UK ADR module revision

ADR Core Module Study Guide

Understand the shared foundation of UK dangerous-goods driver training, from legal responsibilities and transport documents to vehicle checks, emergencies and security.

Take 30-question free test Read the Core guide

350 app questions30 free online11 practice topics

Module overview

What is the Core module?

The ADR Core module is the foundation for every UK driver training route involving dangerous goods. It explains how the international ADR framework and domestic rules translate into decisions made by consignors, carriers, drivers and consignees. For revision, that means learning more than hazard labels: you need to understand who is responsible, which documents and equipment travel with the load, and what the driver must check before departure, during the journey and at delivery.

The syllabus moves from classification basics—UN numbers, proper shipping names, packing groups, transport categories and exemptions—into the practical work of safe carriage. It covers mixed-loading restrictions, load security, tunnels, parking and supervision, breakdowns, waste movements, enforcement and high-consequence dangerous goods. It also includes PPE and RPE, first aid, fire prevention and the actions expected during an incident, so the module connects regulatory knowledge with roadside judgement.

Syllabus coverage

What you study in Core

These themes group the official learning objectives into practical revision areas. Open the topic map below for the exact question-bank structure used by ADR Driver Pro.

Rules, roles and classification

How ADR relates to domestic and multimodal transport rules; the duties of the employer, DGSA, consignor, carrier, driver and consignee; and the purpose of UN numbers, shipping names, packing groups and transport categories.

Documents, equipment and journey duties

Transport documents, waste consignment notes, Instructions in Writing, the ADR driver certificate, vehicle markings, required equipment, load security, pre-journey checks, tunnels, supervision, parking and unloading.

Segregation, enforcement and security

Mixed-loading prohibitions, practical segregation, enforcement agencies, non-compliance, security awareness, identification checks and the extra controls applied to high-consequence dangerous goods.

PPE, first aid and decontamination

Selecting and understanding the limits of PPE and RPE, avoiding contamination, responding to burns, frostbite and exposure, irrigating eyes, controlling bleeding, CPR and the recovery position.

Fire, incidents and reporting

The fire triangle, extinguisher types and safe limitations, protecting people and documents, contacting emergency services, controlling escape where safe, protecting the environment and notifying the carrier.

Practice-topic map

Question-bank coverage

The app total counts unique questions in each canonical practice topic. The free column is the separate TopicsLite.plist subset available on this website.

Practice topic	In app	Free online
Regulations, responsibilities and classification	50	10
Environmental protection and dangerous waste	25	10
Documents, vehicle equipment and journey duties	50	10
Mixed loading and segregation	25	—
Enforcement, non-compliance and penalties	20	—
Security and high-consequence dangerous goods	30	—
Civil liability, criminal law and duty of care	20	—
PPE, RPE and decontamination	25	—
Emergency first aid, contamination and CPR	35	—
Fire prevention and extinguishers	30	—
Incidents, accidents and reporting	40	—
Module total	350	30

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Qualification context

How this module fits an ADR route

Core is not a stand-alone substitute for the additional modules attached to the goods and method of carriage. General routes combine Core with Packages and/or Tanks plus the relevant class or group selection. The specialist Explosives and Radioactive routes combine Core with Class 1, Class 7 or both.

This page is a revision guide, not an approved training course. Use it to organise the topics taught by your provider and to identify weak areas, while relying on current transport documents, employer procedures and official training for operational decisions.

Revision plan

How to study Core

1Build a responsibility map showing what belongs to the consignor, carrier, driver, consignee and DGSA.
2Practise reading a transport scenario and identifying the document, marking, equipment or journey check that matters.
3Separate routine duties from emergency priorities: protect people first, raise the alarm, use the Instructions in Writing and avoid making the incident worse.
4Mix direct-recall questions with short driver scenarios so that exemptions, segregation and security rules are applied rather than memorised in isolation.

Common questions

Core FAQs

What is covered in the ADR Core module?

The Core module covers general dangerous-goods rules, responsibilities, classification concepts, waste and environmental duties, documents, vehicle equipment, loading and journey checks, segregation, enforcement, security, PPE, first aid, fire prevention and incident response.

Does every ADR driver take the Core module?

Core is the common foundation of the UK ADR driver qualification routes. Drivers then add the carriage and class modules required for the dangerous goods they intend to transport.

Is this ADR Core study guide an official training course?

No. ADR Driver Pro provides independent revision and original exam-style practice. Qualification requires an approved training programme and the relevant examinations.

Revise Core in ADR Driver Pro

Continue with all 350 Core questions, flash cards, bookmarks and saved practice history in the app.