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CACES R489: mock test and forklift categories
The test below follows the R489 assessment sheet: 15 points of general knowledge, 25 of technology, 10 on the load chart and 50 of operation.
Independent site, not linked to the French Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie), the INRS, testing bodies or training centres.
Your score · R489 · forklifts
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| Pass: 70 out of 100 and half the points in every theme |
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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.
Recommendation R489 of the French Health Insurance covers ride-on powered industrial trucks: pallet trucks and stackers you stand or sit on, counterbalance forklifts, reach trucks and trucks with an elevating operator position. The version in force is R.489A, published in July 2026, which keeps the assessment method used since 1 January 2020. The R489 CACES is made of one theory test shared by all categories and one practical test per category, both sat at a certified testing body. It is valid for 5 years from the date the second test was passed. In the Mon Compte Formation catalogue, the most requested initial course, category 3, costs a median of €784 for a median length of 21 hours, as of 23 October 2026. The mock test above follows the recommendation’s marking exactly, theme by theme.
Which R489 CACES category?
R489 CACES
Category 3
| Valid for | 5 years |
| Theory test | the same for every category |
Questions, explanations and calculations by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
The R489 categories
| Category | Machines | Median initial price | Median length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | Ride-on pallet trucks and order pickers, lift up to 1.20 m | €702 | 21 hours |
| 1B | Ride-on stackers, lift above 1.20 m | €708 | 21 hours |
| 2A | Platform trucks, up to 2 tonnes | €650 | 21 hours |
| 2B | Industrial tow tractors, up to 25 tonnes towed | €690 | 21 hours |
| 3 | Counterbalance forklifts, up to 6 tonnes | €784 | 21 hours |
| 4 | Counterbalance forklifts, above 6 tonnes | €960 | 21 hours |
| 5 | Reach trucks, side loaders | €765 | 21 hours |
| 6 | Trucks with an elevating operator position | €696 | 21 hours |
| 7 | Non-production driving (moving, testing) | €588 | 21 hours |
A warehouse forklift driver most often takes category 3, then category 5 when working at height in racking aisles. Categories 1A and 1B are those of order pickers. The CACES 1A and 1B, CACES 3 and CACES 5 pages give a targeted test for each.
The theory test marking scheme
| 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 heaviest theme is operation, at 50 points: risks, traffic, signs, picking up and setting down loads, high-level storage. The load chart, worth only 10 points, still fails many candidates: you need 5 correct answers out of 10, and reading a capacity plate depends on the load centre to the millimetre. The load chart page explains the method with sample plates.
How long is the R489 test?
Full test
2 TU
| Theory | 1 TU (1 h ± 10 min) |
| Practical | 1.00 TU |
| Median course (CPF) | 21 h, €784 |
At most 7 test units per candidate per day.
After the CACES
The CACES alone does not allow you to drive: the employer issues a written operating authorisation after checking medical fitness and knowledge of the site. The operating authorisation page details these three conditions, and the validity page works out the date from which the tests must be taken again.