Become an MOT tester

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Eligibility

To take an MOT testing course you must:

  • have a current and full UK driving licence for the vehicle classes you want to test
  • be a skilled mechanic with at least 4 years’ full-time employment servicing and repairing the types of vehicles you’re going to test
  • have no unspent convictions for criminal offences
  • be ‘of good repute’ - the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will decide this to make sure you’re suitable to be an MOT tester

To become a class 3 or 5 MOT tester you must also have already:

  • got a level 2 testing certificate in class 4 and 7 vehicles (group B)
  • passed an MOT demonstration test after getting your level 2 certificate

You must have an accepted qualification or accreditation if you want to test class 3, 4, 5 or 7 vehicles (cars, private buses and light commercial vehicles).

Common qualifications or accreditations

Check the full list of accepted qualifications and accreditations.

You can take the MOT testing course if you have a VRQ, NVQ or SVQ in:

  • Vehicle Mechanical and Electronic Systems, Maintenance and Repair (light vehicle or heavy vehicle), level 3
  • Vehicle Technician, Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (light vehicle or heavy vehicle), level 3

City and Guilds

You can take the MOT testing course if you have a City and Guilds qualification in:

  • Automotive Qualification, NVQ level 3
  • Repair and Servicing of Road Vehicles, 383 (full level 2 or 3)
  • Motor Vehicle Craft Studies, modular - part 3 (requires 3 modules)
  • Motor Vehicle Craft Studies, 381 (full part 2 or 3)
  • Motor Vehicle Craft Studies, pre 381 syllabus (full part 2)
  • Light or Heavy Vehicle Mechanics Craft Studies (full part 2 or 3)
  • Motor Vehicle Technician’s Certificate (full part 1)

Other qualifications

You can also take the MOT testing course if you have one of these qualifications:

  • IMI level 3 National Diploma in Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (light vehicle or heavy vehicle)
  • National Craft Certification with a specialism of Vehicle Maintenance and Electronic Systems
  • Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC), National Certificate or Ordinary National Certificate (ONC) in Motor Vehicle Engineering studies
  • Scottish Vocational Educational Council National Certificate in Vehicle Mechanics and Systems (part 3)

Accreditations

You can take the MOT testing course if you have an Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) in:

  • Light Vehicle Diagnostic Technician
  • Light Vehicle Inspection Technician

You must have a valid ATA accreditation ID card. You’ll have received this when you got your qualification.

You can also take the course if you have an ABC Awards Accreditation in Vehicle Technician Accredited Assessment.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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