irtec Accreditation

Update: Changes to irtec Inspection Technician Routes

The irtec Inspection Technician routes have recently been reviewed by irtec expert working groups. Following testing and quality assurance, the irtec Steering Group has approved a number of updates to improve clarity, consistency and ease of use.
 

Summary of changes:

Naming convention changes for:

• Large Commercial Vehicle is now Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV), above 7,500kg
• Light Goods Vehicle is now Medium Goods Vehicle (MGV) between 3,500kg and 7,500kg
• Bus and Coach is now Public Service Vehicle (PSV)

Assessor and Technician instructions: 

• Instructions for assessors and technicians have been updated
• Documentation has been reduced and simplified
• Knowledge questions have been removed

Online Test:

• One online test containing 40 multiple-choice questions
• Pass mark set at 70 percent
• Questions focus on legislation and roadworthiness
• The test is now open book
• Technicians can use the DVSA HGV or PSV Inspection Manual and the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness during the test
   

irtec

irtec is an independent and renewable accreditation scheme designed to assess the competence of Technicians working in the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV), Heavy Vehicle Trailer (HVT) and Public Service Vehicle (PSV) industries. Technicians are assessed on their knowledge and practical skills and, if successful, are awarded an irtec licence.

Developed by IRTE (Institute of Road Transport Engineers) and quality-assured by the leading awarding organisation in the sector the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), irtec is the premier Technician accreditation scheme for the road transport industry.

An irtec licence certifies the individual, rather than the employer, and irtec is based on current competence, licences expire after 5 years.

How to become irtec accredited?

To achieve accreditation, a Technician must pass a series of practical assessments and a knowledge test at an irtec-approved assessment centre.

Before  a Technician can take an assessment, they must first prove their experience of working in the automotive industry. The length of experience required will depend upon the irtec route being applied for and the current qualifications an individual holds. A Technician may also find they require additional training to close any gaps in knowledge and/or skills prior to assessment.

Once registered, a Technician must successfully complete all assessments within a 12-month period from the first assessment date.

On the assessment day, a Technician must agree to:

• abide by the irtec Code of Conduct
• have their photograph taken in preparation for their ID card if successful.  

Once an individual has achieved their accreditation, their details will be entered on to the irtec website register of accredited Technicians.
To ensure a Technician keeps up-to-date with new and emerging technologies, they will be required to be re-assessed every 5 years to maintain their accreditation and licence. 

Most practical assessments are carried out at an irtec approved centre. However, assessments may be carried out under controlled conditions in the workplace by an approved irtec assessor, additional costs may apply.

Quality assurance

A series of trials, tests and online knowledge question reviews were carried out to quality assure the changes and refine documentation, assessments and processes.

What centres need to know

Use the following product codes when registering for the following routes:

• Heavy Goods Vehicle Inspection Technician: IRTEC-HGV-INSP-3
• Medium Goods Vehicle Inspection Technician: IRTEC-MGV-INSP-3
• Heavy Vehicle Trailer Inspection Technician: IRTEC-HVTI-INSP-3
• Public Service Vehicle Inspection Technician: IRTEC-PSV-INSP-3

Centres must use the new irtec assessment materials and documentation from 31 January 2026

All updated materials will be available via the IMI website
 

irtec Licences

Licences are available in the following vehicle disciplines:

• Commercial Tyre Technician
• Service Maintenance Technician
• Inspection Technician
• Advanced Technician
• Master Technician

Vehicle classes

• Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV)/Large Commercial Vehicle
• Public Service Vehicle (PSV)/Bus and Coach
• Heavy Vehicle Trailer (HVT)
• Medium Goods Vehicle (MGV), 3,500 and 7,500 kg
• Large Electric Vehicle (LEV)