PCV theory test format and pass marks

The PCV theory test, officially Driver CPC part 1 for bus and coach drivers, contains two separately booked tests: 100 multiple-choice questions and hazard perception. They may be taken on the same day, but they do not have to be. You must pass both within two years of each other.

During multiple choice you can flag, review and change answers. Hazard clips can be seen only once. One clip contains two developing hazards and the others contain one. Each hazard can earn up to five points when identified as it begins to develop.

Who takes it and what to bring

The same test covers minibus entitlement (category D1) and bus and coach entitlement (category D). You can book once your licence shows the provisional entitlement, which you apply for with a D2 form and a D4 medical report. Upgrading from D1 to D does not need a new theory test.

Bring a Great Britain photocard licence to each part. Holders of a Northern Ireland licence bring the photocard and paper counterpart, and anyone with only a paper licence brings a valid passport as well. The wrong documents mean a cancelled test and a lost fee.

After part 1

Passing both halves gives you the theory certificate needed for the part 3a off-road and part 3b on-road driving tests. Drivers who will carry passengers as the main part of their job also take part 2, seven computer-based case studies with a pass mark of 40 out of 50, and part 4, a practical demonstration. Part 2 can be booked before part 1 is passed.

Add the passenger-safety layer

General road rules are only part of PCV preparation. Revision should also cover passenger movement, accessibility, stopping places, emergency procedures, vehicle checks, dimensions and the effect of a large vehicle’s blind spots and stopping distance.

For every scenario ask two questions: who inside or outside the vehicle could be harmed, and what early action preserves the largest safety margin? A response suitable for an empty car may be unsafe for standing passengers or for people boarding near the kerb.

The PCV practice sets are shorter study blocks, not full replicas of the official 100-question paper. Use them for diagnosis, then schedule a long timed session to test concentration and answer review. Use actual hazard-perception clips separately because still questions cannot reproduce the scored timing task.

GOV.UK sets out the official structure, pass marks and validity on the page for Driver CPC part 1 theory. The certificate is valid for two years from passing the first part.

To plan revision by topic, use the PCV study map.

Start a PCV practice set