Code 1, Code A. Motorcycles
Lets you drive
- A1Light motorcycle, up to 125cc, from 16
- AAny motorcycle over 125cc, from 18
Code 2, Code B. Light motor vehicle
Lets you drive
Was Code 8
- BCars, bakkies and vans up to 3 500 kg
- EBThat vehicle, with a trailer
Code 3, Code C. Heavy motor vehicle
Lets you drive
Was Code 10
- C1Trucks up to 16 000 kg
- CTrucks over 16 000 kg
Was Code 14
- EC1Articulated vehicles up to 16 000 kg
- ECArticulated vehicles over 16 000 kg
Which code you need
On the learner’s paper, Code 1 is Code A, Code 2 is Code B, and Code 3 is Code C. Most first-time drivers sit Code 2. Pick the vehicle you will drive in the next two years, not the one you hope to upgrade to later.
A learner’s licence lasts 24 months and cannot be extended. If it expires before you pass the driving test, you sit this paper again and pay the test fee again.
Rules of the road and vehicle controls change with the code. Road signs stay the same for every code.
How old you must be
Age is counted on the day of the test. The national categories are:
- Code 1: 16 for a motorcycle up to 125cc, and 18 for anything larger
- Code 2: 17, for a car, bakkie or van up to 3 500 kg
- Code 3: 18, for a vehicle over 3 500 kg
What the learner’s test covers
The paper has three sections. Each has its own pass mark, and you must pass all three.
- Rules of the road
- 22 of 30 to pass
- Signs, signals and markings
- 23 of 30 to pass
- Vehicle controls
- 6 of 8 to pass
- You must clear every section. Two passes do not carry a third.
- One short section means you rewrite the whole paper and pay the test fee again.
Practise for your code
Driver53 has a question bank for Code A, B and C, and ten Tests for each code. Signs are shared. Rules and vehicle controls follow the code you picked, so clearing Code 2 practice does not mean you are ready for Code 3.
Start with the free sign questions on this site. That paper is the same for every code.
Short answers
- Is Code 8 the same as Code B?
- Yes. Code 2 on the learner’s test is Code B, which used to be called Code 8. It covers cars, bakkies and vans up to 3 500 kg, and Code EB if you will tow.
- Can I sit Code 2 and later drive a truck?
- No. A Code 2 learner’s licence does not cover a vehicle over 3 500 kg. That is Code 3, and it is a separate test.
- Do the road signs change with the code?
- No. Signs, signals and markings are the same paper for Code 1, 2 and 3. Rules of the road and vehicle controls are where the codes differ.
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