For those of you who don't know, (I didn't until two days ago) the course material for the Certificate of Competence in transporting animals is available free to download on www.nptc.org.uk   Once on the site, go to Assessment Schedules and then Transport of livestock by road (short journeys)

The material should allow two people to test themselves and then pay only for the computer test, thereby by-passing the course itself.

In the case of sheep the course does not call for a practical loading/unloading test but it does with horses.

Also the cattle test does not have a practical part as I found I had been put down for the sheep and cattle assessment rather than just sheep when I did the test. I'm just thankful they didn't want to check my trailer reversing skills

paddington bear:

when I did the test

Is it multiple choice computer test? and are there any essay type answers required.

Peter, I did the sheep and cattle and pig test as two tests with a five minute break. The questions are all multiple choice and taken from a database so that the person next to you will be answering different questions if you try and look over their shoulder!

Most of the questions were just common sense, the greatest problem some candidates found was using the mouse.

paddington bear:

the questions were just common sense

Thanks for the info and I know what you mean by Common Sense. During my life I have always been taking exams of one kind or another, and so am fairly used to having to answer in boring detail, questions that assume you are ignorant of the topic under test. How much better those questions which assume you are an intelligent experienced person and which can therefore, probe your indepth understanding of the subject.

I guess the questions themselves have been written by a theoretician who is approaching the subject from the angle of their own ignorance, and thus presupposes that same ignorance on others.

Just for the record, Level II NVQs in most subjects nowadays have compulsory modules on critical subjects such as Equality and Diversity. We must be grateful therefore, that this particular NVQ does not.

There were a couple of questions with ambiguous answers I seem to recall, one of which has appeared in FW.

During a journey you find that an animal has become ill and requires attention.

Do you contact ;

a) the police

b) the local vet

c)The Highways Authority

d) Animal Health

the answer was the local vet (if you knew their number). Several people said they would contact the police to find the nearest vet's number.

I took mine a month ago and passed with 100%, so it must be easy!

Peter Wells:

Just for the record, Level II NVQs in most subjects nowadays have compulsory modules on critical subjects such as Equality and Diversity. We must be grateful therefore, that this particular NVQ does not.

I can just see the question:

You have 20 sheep to load, 15 white and 5 black.  Devise an equality policy to ensure the black sheep do not feel disadvantaged.  What are the effects on the well being of the minority sheep of being loaded after the rest?

just wondering has any one been stopped by the trading standards to check that you have certificate of transport,still havent got one

When you get the certificate you also get a sticker to go in the vehicle although we always carry the certificate as well.

townie:

You have 20 sheep to load, 15 white and 5 black.  Devise an equality policy to ensure the black sheep do not feel disadvantaged.  What are the effects on the well being of the minority sheep of being loaded after the rest?

Come on Townie, you have forgotten several important points:

1. Does your flock operate an open policy which does not discrimate on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and age or should you positively discriminate in favour of ewes and rare breeds? Discuss.

2. Describe how you would install disabled facilities in your trailer.

3. In long trailers with divisions, should the internal No Smoking signs be posted

a) at the front of the trailer

b) on the tailgate

c) on every division

d) all of the above?

i had to take a trailer test to start with and on top of that i have to do this test aswell so that 1200 quid gone up the wall. what annoys me is these bleedin horsy women who cant drive a car let alone tow a trailer but they can tow because they passed there test before 1.1.1997! i earn a living towing trailers its just a money maker. just another way to sting the farmer somemore.

All this is yet another reason to give up sheep .

another reason to fuel the exidus from farming the govenment wants as gone.