About the exam
DVA NI LGV Theory Exam structure
An independent Northern Ireland study guide for the DVA LGV multiple-choice and hazard-perception tests, with the separate Driver CPC case studies and practical assessments kept outside this slug.
Issuer and path
Northern Ireland LGV Theory Test Study Guide is administered through Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA). Check official resources before booking, retesting, or relying on a stale requirement.
DVA LGV Multiple Choice
100 scored + 0 pretest
One hundred LGV-specific and all-road-user questions in 1 hour 55 minutes, with at least 85 correct answers required.
DVA LGV Hazard Perception
20 scored + 0 pretest
Nineteen video clips containing 20 scoring developing hazards, with at least 67 of 100 points required.
Before booking or selecting a test
Confirm Northern Ireland residency, provisional vocational entitlement and the vehicle category. Treat the multiple-choice and hazard-perception tests as separate bookings, and use the distinct Part 2 route only when professional Driver CPC requires case studies.
How to use this guide
How to prepare for the Northern Ireland LGV theory tests
Apply large-vehicle thinking to every rule: confirm entitlement and operating regime, inspect the complete combination, protect blind areas and stopping space, and keep professional CPC stages distinct.
1. Identify the entitlement and regime
Confirm the vehicle category, combination, journey, load and whether licence, Driver CPC, hours or specialist rules apply.
2. Verify vehicle and load safety
Check roadworthiness, plated limits, coupling, load restraint, records and defects before considering progress.
3. Read beyond the cab
Scan far ahead and through mirrors or cameras for blind-area users, swept path, stopping space and route restrictions.
4. Choose the early safe action
Reduce speed, increase space, stop or report before vehicle mass, length, load or legal constraints remove the safe option.
Test Format, Sources and Theory Certificate
Understand the two separate DVA LGV theory tests, pass marks, category-specific content, revision sources and two-year certificate window.
Key rules
Rule 1
Understand the two separate DVA LGV theory tests, pass marks, category-specific content, revision sources and two-year certificate window.
Exam cue: Confirm that the test stage and rule apply to DVA Northern Ireland LGV theory.
Rule 2
Keep the 100-question knowledge test and 19-clip hazard test distinct; retain a passed test if only the other is failed.
Exam cue: Keep the 100-question knowledge test and 19-clip hazard test distinct; retain a passed test if only the other is failed.
Rule 3
Use DVA and nidirect for Northern Ireland administration even where a linked DVSA publication supports generic revision.
Exam cue: Check the whole combination and how the action affects exposed road users and later compliance.
Common traps
Applying the car same-sitting retake rule to the two separate LGV theory tests.
Prevention: Do not apply car-scale or Great Britain administrative assumptions; account for LGV mass, dimensions, blind areas, load and the Northern Ireland regime.
Importing a Great Britain administration or road-law rule without checking Northern Ireland.
Prevention: Use DVA and Northern Ireland rules for eligibility, licensing and territorial law even when a shared-skills publication comes from DVSA.
Treating the internal 601-item allocation as an official DVA topic weighting.
Prevention: Do not apply car-scale or Great Britain administrative assumptions; account for LGV mass, dimensions, blind areas, load and the Northern Ireland regime.
Memory anchors
Knowledge Is 100
The multiple-choice test has 100 questions in 115 minutes and requires 85 correct.
Hazards Are 19 and 20
Nineteen clips contain 20 scoring hazards and require 67 of 100.
Two Years From First
The theory certificate window runs for two years from the first component passed.
Test Format, Sources and Theory Certificate: NI Source
Use the current DVA or Northern Ireland rule before applying shared technical guidance.
Test Format, Sources and Theory Certificate: Whole Vehicle
Account for vehicle, trailer, load, route, people, time and records before deciding.
Test Format, Sources and Theory Certificate: Preserve Margin
Choose the early safe legal action that preserves view, control, time and space.
Next best moves
Quick check-up
Use a short quiz to confirm the rule pattern is actually sticking.
Check-up Questions
Which body administers the LGV theory route in Northern Ireland?
How many questions are in the DVA LGV multiple-choice test?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Open another topic next
Official resources
Verify the details with the official sources
Use these links for eligibility, scheduling, handbook rules, and issuer updates. Our guide helps you study; official sources tell you what the testing partner currently requires.
Taking the theory test
DVA Northern Ireland LGV multiple-choice and hazard-perception format, pass marks and separate-test retake rule.
Preparing for the theory test
DVA revision sources, developing-hazard definition, clip scoring and anti-pattern-clicking guidance.
Apply for LGV theory and practical tests
Northern Ireland application route, separate theory tests and two-year certificate window.
Driver CPC for new professional drivers
DVA four-part initial qualification, assessment order, Part 2 case-study format and Part 3 or Part 4 hand-offs.
Driver CPC exemptions and fees
Current Northern Ireland Driver CPC exemption categories and the vehicle-or-journey boundary.
Driver CPC for existing drivers
Acquired-rights, returning-driver and periodic-training routes kept outside the initial theory assessment.
International and National Driver CPC
Current 35-hours-in-five-years periodic-training choices and where each qualification permits professional driving.
Apply for a vocational licence
Northern Ireland provisional vocational-entitlement, DL2 and DLM1 medical application process.
LGV categories and minimum ages
Current C1, C1+E, C and C+E entitlement and age conditions, including Driver CPC-related cases.
Northern Ireland theory-test eligibility
DVA residency and licence conditions for taking a Northern Ireland theory test.
Highway Code for Northern Ireland
Territorially controlling road-user rules and advice for this Northern Ireland guide.
DVA guide to maintaining roadworthiness
Current DVA commercial-vehicle maintenance, driver-check, defect and safety-inspection guidance.
Goods-vehicle drivers' hours and tachographs
Department for Infrastructure guidance for Northern Ireland goods-vehicle drivers' hours and tachograph regimes.
Tachographs and drivers' hours
DVA overview of driver responsibilities, smart tachographs and keeping accurate records.
DVA roadside compliance
Northern Ireland enforcement scope for roadworthiness, weights, drivers' hours, tachographs, licensing and CPC.
Practical driving test for buses and lorries
DVA practical vehicle-safety and driving assessment kept outside this theory-only slug.
FAQ
Common DVA NI LGV Theory questions
Is this an official DVA product?
No. It is an independent study resource aligned to current public DVA, nidirect, Department for Infrastructure and Northern Ireland Highway Code material. DVA remains the authority for eligibility, bookings, test delivery and results.
What does this slug include?
It covers the DVA Northern Ireland LGV multiple-choice test and written concepts for the hazard-perception test. The knowledge scope includes vehicle condition, weights, loads, road procedure, drivers' hours, tachographs, compliance, signs and vulnerable road users.
How are the two LGV theory tests structured?
The multiple-choice test has 100 questions in 1 hour 55 minutes and requires 85 correct. The hazard-perception test has 19 clips containing 20 scoring developing hazards and requires 67 out of 100.
What happens if I pass only one theory test?
DVA treats the multiple-choice and hazard-perception elements as separate tests. If one is passed and the other is failed, only the failed test needs to be retaken.
Are Driver CPC Part 2 case studies included?
No. DVA Part 2 is a separate computer-based assessment with seven case studies, between five and ten multiple-choice questions per case, 50 questions overall, 75 minutes and a 40/50 pass mark. This slug records that boundary but does not simulate or absorb the case-study assessment.
In what order can the initial Driver CPC parts be taken?
DVA says Parts 1 and 2 may be taken in either order, as may Parts 3 and 4. However, Part 1 must be passed before Part 3 and Part 2 before Part 4. This rule concerns the four qualification parts, not a claim about the booking order of the two tests within Part 1.
Does passing these theory tests give me full Driver CPC?
No. The theory tests are Part 1 of the initial route. Licence acquisition also requires the applicable practical driving assessment, while professional qualification normally adds Part 2 case studies and Part 4 practical demonstration unless a current exemption applies.
Does a Driver CPC exemption remove the LGV licence tests?
No. An exemption can change the professional-CPC requirement for a particular vehicle or journey, but it does not itself grant the vocational driving entitlement. Confirm the licence category and CPC position separately.
What is the periodic Driver CPC boundary?
Qualified professional drivers normally maintain CPC through 35 hours of periodic training in each five-year cycle. Current National and International Driver CPC choices affect where a driver can work; that training is not an assessment section in this LGV theory slug.
Does this module include ADR examinations?
No. It covers only general recognition of dangerous or specialist-load risk. ADR training, classes, specialist modules and examinations remain a separate qualification.
Can written practice reproduce hazard perception?
No. Written study can improve scanning, prediction and recognition of a developing hazard, but it cannot reproduce movement or the official scoring window. Use suitable current clip-based practice as well.
Is this the Great Britain DVSA LGV route?
No. This guide follows DVA administration and Northern Ireland sources. A DVSA publication may be recommended for shared driving technique, but Great Britain booking, licence and road-law rules are not substituted for Northern Ireland requirements.
Why are the study-topic allocations not official weights?
Current public DVA guidance gives the overall test totals, times and pass marks but no fixed scored breakdown by topic. The future 601-item allocation here is an internal coverage plan, not an official DVA blueprint.