How does alcohol affect a truck driver?

It slows reactions and judgement

It improves your concentration a lot

Free K53 Code 3 Learner's Practice Test 2026

200 original questions for the South African Code 3 learner's test, the heavy vehicle learner's before a C1 or C truck licence: rules of the road, road signs and markings, and truck controls. Four 50-question mock tests. Tuned for mobile. No account needed.

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The K53 Code 3 learner's exam at a glance

The Code 3 learner's licence is South Africa's learner's licence for heavy motor vehicles over 3,500 kg GVM, the step before a C1 (3,500 to 16,000 kg) or C (over 16,000 kg) driving licence and the articulated EC1 and EC codes. You must be at least 18. It is the same K53 learner's test as for a car, written at a driving licence testing centre (DLTC) in three sections: rules of the road, road signs and markings, and vehicle controls, the controls section being for a heavy vehicle. Study guides say the test is 64 questions (28, 28 and 8) with each section passed separately. The learner's licence is valid for 24 months, cannot be extended, and lets you drive only under the supervision of a driver licensed for that vehicle. To drive a goods vehicle over 3,500 kg GVM for work you also need a professional driving permit (PrDP).

Tigertest has 200 K53 Code 3 learner's practice questions with explanations, all free with no account required.

Covers: Heavy vehicles over 3,500 kg GVM (C1, C, EC1, EC)
Minimum age: 18
Sections: Rules, signs and markings, vehicle controls (28/28/8, guides say)
Pass mark: Each section separately (guides say 22, 23 and 6)
Valid for: 24 months, cannot be extended
Driving on it: Only supervised by a driver licensed for the vehicle
Run by: Driving licence testing centres (DLTCs)

Updated November 2026 by the Tigertest team. Practice questions follow gov.za learner's licence service page and the National Road Traffic Act and Regulations, checked November 2026; section counts and marks from study guides. Exam rules change, so confirm current details with gov.za: Apply for a learner's licence.

How It Works

Train by Section

Six training sets split the three sections of the learner's test into bite-size topics, from four-way stops to steep-descent warnings and the exhaust brake. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.

Mock Tests in the Real Mix

Four 50-question tests with 22 rules, 22 signs and markings and 6 heavy vehicle controls each, and 40 to pass. No question repeats across tests, and every answer explains the rule and the common wrong pick.

Built on South Africa's Road Traffic Rules for Heavy Vehicles

Each mock test follows the three sections of the real learner's test in the same proportions guides give for its 64 questions. Every rule is South Africa's own, with the ones that change when you drive a truck: the 80 km/h limit for goods vehicles over 9,000 kg GVM, the professional driving permit, the 0.02 g alcohol limit for professional drivers, mass and height limit signs, securing your load and using a low gear on long descents.

Rules of the Road44%

Road Signs & Markings44%

Heavy Vehicle Controls (Code 3)12%

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How to Pass the K53 Code 3 Learner's Test

1. Learn the sign families, not single signs

Signs come in families with their own shapes and colours: control signs such as stop and yield, blue command signs that tell you what to do, red-ringed prohibition signs that forbid something, red-bordered warning triangles, and guidance signs. Once you know the family, most new signs explain themselves.

2. Make a table of the numbers

The rules section loves numbers: 60, 100 and 120 km/h general limits but 80 km/h for goods vehicles over 9,000 kg GVM, 3,500 kg GVM where Code 3 and the PrDP start, 16,000 kg between C1 and C, 0.02 g alcohol for professional drivers, 9 metres from a pedestrian crossing, headlights when you cannot see 150 metres, and the 24-hour rule for reporting an injury crash. Put them in one table and quiz yourself.

3. Do not skip vehicle controls

It is the shortest section, but guides say you may drop only two of its eight questions. Know what each control does and which ones you use together, and the truck ones too: the exhaust brake or retarder for long descents, the air pressure gauge and low-air warning, and why you change down before a hill, not on it.

4. Aim above 40

Each section is marked on its own in the real test, so a strong score in one cannot rescue a weak one. Tigertest tracks your accuracy by topic: drill the questions you missed, retrain the weakest set, then take all four tests before you book.

K53 Code 3 Learner's Test Frequently Asked Questions

Which learner's licence do I need for a C1 licence?

A Code 3 learner's licence. Code 1 is for motorcycles and Code 2 for light motor vehicles up to 3,500 kg GVM; Code 3 covers heavy motor vehicles over 3,500 kg GVM and is the learner's you hold before the driving test for a C1 licence (3,500 to 16,000 kg), a C licence (over 16,000 kg) or the articulated EC1 and EC codes. People often still call C1 and EC by their old names, code 10 and code 14.

How old must I be for a Code 3 learner's licence?

You must be 18 or older to apply for a Code 3 learner's licence. You book and write the test at a driving licence testing centre (DLTC). The learner's licence is valid for 24 months, cannot be extended, and lets you drive a heavy vehicle only while a driver licensed for that vehicle supervises you.

Is the Code 3 learner's test different from Code 2?

It has the same three sections: rules of the road, road signs and markings, and vehicle controls. The rules and signs are the same law for everyone; the controls section is about a heavy vehicle. Study guides give the learner's test 64 questions (28 rules, 28 signs, 8 controls) and say each section is passed separately; check the marks that apply at your test centre on the day.

What is the pass mark on these mock tests?

Each Tigertest mock test has 50 questions in the same mix as the Code 2 tests (22 rules, 22 signs and markings, 6 vehicle controls) and you need 40, or 80%, to pass. That 80% is Tigertest's own target, set a little above the section marks study guides quote, so a pass here means you are ready for the real thing.

Are these the real K53 learner's test questions?

No. Every question is original, written by Tigertest from the National Road Traffic Act and Regulations, the K53 learner material and the road sign manual, and none is shared with Tigertest's Code 2 test. Signs are described in words, so study the sign pictures in your K53 manual too. It is free revision, not an official test, and it does not book or replace your learner's test.

K53 Code 3 learner's sample questions and answers

6 of the 200 practice questions, one from each topic, with the answer explained.

1. While driving a truck, when may you take one hand off the steering wheel?
- A.When the truck is empty
- B.To work another control
- C.To rest on the window frame
- D.On a long straight road
Answer: B. Keep both hands on the wheel except briefly to change gear or use another control, so you can always steer the heavy vehicle.
2. A sign at a crossing shows a pedestrian on the crossing. It marks:
- A.Where pedestrians may not go
- B.A pedestrian-only street
- C.A school entrance only
- D.Where pedestrians cross
Answer: D. The pedestrian crossing sign marks the crossing itself. Give way to people on it and never stop your truck across it.
3. How does alcohol affect a truck driver?
- A.It slows reactions and judgement
- B.It sharpens your night vision
- C.It only affects new drivers
- D.It improves your concentration a lot
Answer: A. Alcohol slows your reactions and weakens your judgement. In a heavy truck that already needs a long distance to stop, this is even more dangerous.
4. Two solid white centre lines run along a mountain pass. Your truck is slow. The driver behind may:
- A.Cross them as you are slow
- B.Cross them to the left
- C.Not cross them to overtake
- D.Cross them if it is clear
Answer: C. Double solid lines may not be crossed by traffic from either side to overtake, however slowly the vehicle ahead is moving.
5. Before leaving your parked truck, you should:
- A.Leave the engine idling
- B.Rely on the footbrake
- C.Apply the parking brake
- D.Leave it in neutral gear
Answer: C. Apply the parking brake and stop the engine so the truck cannot roll. A heavy vehicle that rolls away is very dangerous.
6. Which sign classes are all regulatory signs?
- A.Control and command
- B.Warning and guidance
- C.Route and tourism
- D.Marker and temporary
Answer: A. Regulatory signs include control, command, prohibition, reservation and comprehensive signs, plus selective restriction plates. They must be obeyed.

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