Take your annual MOT tester training and assessment
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1. Overview
If you’re already an MOT tester, you must complete training and pass an assessment between April and March every year.
Your MOT tester status will be suspended if you do not pass the annual assessment by 31 March.
There’s different guidance to become an MOT tester for the first time.
If you’re a new tester, you do not need to record annual training or complete the annual assessment in the year that you pass your demonstration test. After the first year, you will need to record annual training and complete the annual assessment between April and March of the following year.
What you need to do
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Do at least 3 hours of MOT tester training each year for each group you test.
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Record your training on the MOT testing service.
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Book and take your assessment.
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Check your assessment provider has uploaded your assessment results.
If you pass the assessment, you’ll get a certificate. You’ll find this in the ‘Annual assessment certificates’ section of your MOT testing service profile. Contact your assessment provider if your results have not been recorded correctly.
If a pass result has not been uploaded by the end of the training year, your MOT tester status will be suspended.
2. Training
You’re responsible for planning and doing your training. You must record your training on the MOT testing service.
You and the business you work for can be suspended from MOT testing if you do not record your training on the MOT testing service.
You can train on your own or in a group by:
- studying MOT inspection manuals, special notices and the testing guide
- discussing what you’re learning with another tester (or group of testers)
- demonstrating what you’re learning to another tester
- learning from a more experienced tester
You can also book a training course through one of these providers:
Check with the provider for the cost.
What you need to study
The topics you need to study depend on whether you test class 1 and 2 vehicles (‘group A’) or class 3, 4, 5 and 7 vehicles (‘group B’).
Some topics are studied by both groups.
Group A (class 1 and 2 vehicles)
If you test vehicles in group A, you need to know about:
- corrosion
- classification of vehicles
- MOT test procedures
- the MOT inspection manual for motorcycles and sidecars
Group B (class 3, 4, 5 and 7 vehicles)
If you test vehicles in group B, you need to know about:
- corrosion
- classification of vehicles
- MOT test procedures
- the MOT inspection manual for cars and passenger vehicles
Groups A and B
If you test vehicles in both group A and group B, you need to study all the topics. You also need to train for at least 6 hours a year (instead of 3) and take 2 annual assessments.
Keeping a record of your training
You must record your training on the MOT testing service. You also need to keep your own records of any training you did between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2024.
Any training you record between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2024 must include:
- the MOT annual training year (for example April 2019 to March 2020)
- the date of the training
- how long the training session lasted
- what topics you covered during the session
- notes on what you did, how you did it and what you learned
- what vehicle groups your training covered
- your name and MOT testing service user ID
Check the list of training topics your records need to cover.
3. Taking your assessment
You can have your assessment at any point in the year, if you’ve done your training.
Book your assessment through one of these providers:
What happens at the assessment
You take the assessment online, for example at home or at the provider.
The test is 30 multiple-choice questions. It usually takes around 1 hour.
Read examples of the types of questions you’ll be asked.
You can use your notes and the MOT inspection manual during the assessment.
How much it costs
The cost of the assessment depends on your provider.
After your assessment
The pass mark for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 is 80%. If you do not pass, there’s no limit on how many times you can take the assessment during the same year.
You get a certificate when you pass the assessment. Check your assessment provider has uploaded it to the ‘Annual assessment certificates’ section of your MOT testing service profile.
If your results have not been recorded correctly
Contact your assessment provider.
If your results are not uploaded by the end of the training year, your MOT testing account will be suspended. To unsuspend your account, you’ll need to:
- do the training
- pass the annual assessment
- request and pass an MOT demonstration test
If you do not pass your assessment in the training year
You’ll need to do the training and pass the annual assessment on the next year’s topics. For example, if you did not pass the 2023 to 2024 assessment you will need to pass the 2024 to 2025 assessment.
You must stop carrying out MOT tests if you have not passed by the end of the training year. Your MOT testing account will be suspended.
Once you’ve passed, you need to request and pass an MOT demonstration test. Your account will then be unsuspended.
Request a test online. You’ll need:
- your MOT testing service user ID
- the MOT centre number of where you want to take the test