Automatic or manual for a Polish licence? Code 78 explained
Passing Poland’s category B practical test in an automatic adds code 78 and limits you to cars without a clutch pedal. See how to remove it later.
Pass Poland’s category B practical test in an automatic and your licence will carry code 78. You may then drive cars without a clutch pedal, but not a manual car. You can remove the restriction later by passing a practical test in a manual — without retaking theory or repeating the full basic course.
The short answer
Choose an automatic if you genuinely plan to drive only cars without a clutch pedal and accept code 78. Choose a manual if you want access to both types of car from the start. An automatic removes clutch control and manual gear changes from the test, but not the manoeuvres, observation or safe driving standards. It does not guarantee a pass.
1. Code 78 limits category B to cars without a clutch pedal
The legal description of code 78 is precise: vehicles without a clutch pedal. “Automatic” is the convenient everyday label, but the technical restriction is what matters. When the practical test is conducted in such a car, the WORD records code 78 with the result and the authority issues category B with that restriction.
This is not an advisory note. A conventional manual car with a clutch pedal remains outside category B with code 78, even if you know how to move it or previously drove one with an instructor.
The examination regulation contains a special exception for certain trailer, lorry and bus categories when a candidate already holds unrestricted category B. It does not provide a shortcut for a first category B test. The ordinary automatic test for category B results in code 78.
Ask the school exactly which vehicle will be used for lessons and the test, and which restriction a pass will produce.
2. Decide according to the cars you will actually use
Look at the vehicles available after you qualify. If the family car, a work vehicle or a car you expect to borrow is a manual, code 78 may become an immediate barrier. If you use only automatics and do not expect that to change, the extra flexibility may not be necessary now.
In a manual, you coordinate the clutch and gear selection while completing every test task. An automatic reduces the number of powertrain controls competing for your attention, which can help some learners focus on the road. That is not an official promise of an easier test. Problems with observation, priority or planning the car’s path will not disappear with a different gearbox.
Use a trial lesson instead of online opinions. Decide whether clutch control takes attention away from safe driving before you buy most of the course.
3. Check the complete chain: school, test car and WORD
An automatic course does not guarantee that your chosen WORD has a suitable vehicle on a convenient date. Polish rules allow a school vehicle to be used for the test in specified circumstances, but the school, examination centre and instructor must coordinate it.
Before signing, check:
- whether lessons use an automatic, a manual or a clearly agreed combination;
- which vehicle will be used for the test and who supplies it;
- whether the selected WORD offers automatic tests and what its current dates are;
- what the price includes and which items cost extra;
- how the school records completed training in your PKK, the Polish driver candidate profile.
Prices and availability are local and change over time. Compare written terms from actual schools and current WORD information, not a nationwide figure copied from an old guide.
4. Removing code 78 requires a manual practical test, not another full course
If you already hold category B with code 78, the examination rules treat your previous theory result as positive. You do not sit theory again merely to extend the same category to cars with a clutch pedal. The training rules also recognise the basic training completed for your current entitlement.
Use this sequence:
- 1Contact the authority handling your PKK and your chosen WORD. Confirm the profile procedure for a category B test without code 78.
- 2Learn to drive a manual safely. You can arrange supplementary training covering clutch control, gear selection and the full practical task set.
- 3Book the practical part for the same category in a vehicle with a clutch pedal.
- 4After passing, complete the document procedure without the restriction and verify the entitlement before driving a manual alone.
No new full basic course is imposed in this situation. That does not make preparation optional in practice. A few informal starts in a car park are not a substitute for supervised driving in traffic if you have used only automatics.
5. Do not drive a manual while code 78 remains active
Driving a car with a clutch pedal while code 78 remains on your category means using a vehicle outside your entitlement. Police can check the restriction in the driver register; a roadside check may stop the journey and lead to proceedings for driving without the required entitlement.
Do not rely on rules described for other countries. Germany’s B197 route and proposals to change Polish law do not replace the regulations in force in Poland. Manual lessons or an instructor’s confirmation alone do not remove code 78 today; a positive practical test is required.
Checklist for today
- 1List the cars you are likely to use over the next two years.
- 2Ask two schools about the gearbox, test vehicle and full price.
- 3Confirm automatic vehicle availability and current dates with your WORD.
- 4If you lean towards an automatic, include a possible later manual test in your time and cost plan.
- 5If you already have code 78, clarify the PKK route before buying supplementary lessons.
Check the car you will need after the test first, then choose the gearbox for your course.