Checked 28 October 2026. Based on ADR 2025, the GOV.UK syllabus (updated 2 June 2026), the Road sample paper and the GB approved derogations, read 28 October 2026. ADR is revised every two years; check the edition before you rely on a reference.
Of Core, All Classes and Road, Road had the lowest pass rate in four of the five sittings from March 2024 to March 2025 (51.5 % in March 2025), and 35 of its 50 marks come from one case study, chosen from three. The case study is a business with vehicles, loads and a problem, and its questions build on it. One rule worth mastering before you sit it (our suggestion): ADR 1.1.3.6, the “1,000 points” calculation that decides whether a packaged load gets the small-load exemptions.
GOV.UK syllabus and Road sample paper; ADR 2025 1.1.3.6. Read 28 October 2026.
How the Road paper is built
| Part | Marks | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Section A: case study | 35 | Answer ONE case study from a choice of three (the sample paper prints only one). Read it “from start to finish”; its questions are answered “considering the full context of the case study” |
| Section B: questions | 15 | Separate questions, all compulsory, which may be answered in any order |
From the official Road sample paper (case study 35 marks, Section B 15 marks), read 28 October 2026.
The syllabus groups the Road topics in three: transport equipment, marking and placarding, documentation; compliance thresholds and security, filling, stowage, loading and segregation, cleaning; operational procedures, emergency response (including the GB emergency action code system), environmental protection, training and the legal framework. The paper is answered from ADR and CDG2009 with the emergency action code list and the approved derogations.
A method for the case study
| Step | What to do (our suggestion) |
|---|---|
| 1. Read it once, all the way | The sample paper says to read it from start to finish. Do not answer as you go |
| 2. List every load | For each vehicle: UN number, class, packing group, how it is carried (packages, tank, bulk), quantity |
| 3. Look each one up in Table A | Write the transport category and tunnel code (column 15), the special provisions (column 6; columns 16 to 18 for packages, bulk and loading) and the S provisions (column 19) beside it |
| 4. Decide the regime first | Limited quantity, 1.1.3.6 small load, or full ADR. Many later answers depends on this |
| 5. Note what is UK-only | Domestic journeys can bring in CDG2009 and the approved derogations, e.g. emergency action codes on tanker plates |
| 6. Answer with the reference | Each question’s answer and its paragraph; keep the transport category in mind for documents, equipment and training |
ADR 1.1.3.6 in one table
For goods that may be carried, Table A gives a transport category, 0 to 4, in column 15 (check first that carriage is not prohibited). ADR 1.1.3.6.3 gives the maximum total quantity per transport unit for goods all in one category; 1.1.3.6.4 gives the calculation when categories are mixed.
| Transport category | Max total per transport unit (one category) | Multiplier when mixed (1.1.3.6.4) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | Not allowed: 1.1.3.6 is not available |
| 1 | 20 | x 50 (x 20 for the goods in note a) |
| 2 | 333 | x 3 |
| 3 | 1,000 | x 1 |
| 4 | unlimited | Not counted |
From ADR 2025 1.1.3.6.3 and 1.1.3.6.4. Note a: for UN 0081, 0082, 0084, 0241, 0331, 0332, 0482, 1005 and 1017 the maximum is 50 kg.
The quantity is not the gross weight of the packages. 1.1.3.6.3 defines it: for liquids, “the total quantity of dangerous goods contained in litres”; for solids, liquefied gases, refrigerated liquefied gases and dissolved gases, net mass in kg; for compressed gases, adsorbed gases and chemicals under pressure, the water capacity of the receptacle in litres; for articles, the mass of the articles without packaging (for Class 1, the net mass of explosive substance); and for dangerous goods in machinery and equipment specified in ADR, the quantity of dangerous goods contained, in kg or litres as appropriate.
- 9 timed papers in the official written-answer layout
- Core, All Classes and Road, 50 marks each
- Your paper marked point by point in about a minute
- Missed points with the reference to read
- Model answers and references for every question
- Score against both published pass marks
Worked example: a mixed van load
A delivery van, wholly in the UK, carries packaged goods. Transport categories are from ADR 2025 Table A, column 15:
| Goods | Packages | Quantity (litres of contents) | Transport category | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1263 PAINT, 3, PG II | 4 x 25 L drums | 100 | 2 | 100 x 3 = 300 |
| UN 1993 FLAMMABLE LIQUID, N.O.S., 3, PG III (all three PG III entries, including the two viscous ones, are transport category 3) | 10 x 20 L cans | 200 | 3 | 200 x 1 = 200 |
| UN 1760 CORROSIVE LIQUID, N.O.S., 8, PG II | 12 x 25 L drums | 300 | 2 | 300 x 3 = 900 |
| Total | 600 | 1,400 |
1,400 is over 1,000, so the van cannot use the 1.1.3.6 exemptions; with no other exemption, full ADR applies (orange plates, instructions in writing, the full equipment list, a driver training certificate, and so on). Take off 6 of the corrosive drums (150 L) and the corrosive line falls to 150 x 3 = 450: 300 + 200 + 450 = 950, within 1,000. Taking off 5 is not enough (1,025). Note how the category 2 goods dominate: each litre counts three times.
1.1.3.6 calculator for packages on one transport unit
For goods carried in packages only. Enter the quantity in each transport category (column 15 of Table A) as 1.1.3.6.3 defines it: litres of liquid contents, net kg of most solids. Goods all in one category are checked against that category’s maximum (1.1.3.6.3); goods of different categories, including category 4 alongside another, against the calculated value of 1,000 (1.1.3.6.4), in which category 4 counts nothing.
From ADR 2025 1.1.3.6.3 and 1.1.3.6.4. It does not cover the goods in note a to the table (50 kg maximum, multiplier 20), and it does not decide which goods 1.1.3.6.5 leaves out of the count. Check Table A yourself.
What still applies under 1.1.3.6
A load within the 1.1.3.6 limit is released from some provisions, not all. 1.1.3.6.2 lists what it does not have to meet: Chapter 1.10 (security, with exceptions), Chapter 5.3 (placarding and orange plates), Section 5.4.3 (instructions in writing), Chapter 7.2 (except V5 and V8), CV1 of 7.5.11, most of Part 8 and Part 9. It keeps, among others:
| Still applies | Reference |
|---|---|
| Transport document | 8.1.2.1 (a); ADR 5.4.1 |
| One portable fire extinguisher for fire classes A, B and C, at least 2 kg dry powder or an equivalent capacity of another suitable agent | 8.1.4.2 |
| Training for the people involved, appropriate to their duties | 8.2.3 |
| Chapter 8.4 (supervision) and the listed S provisions of Chapter 8.5 | 1.1.3.6.2 |
| Package marking and labelling, packaging and the rest of ADR not listed | 1.1.3.6.2 (by omission) |
From ADR 2025 1.1.3.6.2, 8.1.4.2 and 8.2.3.
For carriage by road wholly within the United Kingdom (the ADTP road derogations apply only there), an approved derogation then goes further for documents. Road derogation 2 (RO-a-UK-2): “For goods of Classes 2 to 6, 8 and 9: the documents required to be carried on the transport unit by ADR 8.1.2.1(a) need not be carried where the quantity of dangerous goods being carried on that transport unit does not exceed the maximum total quantity for those goods calculated in accordance with ADR 1.1.3.6.” The van above, once within 1,000, carries Classes 3 and 8 only. When a case study says the journey is within the UK, check whether this derogation applies before answering a documents question (our suggestion).
The Road papers in the pack are built the same way: one case study, then Section B, marked answer by answer. The DGSA practice papers are 9 timed papers (3 Core, 3 All Classes, 3 Road) where you write your answers and each one is marked point by point, with the ADR, CDG2009, emergency action code list or derogation reference for every point you missed. One Core question is free to try.
- 9 timed papers in the official written-answer layout
- Core, All Classes and Road, 50 marks each
- Your paper marked point by point in about a minute
- Missed points with the reference to read
- Model answers and references for every question
- Score against both published pass marks
Emergency action codes on UK tankers: CDG2009 Schedule 1
For some national carriage, CDG2009 replaces part of ADR’s plate marking. Regulation 6 applies to national carriage in a tank or in bulk (and, by rail, piggyback) by a United Kingdom vehicle or wagon, but not to Class 7 goods or to a vehicle or wagon belonging to or under the responsibility of one of the armed forces. Regulation 6(3) makes Schedule 1 count as requirements of ADR 5.3.2, and says “any conflicting requirements in ADR or RID are to be disregarded”. Schedule 1, Part 1, paragraph 1: when displaying the orange-coloured plates of 5.3.2.1.2 and 5.3.2.1.4, “the emergency action code for the substance in question must be displayed instead of the hazard identification number”.
| Schedule 1, Part 1 | What it requires (road) |
|---|---|
| Paragraph 1 | The emergency action code replaces the hazard identification number on the orange plates |
| Paragraph 2 | One type of goods: the plates as 5.3.2.1.2 and 5.3.2.1.4 require, and an identical plate at the rear in place of the plain rear plate |
| Paragraph 3 | More than one type in a tank or in bulk with more than one tank, element or container: of the plates on each side of a tank, compartment, element or container, only one bears the EAC and the remaining plates bear only the UN number and are 150 mm high; the rear plate shows the EAC only, in its top half. For diesel, petrol and kerosene, the plates need bear only the EAC and UN number of the most hazardous |
| Paragraph 4 | Tanks: a telephone number where specialist advice can be obtained in English at any time during carriage, at the rear, on both sides and next to the EAC plates, black digits at least 30 mm high on orange. “consult local depot” or “contact local depot” may replace it where the conditions in paragraph 4(2) are met |
| Paragraph 5 | The information may be combined on a hazard warning panel meeting paragraph 5(2): orange except for a white placard part, the placard at least 200 mm by 200 mm, placards side by side, the set figure, clearly visible. On tanks built from 1 January 2005 the plate must stay legible after 15 minutes in fire |
Our summary of CDG2009 regulation 6(3) and Schedule 1, Part 1 (legislation.gov.uk). The code itself comes from the GB dangerous goods emergency action code list: GOV.UK’s own worked example gives 2WE for UN 1230 in a UK road tanker.
In a case study this is the line between an ADR answer and a GB answer: a UK-registered tanker from Leeds to Liverpool needs the EAC on its plates, while on an international journey ADR’s hazard identification number applies (Schedule 1 is headed “for national carriage”). Read where the journey goes before you answer any marking question.
Traps in Road case studies
| Trap | Why it costs marks |
|---|---|
| Counting package capacity, not contents | 1.1.3.6.3 counts litres of dangerous goods contained for liquids |
| Forgetting category 0 | Any category 0 goods on the unit mean the maximum is 0: no 1.1.3.6 |
| Applying 1.1.3.6 to a tank | 1.1.3.6.2 applies to goods “carried in packages” |
| Missing the UK-only rules | Emergency action codes and derogations come from CDG2009 and the ADTP, not ADR |
| Answering a question without reading back | The sample paper says the case study should be answered in its full context |
Our list; each reason cites the rule.
Frequently asked questions
How is the DGSA Road exam structured?
Section A is one case study, chosen from three, worth 35 marks; Section B is questions worth 15 marks. You have 1 hour 45 minutes. The syllabus gives the pass mark as 65 % (32.5 of 50); the sample paper says 32 marks.
What is the 1,000-point rule in ADR?
ADR 1.1.3.6.4: when goods of different transport categories are on one transport unit, category 1 quantities count x 50 (x 20 for the goods in note a), category 2 x 3 and category 3 x 1, and category 4 is not counted. For packages, if the total does not exceed 1,000 and there are no category 0 goods, the exemptions in 1.1.3.6.2 apply.
Where do I find the transport category?
Column 15 of Table A in ADR Chapter 3.2, above the tunnel restriction code.
Is the 1.1.3.6 quantity the gross weight?
No. For liquids it is the litres of dangerous goods contained; for most solids the net mass in kg; for compressed gases, adsorbed gases and chemicals under pressure the water capacity of the receptacle.
Do I need a transport document under 1.1.3.6?
ADR still requires one (8.1.2.1 (a) is kept). For carriage by road wholly within the United Kingdom, Road derogation 2 (RO-a-UK-2) says it need not be carried on the transport unit for Classes 2 to 6, 8 and 9 within the 1.1.3.6 quantity.
Independent — not affiliated with Qualifications Scotland, the DVSA or the Department for Transport. ProSyllabus is an independent study site and nothing here is official. The exam facts on this page are quoted or summarised from GOV.UK, Qualifications Scotland, ADR 2025 or CDG2009, read on 28 October 2026; lines marked as our suggestion, and the lines about our practice papers, are ProSyllabus’s own.
Sources
- official — GOV.UK (DVSA): Dangerous goods safety adviser exam syllabus (updated 2 June 2026)
- official — GOV.UK (DVSA): Dangerous goods safety adviser exams, with the Core, All classes and Road sample exam papers (PDF)
- official — Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA, now Qualifications Scotland): DGSA candidate performance reports, March 2024, June 2024, September 2024, November 2024 and March 2025 (archived copies of the retired sqa-mcaexams.org.uk site)
- official — UNECE: ADR 2025, Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ECE/TRANS/352, Vols I and II)
- official — legislation.gov.uk: The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (CDG2009)
- official — GOV.UK (DfT): Carriage of dangerous goods, approved derogations, transitional provisions and exceptions
- official — GOV.UK (DVSA): How to answer dangerous goods safety adviser exam questions (updated 2 June 2026)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
