tri-axle bogie maximum at 24 t for closely spaced axles, so 24 t is the correct answer — wait: three separate axles each at 10 t = 30 t only applies if spacing exceeds 1.3 m between each, making the answer 24 t for a close-coupled tri-axle bogie. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
What is the maximum legal tyre tread depth requirement across the central three-quarters of the breadth for a tyre fitted to a goods vehicle over 3,500 kg?
Correct — B. The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 set a minimum of 1 mm tread depth for goods vehicles over 3,500 kg, unlike the 1.6 mm requirement that applies to cars and light vans. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
A driver discovers during a walkaround that one leaf spring on the drive axle has a visible crack. The vehicle is on a time-sensitive delivery. Which course of action is correct under DVSA guidance?
Correct — C. DVSA operator compliance guidance and the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations require that a vehicle with a defective or broken suspension component is not used on the road; the driver must report it immediately and the vehicle must not move until authorised by a competent person. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You are sheeting an open flatbed carrying aggregate. Under UK law, which of the following best describes the driver's personal legal duty regarding load security?
Correct — A. Section 40A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations place a personal duty on the driver to ensure the vehicle and its load are not a danger to other road users, regardless of who loaded the vehicle. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
A tipper lorry returns empty from a quarry. The body is raised slightly because a hydraulic valve is sticking. The driver needs to cross a bridge with a headroom sign showing 4.9 m. The vehicle with the body lowered is 3.8 m high. What should the driver do?
Correct — C. Driving with a raised tipper body is illegal and extremely dangerous — a vehicle's actual height must be known and within bridge headroom before crossing; the driver must not move the vehicle until the defect is rectified, as a partially raised body could strike the bridge or overhead structures. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
A rigid 2-axle goods vehicle has a maximum gross weight of 18 tonnes and a front axle limit of 7.1 tonnes. The unladen tare is 6.5 t, with 3.2 t on the front axle and 3.3 t on the rear. A load of 8 t is positioned so that 2 t acts on the front axle and 6 t on the rear. Which limit, if any, is exceeded?
Correct — D. Gross = 6.5 + 8 = 14.5 t (under 18 t); front axle = 3.2 + 2 = 5.2 t (under 7.1 t); a standard 2-axle rigid rear axle limit is 11.5 t and 3.3 + 6 = 9.3 t, so no individual limit is breached. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
When carrying out a walkaround check, what should you do if you find the fifth-wheel coupling grease is heavily contaminated with grit and the plate appears dry?
Correct — A. DVSA guidance states that the fifth-wheel coupling must be clean and adequately greased before use; a dry or grit-contaminated plate accelerates kingpin and jaw wear and can cause unpredictable trailer movement, so the fault must be rectified before departure. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You are driving an artic on a motorway and notice that one of the trailer's rear marker boards has fallen away. You stop on the hard shoulder. Under UK Lighting Regulations, which of the following is correct?
Correct — C. The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 require long vehicles (over 13 m overall) to carry rear marker boards (chevron or red/yellow reflex plates) at all times; an artic will almost always exceed this length, making the missing board a legal lighting defect that prohibits further travel until rectified. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
A driver loads a hazardous chemical in IBCs onto a flatbed trailer. The combined weight is legal. Which additional load-security consideration applies specifically to liquid IBCs that does not apply equally to solid palletised goods?
Correct — D. DVSA's Load Securing: Vehicle Operator Guidance and ADR both acknowledge that partially-filled liquid containers produce dynamic surge forces that exceed those of equivalent solid loads, meaning restraint arrangements must be rated for worst-case dynamic loading conditions. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
How often must the security of a load be re-checked during a long journey?
Correct — D. DVSA's Load Securing guidance advises drivers to check the load shortly after setting off (when straps may have bedded in), then at regular intervals and after any event such as heavy braking that could have disturbed the load. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
A driver coupling a trailer notices that the fifth-wheel jaw is closed and the handle is in the locked position, but when they tug the trailer forward with the tractor the trailer moves independently by about 15 cm. What does this indicate?
Correct — C. A 'tug test' that shows the trailer moving independently of the tractor indicates a false coupling — the kingpin has not fully engaged the jaws — which risks trailer separation at speed; DVSA guidance requires the driver to re-couple before moving. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
Under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, what is the maximum overhang beyond the rearmost axle (expressed as a proportion of the wheelbase) for a rigid goods vehicle before additional requirements such as rear markings and speed restrictions apply?
Correct — C. The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 specify that the rearmost point of a vehicle's load or body must not project beyond a point 60% of the wheelbase behind the rearmost axle; projections beyond 1 m must be marked and beyond certain limits require police notification. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
You check the air pressure in all tyres before a loaded journey and find a steer-axle tyre is 15 psi below the recommended pressure. Which of the following best describes the risk?
Correct — B. DVSA guidance and tyre manufacturers specify that running a steer-axle tyre 15 psi below recommended pressure causes structural flexing, heat build-up, and potential catastrophic failure, and is a reportable defect that must be corrected before the vehicle is used. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
A vehicle operator plans to move an abnormal load (indivisible load) that requires a Special Types General Order (STGO) Category 2 authorisation. Which of the following best describes the driver's specific obligation regarding bridge notifications?
Correct — A. Under the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) General Order 2003, STGO Category 2 movement operators and drivers must give at least 2 days' notice to the police and relevant highway authorities for routes that include structures whose limits may be approached or exceeded by the operating weight. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
A driver normally subject to EU hours rules completes a week in which they drove on Monday and Tuesday only, accumulating 18 hours of driving. What is the maximum driving time they may accumulate in the FOLLOWING week under the fortnightly limit?
Correct — D. EC Regulation 561/2006 Article 6 sets a weekly driving limit of 56 hours AND a two-week total of 90 hours; even though 18 hours were driven in week one, the following week is still capped at 56 hours because the per-week maximum is an absolute ceiling, and the combined total of 74 hours would remain within the 90-hour fortnightly limit. -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
Under GB domestic drivers' hours rules, what is the maximum daily driving limit for an LGV driver not subject to EU rules?
Correct — D. Under the GB domestic rules (Transport Act 1968), the maximum daily driving limit is 10 hours, which differs from the 9-hour EU limit (extendable to 10 hours twice a week). -
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory
Under EU rules, a driver takes their daily rest in a vehicle equipped with a suitable bunk. What is the minimum reduced daily rest period they may take in this way?
Correct — B. Article 8(8) of EC Regulation 561/2006 allows drivers accompanied by a co-driver to take a reduced daily rest of 9 hours when the vehicle is moving and the rest is taken in a suitable bunk, subject to the condition that a co-driver is present.
HGV Theory UK sample questions
Tap any question below to reveal the answer and a plain-English explanation.
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory A multi-manning crew departs on Sunday night. Driver A drives from 22:00 to 02:00 (4 hours), then rests while Driver B drives until 09:00. Driver A then drives again until 12:00. How many hours of driving has Driver A accumulated for that calendar week?
A. 7 hours ✓
B. 10 hours
C. 4 hours
D. 6 hours
Correct — A. Driver A drove 4 hours (22:00–02:00) and then 3 hours (09:00–12:00), giving a total of 7 hours driving accumulated in that calendar week; the rest period in between counts as rest, not driving, under the multi-manning provisions of Article 4 of EC Regulation 561/2006.
Real Exam Practice You must have enough tachograph charts with you for your journey. When do you need to start a new chart?
A. Every 10 hours
B. Every 24 hours ✓
C. Every 36 hours
D. Every 48 hours
Correct — B. You'll need at least one chart for every 24 hours.
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory How many days' worth of tachograph records (digital driver card data plus any manual records) must an LGV driver be able to produce at the roadside when requested by an enforcement officer?
A. The current day and the previous 28 days ✓
B. The current day and the previous 15 days
C. The current day and the previous 7 days
D. The current day only
Correct — A. Under Regulation (EU) 165/2014 and the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations, drivers must carry and be able to produce records for the current day and the preceding 28 days, covering all activities recorded on their driver card.
Real Exam Practice Your vehicle has double rear wheels. Why should you check them before leaving a building site?
A. To check that the load-sensing valve is operating correctly
B. To make sure bricks or debris aren't wedged between the wheels ✓
C. To make sure the diff-lock is disengaged
D. To make sure the diff-lock is engaged
Correct — B. That's the right answer.
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory A driver ends a working week having driven 56 hours. Under EU rules, before beginning the next week's driving, what is the minimum weekly rest period they must complete, and can it be split?
A. 45 hours, which may be split into a 24-hour period and a 21-hour period in either order
B. 45 hours, but it may be reduced to 24 hours no more than twice in any four consecutive weeks, with compensation added to a rest period within three weeks ✓
C. 45 hours uninterrupted; it cannot be split
D. 36 hours, which may be taken as two separate periods of 18 hours
Correct — B. Article 8 of EC Regulation 561/2006 requires a regular weekly rest of at least 45 hours, but allows a reduced weekly rest of 24 hours no more than twice in any four consecutive weeks, provided the reduction is compensated in full by being added en bloc to a rest period of at least 9 hours before the end of the third week following the week in question.
Real Exam Practice You're going to drive an articulated lorry with an ISO container on the trailer. How should the container be secured to the trailer?
A. The container must be held up against the headboard
B. The container must be sealed
C. The container must be secured by ropes
D. The container must be secured using the locking levers ✓
Correct — D. That's the right answer.
UK HGV/LGV/PCV Theory What is the maximum number of hours an LGV driver subject to EU rules may drive within a single calendar week?
A. 56 hours ✓
B. 45 hours
C. 48 hours
D. 60 hours
Correct — A. Article 6(2) of EC Regulation 561/2006 sets an absolute weekly driving limit of 56 hours, regardless of the number of days worked or any extensions to the daily limit.
Real Exam Practice You're covering a load using more than one sheet. Why should you start with the rearmost sheet, then work forwards?
A. To make it easier to carry longer loads
B. To make it much easier to fold up the sheets
C. To stop wind and rain from getting under the sheets ✓
D. To stop you tripping when walking on the load
Correct — C. That's the right answer.
About the HGV Theory UK test
Revise for the UK HGV (LGV/PCV) driving theory test with original practice questions written for this app from the publicly available UK Highway Code and DVSA LGV/PCV theory syllabus. Every question has a clear explanation.
What you get
- Vehicle handling for large vehicles, safety and loading, drivers' hours and the tachograph, restricted view and vulnerable road users, rules of the road and signs, and documents and the environment.
- A clear explanation for every question.
- Timed mock tests in the style of the real theory test.
Original & safe
Every question is written for this app from the public DVSA syllabus and Highway Code. Nothing is copied from any real exam or question bank.
You will be tested on
- Road signs, signals and markings
- Right-of-way and intersection rules
- Speed, stopping distances and safe following
- Hazard perception and defensive driving
How TheoryPractice helps you pass
- Real exam-style questions with instant, detailed explanations
- Full timed mock exams that mirror the real test format
- Flashcards & quiz modes from the same question bank
- Progress tracking so you know exactly when you're ready
Topics in this question bank
Road signs, signals and markings
Right-of-way and intersection rules
Speed, stopping distances and safe following
Hazard perception and defensive driving
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