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CACES R490: lorry loader crane mock test

The test below follows the R490 assessment sheet: 14 points of general knowledge, 28 of technology, 38 of operation, 10 of slinging and 10 of maintenance.

Independent site, not linked to the French Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie), the INRS, testing bodies or training centres.

Question 1 of 100 · General knowledge
How many CACES categories does recommendation R.490 set for lorry loader cranes?

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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 R490 of the French Health Insurance covers lorry loader cranes, the auxiliary cranes mounted on a truck that load and unload it or deliver materials to a site. The version in force is R.490A, published in July 2026. There is only one category, with a remote-control option when the crane is operated from a remote box. The R490 CACES is valid for 5 years, with one particularity: the practical part can be extended to 10 years if the holder proves at least 50 days of operating per year for five years and retakes the theory test. Its theory scheme is the only one with a slinging theme, worth 10 points, and a maintenance theme worth 10 points. As of 23 October 2026, the median initial course costs €990 in the Mon Compte Formation catalogue.

Can the crane lift this load at this outreach?

Lift

Allowed

Maximum load read1,600 kg
Readingoutreach equal or above

Fictitious chart for the exercise; lifting accessories count in the load.

R490 mock test →

Questions, explanations and calculations by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method

The theory test marking scheme

R.490 theory test marking (assessment sheet, annex 3)
ThemePointsMinimumSyllabus points
General knowledge1475
Lorry loader technology and stability28148
Operating lorry loader cranes381913
Slinging1052
Maintenance1053

Two 10-point themes, slinging and maintenance, each require at least 5 correct answers. Slinging comes down to a few precise ideas: a sling’s working load limit drops as the angle between the legs widens, and a damaged accessory is taken out of service, not repaired on the spot. The slinging page covers them in detail.

Reading a crane load diagram

A lorry loader crane’s capacity depends on outreach: the further the boom extends from the truck, the less it lifts. The diagram, displayed on the crane, gives the maximum load by outreach band. It assumes the truck is set on its stabilisers, on firm ground. The small tool on this page reads a fictitious diagram, labelled G1, also used in the bank’s questions.

How long is the R490 test?

Full test

2 TU

Theory1 TU (1 h ± 10 min)
Practical1.00 TU
Median course (CPF)21 h, €990

At most 7 test units per candidate per day.

Price and funding →
Key figures of the R490 CACES.
ValueSource
CACES validity5 yearsR.490A
Extended practical validity10 years, with 50 days of operation per yearR.490A
Median initial price€990Mon Compte Formation on 23 October 2026
Median refresher€780Mon Compte Formation on 23 October 2026
Median course length21 hoursMon Compte Formation on 23 October 2026

To work out your own expiry date, the validity page applies these rules to your dates.

Questions operators and candidates ask

How do I extend the R490 CACES to 10 years?

When the 5 years run out, a holder who proves at least 50 days of lorry loader crane operation per year over the five years retakes the theory test; the practical part is then extended to reach 10 years. The evidence comes from the employer. Without it, both tests must be taken again.

What is the remote-control option?

A lorry loader crane can be operated from levers fixed to the truck or from a remote control carried by the operator. The basic R490 CACES covers lever operation; the remote-control option adds a practical test of half a test unit and allows remote operation.

Does the R490 CACES cover mobile cranes?

No. Self-propelled mobile cranes fall under recommendation R483, tower cranes under R487 and overhead cranes under R484. R490 covers only the lorry loader crane, mounted on a carrier whose main purpose is transport. Each of those other machines needs its own CACES and its own theory test.

Do I need to know slinging for the R490 CACES?

Yes. Slinging is worth 10 points in the theory test, with a minimum of 5, and it is assessed in the practical test. A lorry loader crane operator often works alone and slings the load themselves: choosing the sling by load and angle, checking accessories, hand signals.

Keep going

Slinging and accessories

Choosing the sling, allowing for angle and hitch, spotting wear and guiding the lift: the R490 slinging theme.

Loading a lorry

Dock, dock plate, uncoupled trailer, side loading: the procedure the theory and practical tests expect.

CACES validity period

CACES end date, the recommended date to book a refresher and the medical certificate validity.

CACES refresher

When to retake the tests, what a refresher costs and how long it lasts, and how it differs from the initial course.

CACES price

Median price and range for each category, initial and refresher, by region, from the CPF catalogue.

CACES mock exam

One hundred questions drawn with each recommendation’s official weighting, a one-hour timer, marked at 70 and by theme.

Official texts behind this page

Written by

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