Driver CPC Module 4: What the Practical Demonstration Involves

Module 4 is the practical demonstration part of the Driver CPC, and you do not drive in it. You stand with a vehicle and an examiner for about half an hour and show that you can look after it, load it safely and handle things going wrong.

It is the last piece of the initial Driver CPC, and it catches people out because they prepare for it as if it were a driving test. It is not. Module 3 is the driving test. Module 4 is a conversation with a lorry.

What happens on the day

You attend a DVSA test centre with a vehicle of the category you are qualifying in. The examiner works through five topic areas, asking you to demonstrate something and explain what you are doing and why.

There is no reversing exercise, no road drive and no manoeuvring. If you have passed the reversing test already, none of that is repeated here.

The five topics

1. Loading the vehicle. Weight distribution, axle limits, and how you would secure a specific load you are shown.

2. Preventing criminality and trafficking. The checks that stop someone getting into your vehicle or trailer, and what you do if you find evidence that they have.

3. Assessing emergency situations. What you do at the scene of an incident, how you make it safe, and the basics of casualty care.

4. Reducing physical risk to yourself. Safe manual handling, getting in and out of the cab properly, and personal safety at drop points.

5. Carrying out a walkaround check. Doing it and, more importantly, explaining what you are looking for and what would stop you driving.

How Module 4 is marked

Each of the five topics is scored out of 20. You need at least 15 in every topic and 80 overall.

That balance matters. You cannot rescue a weak area by being excellent everywhere else, so the person who knows load security inside out but waves vaguely at the walkaround will still fail. DVSA publishes the current marking detail on GOV.UK and it is worth reading before test day.

How to pass it

Talk. The most common reason for a low score is doing the right thing in silence. The examiner is assessing whether you understand why, not just whether your hands go to the right places. Narrate everything: what you are checking, what you are looking for, what would make you stop.

Learn the walkaround as a route, not a list. Start at one corner and work around the vehicle the same way every time. Under pressure, a memorised route survives and a memorised list does not.

Be specific about load security. "I would strap it" scores badly. Naming the restraint, saying roughly how many you would use, and describing what the load would do if it moved is what scores well.

How much does Module 4 cost?

Our Driver CPC Module 4 training is £235. Full pricing for every course is on our HGV training cost page.

If you are taking a full licence course with us, Module 4 preparation is built into your training week — you learn load security and walkaround checks on the vehicle you will be tested with, not from a handout.

Who does not need Module 4

Module 4 is part of the initial Driver CPC. You do not need it if you are taking C1 purely for non-commercial use, such as your own horsebox or motorhome.

Drivers who already held vocational entitlement when the Driver CPC came in were granted initial CPC without sitting Modules 2 and 4. That covers the initial qualification only — those drivers still need 35 hours of periodic training every five years.

Frequently asked questions

Is Module 4 a driving test?

No. There is no driving at all. Module 3 is the driving test; Module 4 is a demonstration you talk your way through, standing with the vehicle.

How long does Module 4 take?

Around 30 minutes.

What is the pass mark for Module 4?

At least 15 out of 20 in each of the five topics, and 80 overall.

What is the difference between Module 2 and Module 4?

Module 2 is the case study test, sat on a computer at a theory test centre. Module 4 is the practical demonstration, taken with a real vehicle at a test centre.

Can I fail Module 4 on one topic?

Yes. Scoring under 15 in any single topic is a fail even if your overall total is above 80.

What to do next

If you are working towards your first vocational licence, Module 4 comes at the end and is far easier when it has been taught on a real vehicle rather than crammed. Our Driver CPC Module 4 training runs from our Sittingbourne centre with DVSA-approved instructors.

Call 01795 667 008 and we will tell you where Module 4 fits in your route and whether you need it at all.