Dangerous goods safety adviser exams
Dangerous goods safety adviser (DGSA) exam topics, how to answer exam questions, and sample exam papers.
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To qualify you need to pass dangerous goods safety adviser (DGSA) exams on:
- all dangerous goods classes
- the core module
- either road, rail or inland waterways
You have to pass these exams:
- within 12 months of taking your first exam to qualify
- every 5 years to stay qualified
The exam questions will cover the topics in the dangerous goods safety adviser exam syllabus.
There’s different guidance on how to book a dangerous goods safety adviser exam.
Updates to this page
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Updated 'Road: sample exam paper'
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First published.
Update history
2026-06-02 12:43
Updated DGSA exam syllabus with the following changes.For Core and All classes exams:the specific number of questions has been removed from the exam description. the Legal framework section now requires candidates to understand the duties of all personnel involved in the carriage of dangerous goods, in addition to the role and responsibilities of a DGSAthe Training section now specifies that training must be appropriate to the duties of the personnel concernedFor the All classes exam:the topic groups have been restructuredclassification and identification of dangerous goods are now combined in Group 1compliance thresholds has been removed from Group 2the Training section now refers to those who load or unload dangerous goods, removing the previous reference to those who park vehiclesFor the Road exam:topic groups have been restructuredunder Compliance thresholds, “vehicle equipment” has been replaced with “fire-fighting and other safety equipment”under Transport equipment, candidates must now understand load-specific safety requirements when selecting equipmentFor the Inland waterways exam, Tank vessels has been added to Group 4 of the exam topic table.
2026-01-13 13:09
Updated dangerous goods safety adviser exam syllabus with more detail on the exam topics.
2025-09-25 13:33
Updated ‘Road: sample exam paper’
2025-05-07 15:40
First published.