Run a Driver CPC training course
How to run and manage a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) periodic training course.
Who can provide courses
You must be an approved training centre to provide:
- International Driver CPC periodic training courses
- National Driver CPC periodic training courses
You have to apply to get approval for:
- your training centre
- any courses you want to provide
Find out how to set up a Driver CPC training centre and get a Driver CPC training course approved by DVSA
Book drivers on to your Driver CPC course
When drivers contact you to book training, make sure they are booking the right sort of training for their job role. They should book an International Driver CPC course if they need to drive in the EU and UK in the next 5 years.
You should also check they are not unnecessarily repeating the same course. Ask them about their training history to do this.
Drivers should complete 7 hours of training a year and aim to cover a range of subjects. You should encourage drivers to choose a variety of training.
Reasons drivers can repeat the same course
Drivers can only repeat the same course if they have a specific need. This could include if:
- they need to maintain a qualification, and the course contributes to it (for example, a first aid qualification or dangerous goods driver qualification)
- they need remedial training - if they did not understand previous training or need more training because their employer needs them to repeat it for safety or insurance purposes
- there have been changes in regulations or best practice since the driver last took the course
Drivers leaving their training late is not an acceptable reason for them to repeat the same course.
Keep records of emails with drivers and employers for audit purposes.
If drivers do not have a good reason for repeating a course
DVSA can cancel the hours a driver got from a course if they do not have a good reason for repeating it. They might lose their Driver CPC card if cancelling the hours takes their total back under 35 hours.
DVSA can take action against you for knowingly providing repeat training without a good reason.
Provide privacy information when drivers book your course
You must provide privacy information to drivers at the time you collect their personal data from them.
You can do this using a privacy notice. This must be easy to understand and easily accessible.
You can download an .
As a data controller, you’re legally responsible for making sure your actual privacy notice is accurate and explains how you collect and use data.
Check the Information Commissioner’s Office guidance on how to write a privacy notice and what goes in it.
Make changes or cancel your course
You should update the course record online if you need to make changes or cancel a course. You should do this at least 24 hours before the course is due to start.
Send joining instructions
Send joining instructions to each driver before the course takes place. These should include:
- the course’s start and end times
- the length of the course (for example, 7 hours excluding breaks)
- details of your cancellation policy
- whether lunch is provided
- a contact number so drivers can tell you about any special requirements
You can download an .
Register drivers and check their identities
It’s the centre’s responsibility to record attendance and ID checks. If you want to use the example above, this guidance will help you complete it.
You can download an .
Comments section
It should include a comments section to note if the course was not delivered to a driver because:
- their licence was not valid
- the driver did not finish the course because they were unwell
- of other reasons, for example, the driver was late for the course and was turned away
Write the details of an identity check the comments section.
Write ‘Do not upload’ if the driver did not finish the course and cross through the record.
The attendance record should show whether a modular course is run on a single day or over 2 consecutive days.
Check the identity of drivers
You must check the identity of all drivers using one of these forms of photo ID:
- a photocard driving licence
- a valid passport
- a digital tachograph card
- a Driver CPC card (also known as a ‘driver qualification card’ or ‘DQC’)
Check the driving licence entitlement
You must check that all drivers have the right entitlement on their licence. Only drivers with large goods vehicle (LGV) or passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) entitlement can have periodic training recorded for them.
Introduce the course
You should set enough time for a welcome and introduction session. This should include:
- a health and safety briefing
- information about welfare facilities
- clarification if the course is for International Driver CPC or National Driver CPC
- the course aims and objectives
- an opportunity for drivers to share their experiences and knowledge
- timings for the course
- the conduct expected, such as use of mobile phones, mutual respect and confidentiality
Train the drivers using your approved course
You must:
- link the course content to the syllabus - training requirements are contained in Annex 1 in Directive 2003/59 EU, amended by the Annex in the revised Directive 2018/645 EU
- be up-to-date with current legislation
You do not have to cover the full content of the syllabus - you can focus on parts of it.
You can include content that goes beyond the Directive (2003/59 EU) and the revised Directive (2018/645 EU) as long as it’s linked to the syllabus and is an expansion on a Directive topic.
Course content rules
Your course content must be equivalent to at least a level 2 vocational qualification.
The UK qualifications regulator defines a level 2 as:
Competence which involves the application of knowledge and skills in a significant range of varied work activities, performed in a variety of contexts. Some of the activities are complex or non-routine, and there is some individual responsibility and autonomy. Collaboration with others, perhaps through membership of a work group or team, may often be a requirement.
Training should:
- have specific emphasis on road safety, health and safety at work, and the reduction of the environmental impact of driving
- cover a variety of subjects including one road safety-related subject
- take into account developments in relevant legislation and technology
- consider the specific training needs of the driver
Training can be delivered:
- as classroom teaching
- as practical training
- remotely, using video call software
- as e-learning
- on top-of-the-range simulators
E-learning
You can apply to have e-learning included in your Driver CPC course. Drivers attending your course can access this training before classroom training.
If you want to deliver training this way you will need to:
- make sure the standard of training is the same level as classroom-based training (at least a level 2 vocational qualification)
- only select subjects that can be taught digitally
- be able to verify the identity of the trainee and prove they have participated and keep evidence of this for audit purposes
- provide devices on-site for those who do not have their own
- monitor start and finish times and be able to show the e-learning module was completed in full
Courses for LGV or PCV drivers or both
Your course content should apply to the LGV or PCV sector, or it can be for both. The course content can be very different for each.
You can run the course to a mixed group of drivers and extend the course time if you need to, so that both LGV and PCV drivers get full training.
Example You can send the LGV drivers on a break while the PCV drivers get specific training, or the other way around.
Course length
An International Driver CPC training course must be at least 7 hours long, which may be split over 2 consecutive days.
A National Driver CPC training course must be at least 3 hours 30 minutes long. If the course lasts for more than 7 hours you can split it over 2 days. These do not have to be consecutive.
Both types of course must:
- last for the required time - short delivery is not allowed
- be delivered as approved
You need to make sure there’s enough approved content to fill the course.
Only direct contact time with a trainer counts toward periodic training unless the course contains an element of e-learning. You can use more than one trainer to make sure the drivers have enough contact time.
Modular courses
A modular course is a 7-hour course made up of 2 separate modules.
You could have 4x 3.5 hour modules approved (A, B, C, D). You can run these in any combination to make a 7-hour course, for example, AB, CD, BC, AD, AC, or BD.
A modular course can be split into 2 sessions. Modular courses for International Driver CPC must be run on consecutive days.
There’s no limit on how many modules can be in a modular course.
Practical activities
You can include practical activities in your course. If only one driver is doing the practical activity the other drivers must be doing learning activities so they get at least 7 hours of training.
Other course content
Drivers can take training in accordance with other transport-related EU Directives, DVSA will allow up to 14 hours of this training to be recognised for Driver CPC. This may include training on the transport of dangerous goods (ADR training taken under Directive 2008/68/EC) and other courses.
Drivers are not allowed to repeat other transport-related courses within a 5-year period with the exception of ADR courses. An ADR course can be taken for up to 2 of the 7 hour periods, provided that they are the only ‘other’ courses taken into account in the 35 hour training period.
Uploading other courses to the training record
Drivers need to email cpcre@dvsa.gov.uk if they have done a course that they want uploading, or if they want to check if DVSA will recognise a course as periodic training. They need to include:
- the date they completed the training
- their driving license number, date of birth and address
- evidence that they have completed a relevant course, for example a training certificate
- how long the course is and how it’s regulated
- evidence it is governed by a transport-related EU directive
Video clips
You can use DVDs and video clips within the content of the course.
Plan for problems with running your course
Make sure that you have plans in place to deal with problems when you’re running your course.
Computer failure
You can use paper copies of slides if you have a computer problem.
Bad weather
You can:
- change the running order on the day to avoid bad weather
- use a classroom session if it’s not possible to have a practical session outside
Running ahead of schedule
You can use standby material if you think your periodic training course might finish early.
This can be more in-depth but must be relevant to the approved course content.
Drivers who need more help
Check the knowledge of drivers at the start of the course to work out which sections you might need to spend more time on. This could mean you reduce the time spent on other sections.
Collect feedback and evaluate the course
Evaluate approved training courses:
- for their quality
- so that improvements can be made
Get feedback from:
- drivers attending the course
- the operators who paid for the course
Give course evaluation forms to drivers to fill in if they want to. You can download an .
The form should include:
- the course title
- the date it was run
- a specific trainer’s name
- a space for the driver’s details which they can optionally give
Other ways to evaluate the course
You can:
- check how effective the training was
- use a short question and answer session or quiz paper that is reviewed as a group
You cannot:
- have formal exams and tests within periodic training
- issue a pass or fail for the evaluation session
Review your course
Reviews should look at the content of the course so you know if drivers:
- found the information useful
- thought the course was engaging and pitched at the right level
Your review should:
- identify opportunities for continual improvement
- look at the performance of your trainers and whether some were more effective than others
- consider if the right number of attendees were on the course so you can make changes in future
You should keep evaluation records and they should be available if you’re audited.
Give a certificate of attendance
Give a certificate of attendance to the driver. Drivers need evidence of completing periodic training to be able to continue working.
You can download an .
What the certificate needs to include
The certificate needs to include the:
- driver’s full name
- course name and number (as they appear on your certificate of approval)
- centre name and number (as they appear on your certificate of approval)
- length of the course in hours
- date the course was completed
- course name and number (as they appear on your certificate of approval) - the certificate should include the titles of the modules covered
- signature of the trainer or senior person responsible (this can be handwritten or electronic)
- Driver CPC logo (you need to get permission to use this and follow the rules)
- website address - www.gov.uk/checkdrivercpc (the service to check how many hours of periodic training the driver’s done)
You can also include your company logo.
Record the training you provide
You must record the training within 5 working days of the course ending.
You need to keep a separate record of the date you record the training. You can use the service to print a receipt of the details you’ve recorded. These records can be used as proof of training in the event of:
- an enquiry
- a complaint
- a system failure
Keep your records in accordance with:
- your Driver CPC approval
- data protection laws
The lead centre in a consortium should keep the records.
Your records must be available for inspection by auditors. Uploaded training can be cancelled if your records are not adequate.
Your approval can be suspended or withdrawn if there are continuing issues with record-keeping.
If DVSA finds problems with how you manage your Driver CPC training centre and courses
DVSA can take action against you if:
- you do not tell us about your planned training courses at least 48 hours before they start
- you do not finish making changes to courses at least 24 hours before they start, including cancellations
- you do not record Driver CPC training you provide within 5 days of the course ending
- you allow a driver to repeat a course if they do not have a good reason
- you allow a trainer to deliver a course and count it towards their own training hours
If DVSA finds you’re not meeting the correct standards they will contact you to tell you what they’ve found and ask you to check your processes and quality measures. If you don’t fix the problem DVSA may take further action against you which could include:
- auditing your centre
- cancelling a driver’s training hours
- suspending or withdrawing your approval
If you disagree
You can ask DVSA to not take action against you if you think that:
- what they found is incorrect
- there are mitigating circumstances (for example, you couldn’t record your training within 5 days because the online service to do this was not working)
DVSA will send you a form you can fill in if you disagree when they contact you and tell you what they found.
DVSA will consider any evidence you send and reply to you with a decision within 15 days. You cannot appeal this decision.
Updates to this page
Published 27 October 2015Last updated 13 November 2024 + show all updates
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Added information about International and National Driver CPC courses.
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Added information about what happens if DVSA finds problems with how you manage your Driver CPC training centre and courses. Updated privacy notice template.
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Added a new section called 'Book drivers on to your Driver CPC course' which has information about checking that drivers are not repeating the same course without a good reason.
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Updated the templates and examples with the latest versions.
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Added content that says course name, number and titles of modules covered should be on the certificate of attendance.
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Updated due to change in legislation.
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Updated the guidance about the privacy information you must provide to drivers at the time you collect their personal data from them.
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Updated information about how you should keep training records.
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Updated the example about running a course with a mix of theory and practical sessions.
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Removed the rule about including the driver's driving licence number on the certificate of attendance, and updated the example certificate of attendance.
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Added information about including content about vulnerable road users where it's appropriate.
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A new version of the Joining instructions (example) has been published.
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First published.