Provide MOT training courses
How to provide MOT tester and manager qualification courses, and MOT tester annual training courses – including the topics the training must cover.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Types of MOT training
There are 2 types of MOT training you can provide:
- MOT tester and manager qualification courses
- MOT tester annual training courses
You must be approved by an awarding organisation to provide qualification courses.
You don’t need to be approved to provide annual training courses.
Provide qualification courses
You can get approval to provide these MOT qualifications:
- Level 2 Award in MOT Testing (classes 1 and 2 - motorcycles)
- Level 2 Award in MOT Testing (classes 4 and 7 - light vehicles)
- Level 3 Award in MOT Test Centre Management
Apply for approval
Contact an awarding organisation to find out:
- if you’re eligible to be a training provider
- how to register with them
You can register with more than one.
SEG Awards
mot.abcawards.co.uk
Telephone: 0115 854 1620
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges
Institute of the Motor Industry
www.imiawards.org.uk
Telephone: 01992 511 521
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm
Find out about call charges
City & Guilds
www.cityandguilds.com
Telephone: 0844 543 0000
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
When you’re approved
You’ll be responsible for approving individual MOT trainers to run the qualification courses.
The awarding organisations you register with will give you more information about running the courses.
Provide annual training
MOT testers must complete training between April and March every year. You can provide training courses for them to take.
MOT testers have to study different topics depending on whether they test:
- class 1 and 2 vehicles (‘group A’)
- class 3, 4, 5, 7 vehicles (‘group B’)
Most of the questions will be about specific topics. Some of the questions could be about other topics from the MOT inspection manuals and MOT testing guide.
2026 to 2027 topics
These are the topics for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Group A
Testers who test vehicles in group A need to know about:
- lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
- information in the MOT testing guide
- braking
- the MOT inspection manual for motorcycles and sidecars
Group B
Testers who test vehicles in group B need to know about:
- lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
- information in the MOT testing guide
- braking
- the MOT inspection manual for cars and passenger vehicles
Groups A and B
MOT testers who test vehicles in both group A and group B need to study all the topics. They will need to train for at least 6 hours a year (instead of 3) and take 2 annual assessments.
Questions on lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
These are some examples of the subjects MOT testers will be asked questions about:
- headlamp aim
- headlamp conversions
- lighting requirements (dates, position, colour, type, separation distance)
- setting up headlamp test equipment
- identifying the beam image
- multi-function lamps (for example a position lamp or daytime running lamp (DRL) combined with an indicator or stop lamp)
- halogen lamps converted to LED or HID
- compliance with requirements
Questions on information in the MOT testing guide
These are some examples of the subjects MOT testers will be asked questions about:
- training logs – including what action DVSA can take if you do not complete your training log
- driving licences – including driving licence requirements for MOT testers, restricted licences and name changes (section E of the MOT testing guide)
- convictions – including what happens if you fail to notify DVSA about convictions
- repute
- what happens if prospective or existing testers make false declarations or statements or give false documents to DVSA or MOT training providers
- aborting or abandoning a test
- becoming mentally or physically unfit to test
- replacement certificates
- duplicate certificates
- change of vehicle classification
- change of vehicle details
- grounds to refuse an MOT test
- grounds to decline an MOT test
- discipline (section I of the MOT testing guide)
- what happens if a vehicle is damaged during an MOT test
Questions on brake requirements
These are some examples of the subjects MOT testers will be asked questions about:
- mechanical components (discs, drums, brake pads and linings)
- cables, rods, levers and linkages
- brake pipes, rigid and flexible hoses
- hydraulic systems
- brake performance and procedures – linked brake systems (group A), electrical mechanical brakes and 4x4 vehicle testing (group B)
- identifying dual purpose vehicles and the appropriate brake test (class 4 only)
Questions on the MOT inspection manuals
These are some examples of the subjects all MOT testers will be asked questions about:
- tyres (including tread depth, condition, valve stem, size, type)
- suspension (including suspension components, fastening devices, linkages, wear in components, bushes)
Group A
These are some examples of subjects MOT testers might be asked about for group A:
- sidecars
- handlebar condition
- forks and yokes
- structure and attachments
Group B
These are some examples of subjects MOT testers might be asked about for group B:
- suspension components (including pins and bushes, suspension arms, ball joints and ball joint dust covers)
- anti-roll bars (including ball joints, linkage ball joints, dust covers, pins and bushes, and attachment bracket and mounting)
- subframes (including prescribed mounting areas, attachment brackets, ball joints, ball joint dust covers, and pins and bushes)
- emissions testing and smoke testing (including kit cars, different engine, vehicle conversions, and when the information is not available on equipment or emission booklet)
Updates to this page
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Removed the MOT annual training and assessment topics for 2025 to 2026.
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Added the MOT annual training and assessment topics for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
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Added the MOT annual training and assessment topics for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
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Removed the MOT annual training and assessment topics for 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
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Added the MOT annual training and assessment topics for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
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Added MOT training course topics for 2023 to 2024.
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Added MOT training course topics for 2022 to 2023.
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Removed the 2020 to 2021 training topics
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Added the training topics for 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2022.
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Removed the 2019 to 2020 training topics.
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Added the annual training and assessment topics for April 2020 to March 2021.
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Added the annual training and assessment topics for April 2019 to March 2020.
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Added information about providing MOT tester annual training courses.
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First published.