Free CACES test: 100-question theory mock exam with answers
100 questions, one hour, 70 out of 100 and half of every theme. R489 by default, four others to choose from. No account.
Independent site, not linked to the French Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie), the INRS, testing bodies or training centres.
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Questions written by Radif Partners from the French Health Insurance recommendations. This is not the official test, which is sat at a certified testing body and is in French. Your answers stay in this browser.
The CACES (certificat d’aptitude à la conduite en sécurité, the French safe operation certificate) consists of a theory test and a practical test sat at a certified testing body, under a French Health Insurance recommendation specific to each machine family: R489 for ride-on industrial trucks, R482 for construction machinery, R486 for aerial work platforms, R490 for lorry loader cranes and R485 for pedestrian stackers. The theory test has 100 questions scoring 1 or 0, lasts one hour give or take ten minutes, and is passed with 70 points out of 100 and at least half the points in every theme. In R489 the themes weigh 15 points (general knowledge), 25 points (ride-on truck technology and stability), 10 points (load chart and capacity diagram), 50 points (operating ride-on trucks). The mock test above draws from our bank of 672 questions using that exact weighting, syllabus point by syllabus point, and marks it with both rules. A CACES lasts 5 years (10 for R482); it is not enough to drive on its own: the employer issues a written operating authorisation, which since 1 October 2025 also requires a medical certificate valid for 5 years. The real test is in French; questions appear here in English to help you learn.
Updated · Radif Partners · Method · About this site
Five CACES, five theory tests
| Recommendation | Machines | Categories | Valid for | Themes | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R489Ride-on industrial trucks | pallet trucks, stackers, counterbalance, reach trucks | 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | 5 years | 4 | €784 |
| R482Construction machinery | excavators, loaders, dump trucks, compactors, telehandlers | A, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3, D, E, F, G | 10 years | 5 | €1,560 |
| R486Mobile elevating work platforms | scissor, articulated and telescopic lifts | A, B, C | 5 years | 4 | €958 |
| R490Lorry loader cranes | truck-mounted crane, remote-control option | one | 5 years | 5 | €990 |
| R485Pedestrian stackers | walk-behind stackers lifting above 1.20 m | 1, 2 | 5 years | 4 | €480 |
Median initial course price for a common category (R489 cat. 3, R482 cat. A, R486 cat. A…), Mon Compte Formation catalogue on 23 October 2026.
The theory test, rule by rule
All five recommendations describe the theory test the same way. It has 100 questions, each scoring 1 if correct and 0 otherwise, with no negative marking. You sit it in a room at a certified testing body (organisme testeur certifié, OTC), in front of a tester who cannot be the person who trained you, with at most 12 candidates per tester. Its length is set in test units: the theory counts as one unit, one hour give or take ten minutes. A candidate cannot sit more than 7 test units in a single day, practical tests included.
The paper is written in French. If you struggle to read, the questions can be read aloud to you, still in French; there is no translated version. Questions are drawn from grids made available to testing bodies, and they change from one candidate to the next. Whether you sit the theory or the practical first is up to the testing body.
Passing takes two conditions together: 70 points out of 100 overall, and at least half the points of each theme. The second rule often surprises people. A 10-point theme such as the R489 load chart needs 5 correct answers: 4 is a fail, even with 90 overall. The small tool below shows the margin an overall score leaves; the score simulator by theme applies both rules.
Is my score enough for the theory test?
Overall
Pass mark reached
| Pass mark | 70 out of 100 |
| Margin | 2 points |
| Mistakes allowed overall | 30 |
You also need half the points in every theme: one theme below half fails the test, even at 90.
What the R489 test assesses
The R489 assessment sheet splits the 100 points into four themes. General knowledge covers the roles of the employer, the manufacturer and the driver, the prevention bodies and the truck categories. Technology and stability cover power sources, safety devices, the centre of gravity and the causes of overturning. The load chart theme asks you to read a capacity plate: the load allowed at a given height, the height reachable with a given load. Operation, worth half the test, covers the causes of accidents, the risks and how to prevent them, braking, traffic rules, loading lorries, hazardous products and end-of-shift checks.
| Theme | Points | Minimum | Syllabus points |
|---|---|---|---|
| General knowledge | 15 | 8 | 4 |
| Ride-on truck technology and stability | 25 | 13 | 13 |
| Load chart and capacity diagram | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| Operating ride-on trucks | 50 | 25 | 19 |
The other recommendations follow the same principle with their own themes: R482 adds a traffic theme and an end-of-shift theme, R486 a maintenance theme, R490 slinging and maintenance themes. Each recommendation page gives its full marking scheme: R482, R486, R490, R485.
CACES and the operating authorisation since 1 October 2025
The French Labour Code does not mention the CACES. It requires suitable training (article R4323-55) and, for the most dangerous machines, a written operating authorisation (autorisation de conduite) issued by the employer (article R4323-56). Since 1 October 2025 this authorisation is only valid if the driver holds a medical certificate of no contraindication (attestation d’absence de contre-indications médicales), issued by the occupational doctor and valid for 5 years; it replaces the former fitness check. The employer also checks your knowledge, and that is where the CACES comes in: it is the assessment method recommended by the French Health Insurance. The operating authorisation page details what the employer must check.
Can my employer authorise me to operate?
Authorisation
Not as things stand
| CACES | valid (5 years) |
| Medical certificate | expired: occupational health visit |
| Issued by | the employer, in writing |
What a CACES really costs and what the CPF pays
No text sets a price: each training centre sets its own. The figures on this site come from the Mon Compte Formation catalogue, published as open data by the Caisse des Dépôts, where CACES courses are filed by category. The median price of an initial R489 category 3 course there is €784 for 21 hours; a refresher costs less because the course is shorter. The CPF (compte personnel de formation, the personal training account) can pay for a CACES up to €1,500 of rights since 26 February 2026, with a flat contribution of €150 for you to pay unless you are a jobseeker or your employer tops up. The CACES price and funding pages compare categories and regions.
What does a CACES cost me with my CPF?
Left to pay
€150
| Paid by the CPF | €650 |
| Of which flat contribution | €150 |
| CPF cap for a CACES | €1,500 |
Every page
Mock tests
- CACES mock examOne hundred questions drawn with each recommendation’s official weighting, a one-hour timer, marked at 70 and by theme.
- Theory test: rules and scorePoints per theme, pass mark of 70, minimum in every theme: the simulator says whether your score passes.
- CACES questions and answersThe whole bank, sorted by recommendation and theme, with the right answer and its explanation.
- Mistakes reviewOnly the questions you missed come back, until you get them right: progress stays in your browser.
Categories
- CACES R489: forklift trucksR489 mock test of 100 questions, the seven truck categories, the marking scheme and the median price per category.
- Forklift CACES: which one?Which CACES to become a forklift driver: the machine, the category, the validity and the median price.
- CACES 1A and 1B: pallet trucks, stackersRide-on pallet truck or stacker: the difference between 1A and 1B, the test and the median price.
- CACES 3: counterbalance forkliftThe counterbalance forklift up to 6 tonnes: a targeted set, the capacity plate, test length and median price.
- CACES 5: reach truckThe reach truck of racking aisles: a targeted set, high-level storage and the median price.
- CACES R482: construction machineryR482 mock test of 100 questions, categories A to G, 10-year validity and median price per category.
- Telehandler CACES: R482 category FThe telehandler falls under R482 category F: a targeted set, the outreach chart and the median price.
- CACES R486: aerial work platformsR486 mock test of 100 questions on mobile elevating work platforms, categories A, B and C, median price.
- Aerial lift CACES: operation setTwenty aerial lift operation questions: entrapment, tipping, wind, power lines, rescue.
- CACES R490: lorry loader craneR490 mock test of 100 questions, slinging, load diagram, validity extended to 10 years and median price.
- CACES R485: pedestrian stackersR485 mock test of 100 questions on pedestrian-controlled stackers, categories 1 and 2, median price.
Test themes
- Load chartReading a capacity plate row by row: capacity by lift height and load centre, with practice plates.
- Forklift stabilityStability triangle, sideways overturn, forward tip-over: the causes, the habits that prevent them and targeted practice.
- Signs and pictogramsShapes and colours of safety signs and the nine chemical hazard pictograms: the method to recognise them in the test.
- Site traffic and signsTraffic plan, pedestrians, reversing, ramps, public roads and guiding signals: the rules the test asks about.
- Safety and preventionWho does what in prevention, the right to alert and withdraw, accident causes and protective equipment: the general knowledge theme.
- Loading a lorryDock, dock plate, uncoupled trailer, side loading: the procedure the theory and practical tests expect.
- Slinging and accessoriesChoosing the sling, allowing for angle and hitch, spotting wear and guiding the lift: the R490 slinging theme.
- Checks and end of shiftPre-use checks, defects to spot, daily maintenance and shutting down: the maintenance theme of the various CACES.
Price, validity, rules
- Which CACES for which machine?From the actual machine to the right recommendation and category, with any extra training required.
- CACES priceMedian price and range for each category, initial and refresher, by region, from the CPF catalogue.
- Funding a CACES: CPF, OPCOCPF, the €1,500 cap, the €150 contribution, employer, OPCO, France Travail: who pays what.
- CACES with France TravailJobseekers: CPF with no contribution, the individual training grant, and what is left to pay.
- CACES validity periodCACES end date, the recommended date to book a refresher and the medical certificate validity.
- CACES refresherWhen to retake the tests, what a refresher costs and how long it lasts, and how it differs from the initial course.
- Operating authorisation vs CACESThe CACES and the operating authorisation are not the same: who issues what, on what basis, for how long.
- CACES training: length, stepsTraining, then tests counted in test units: how long a CACES takes, from day one to the certificate.
- Failed CACES: what you keepTheory passed, practical failed or the reverse: what you keep for 12 months and the deadline to retake.
Who writes this site
Test CACES is published by Radif Partners. The questions are written by us from the knowledge syllabuses the French Health Insurance publishes in each recommendation, and each question shows the syllabus point it trains. The rules come from the 2026 versions of the recommendations and the Labour Code; prices come from the official Mon Compte Formation catalogue. The site sells no course and recommends no provider. The Method page explains the draw, the marking and the calculations.
Sources
The rules, fees and times quoted here were read on these government pages on26 October 2026.
- French Health Insurance, recommendation R.489A, ride-on industrial trucks (July 2026)
- French Health Insurance, recommendation R.482B, construction machinery (September 2026)
- French Health Insurance, recommendation R.486B, mobile elevating work platforms (July 2026)
- French Health Insurance, recommendation R.490A, loader cranes (July 2026)
- French Health Insurance, recommendation R.485A, pedestrian-controlled stackers (July 2026)
- Labour Code, article R4323-55 (operator training)
- Labour Code, article R4323-56 (operating authorisation)
- Order of 26 September 2025 on operator training for self-propelled mobile and lifting equipment
- Service-public.gouv.fr, personal training account for private-sector employees (checked 27 June 2026)
- Caisse des Dépôts, Mon Compte Formation catalogue open data (Licence Ouverte)
Questions operators and candidates ask
How does the CACES theory test work?
It is a 100-question paper, each question scoring 1 or 0, sat at a certified testing body, in a room with at most 12 candidates per tester. It lasts one test unit, one hour give or take ten minutes. The paper is in French; the questions can be read aloud to a candidate who struggles to read. The tester cannot be the person who trained you.
What score do I need to pass the theory test?
You need at least 70 points out of 100 and, on top of that, at least half the points of each theme on the assessment sheet. A candidate with 85 out of 100 but only 4 points out of 10 on the load chart theme fails. The score simulator on this site applies both rules, theme by theme, for each recommendation.
Are these the real test questions?
No. Testing bodies draw their questions from grids they do not publish. Our questions are written by us from each recommendation’s knowledge syllabus, point by point, with the same weight as the official assessment sheet. They train you on the same notions; they do not give you the wording used on test day, which is in French.
Is the theory test the same for every category?
Yes, within a recommendation the theory test is shared by all categories: someone taking R489 category 1A and someone taking category 5 answer on the same marking scheme. Only the practical test changes with the machine. After a first CACES, the theory part stays valid for 12 months for another category of the same recommendation.
How long is a CACES valid?
Five years for R489, R485, R486 and R490, ten years for R482 construction machinery, counted from the date it was obtained, which is the date the second part was passed. You then sit the full test again, theory and practical, after a refresher course. The validity calculator gives the exact date and when to book.
Do I need a CACES to drive a forklift in France?
The law requires suitable training and a written operating authorisation (autorisation de conduite) issued by the employer. The CACES is the method the French Health Insurance recommends to assess knowledge and skills before that authorisation, and most employers and staffing agencies ask for it. Without a valid authorisation you must not drive, even with a CACES.
How much does a CACES cost?
There is no national price. In the Mon Compte Formation catalogue on 23 October 2026, the initial R489 category 3 course has a median price of €784, with half the offers between €623 and €984. An R486 category A aerial lift course has a median of €958. The CPF pays at most €1,500.
Are my answers saved anywhere?
No. The test runs in your browser: nothing you answer is sent. Missed questions and your scores are kept in your browser’s local storage, on your device only, for the mistakes review. A button clears this progress at any time, and a private window keeps nothing at all.
Written by Radif Partners
Independent publisher of free CACES theory practice tests, with no account, written from the French Health Insurance recommendations
Rules and prices checked on · Editorial policy · Contact
CACES rules 2026, read in the French Health Insurance recommendations and the Labour Code, last checked on