Hello again,
The ISBN numbers for the books I recommended are:
Highway code: 978 011 553342 6
Official Theory Test for Drivers of LGV’s: 978 0 11 553727 1
Driver CPC: 978 0 11 553745 5
Having done all the online tests, I would say that you need to know your stuff to pass. That might be stating the bleeding obvious, but I don’t think there are any short cuts.
You need to know the specifics: EU drivers’ hours, breaks and rest periods; the colours of the break lines; the colours of the CMR notes; height, width and length limits; all of which are quite precise and you either know it or you don’t.
Then there is more general stuff about road safety and driver skills where you can apply a bit of common sense if if you don’t immediately know the answer.
That’s where reading the Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles helps because it gives you a good general grounding on the principles of excellent professional driving and good practice, such as the overriding principle of safety first, showing patience and courtesy to other drivers and pedestrians and nowadays having a keen eye on environmental issues and driving economically.
The practice tests for the hazard perception essentially get you to the required speed level. Spotting the developing hazards is fairly easy but spotting them quickly enough is the test and the online practice tests inform you whether you are being quick enough to pass.
Just a couple of final tips from one newbie to another: firstly, have a periodic read through the glossary section (p.365 - p373) of the guide to driving goods vehicles.
The very first question on my multi choice theory test asked about the properties of toughened safety glass. I didn’t know the answer, couldn’t remember reading anything about safety glass in the books and after staring at the screen for five minutes hoped all the other questions weren’t as obscure. But when I checked afterwards, there it is in the glossary section, a definition of toughened safety glass.
So it seems to me that if the info is in the official DVSA books, then it’s fair game for the tests. Secondly, on the case studies test, I had one question asking about the type of haulage business that I was theoretically driving for - was it cabotage, freight-forwarding of groupage? Again, didn’t know the answer.
So, from this, I can only advise that having a general knowledge of the haulage industry from the operators’ side helps as well.
Overall, you can’t know everything and working through the books and study materials we have discussed already will see you through.
Good luck.
DS
I also have rather too much spare time on my hands, so want to use it to maximize the chance to nail everything.
