UDT overhead crane course: 2026 price including exam, duration and questions

indekscen.pl editorial team · published 30 September 2026 · prices according to the 5 October 2026 index

An overhead crane course in Poland most often costs PLN 875 per person, and half of the offers fall within the range of PLN 705 ‑ 1,050. If the fee for the exam before a UDT commission is not included in the course price, you need to add PLN 333.88. The course usually lasts from 35 to 42 hours, or several days of classes.

An overhead crane qualification opens the door to work in production halls, steelworks, warehouses and ports. Course prices vary severalfold between training centres, mainly because some include the UDT exam while others do not, and because the scope of the qualification varies. We collected training centre price lists to show the full cost of the course, how long it takes and how its prices compare with other UDT courses.

How much does a UDT overhead crane course cost?

According to 8 training centre price lists collected by indekscen.pl, a UDT overhead crane course most often costs PLN 875 per person. Half of the offers fall within the range of PLN 705 ‑ 1,050, while the full range is from PLN 500 to PLN 2,500. The price includes theory and practical classes, as well as study materials and tests.

The most expensive offer in our data comes from the Development Services Database, where prices are set with funding in mind. The cheapest courses are often group courses with some theory taught online. Details and sources are available on the overhead crane course (UDT) page.

What is usually not included in the course price:

• Exam before a UDT commission, if the training centre does not include it.
• Medical examination confirming that there are no medical reasons preventing the participant from working as an operator, required by some training centres and employers.
• Travel and accommodation, if the course takes place in another city over several days.
• Resit exam, if you do not pass the first time.

How much does an overhead crane course including the UDT exam cost?

The exam before a UDT commission costs PLN 333.88 in 2026. Some offers already include it in the course price, while others charge it separately. This means that two offers which initially appear to differ by several hundred PLN may cost the same in practice. Always ask for the price ‘including the exam’ and whether the training centre registers participants with UDT and organises the exam on site.

The exam fee is paid to UDT, not the training centre, so the amount does not depend on the school. If a training centre quotes a price including the exam, check whether it charges an additional fee for issuing the certificate or for a resit exam.

How long does an overhead crane course take?

An overhead crane course usually lasts from 35 to 42 hours, which means from three to five days of full-time classes, or two or three weekends on a weekend course. One of the training centres in our data divides the course into 20 hours of theory and 15 hours of practical training, while another provides 42 hours. You must also allow for the exam date, which UDT usually sets within a few weeks of the course ending.

The scope of the qualification affects the price more than the length of the course: a course covering special-purpose cranes is longer and more expensive than a course for general-purpose cranes.

Floor-operated or cab-operated overhead crane course: what is the difference?

A course for cranes operated from floor level, commonly known as ‘level 0’, covers cranes controlled with a remote control or a wired pendant, with the operator walking across the floor beside the load. These are the most common cranes in production halls, and courses for them tend to be the cheapest, usually in the lower part of the PLN 705 ‑ 1,050 range.

A broader qualification also covers cab-operated and special-purpose cranes, such as container cranes, gantry cranes in ports and cranes used in steelworks. The course is then longer, includes more practical training and costs more, closer to the upper end of the price range. Before enrolling, ask your employer what type of cranes you will operate so that you do not pay for a qualification that is too narrow or unnecessarily broad.

Is the overhead crane exam difficult?

Most participants can pass the UDT overhead crane exam on their first attempt if they have worked through the practice tests provided during the course. It consists of a theory section, which is a test based on questions from the UDT question bank, and a practical section on an overhead crane. UDT determines the number of questions and the pass mark, so check the current rules with the examiner or training centre before the exam.

Participants make the most mistakes on questions about safety devices and signals, and during the practical section when moving a load without causing it to swing. A resit means another fee, so working through all the practice tests is cheaper than taking the exam twice.

How long is an overhead crane qualification valid?

A UDT qualification certificate for overhead cranes issued under the current regulations is valid for a fixed period, usually 10 years, and can be renewed before it expires. Older qualifications issued for an indefinite period remain valid. You will find the exact expiry date on your certificate, and you do not need to repeat the entire course when renewing it.

How an overhead crane course compares with other UDT courses

An overhead crane course is one of the cheaper vocational courses with a UDT exam: the median of PLN 875 is lower than for a mobile elevating work platform course (PLN 1,250) or an HDS course (PLN 1,050), but higher than for forklift course (PLN 625). The most expensive course in the comparison is excavator operator course, which is not a UDT course but is often chosen by the same people.

Median and typical range from public price lists, as at 5 October 2026. Each price includes a source and quotation on the service page.

Course	Typical course price	UDT exam, if charged separately
Overhead cranes	PLN 705 ‑ 1,050	PLN 333.88
Forklift truck	PLN 490 ‑ 985	around PLN 320
HDS (lorry-mounted crane)	PLN 925 ‑ 1,100	around PLN 325
Mobile elevating work platforms	PLN 1,200 ‑ 1,400	often included in the course price

A popular combination is an overhead crane and forklift truck qualification: both are useful in warehouses and production halls, and some training centres offer a discount when you take two courses together. Read more about forklift trucks in the article UDT forklift truck course: price, and about construction machinery in the article excavator course.

How much does an overhead crane course cost in Katowice, Szczecin or Kraków?

We do not yet have local median prices for overhead crane courses in individual cities, so we provide national prices: typically PLN 705 ‑ 1,050. According to one training centre, prices depend on the region, and you will usually pay more in major industrial centres and voivodeship capitals. A UDT certificate is valid throughout Poland, so you can choose a training centre in a neighbouring city if it is cheaper and offers an earlier exam date.

How can you avoid overpaying for an overhead crane course?

1. Compare prices including the exam. Add PLN 333.88 to a price that does not include the exam.
2. Check the scope of the qualification. A special-purpose crane course is more expensive and is not always necessary.
3. Ask about practical training. The number of hours spent on a real crane has a greater impact on the pass rate than the length of the theory section.
4. Look for funding. Your employer, the labour office or the Development Services Database may cover part of the cost.
5. Book early. Some training centres offer a lower price for advance bookings.

Unlike individual training centre price lists, we show the median from several sources, the exam fee separately and a comparison with other UDT courses. You can find more training prices in the education and courses category.

The prices in this article come from publicly available training centre price lists and trade articles. Each price on the overhead crane course (UDT) page includes its source, date and a verbatim quotation.

Frequently asked questions

How much can an overhead crane operator earn?

Nie zbieramy danych o wynagrodzeniach, tylko o cenach usług. Uprawnienia na suwnice to jednak jeden z tańszych kursów zawodowych, zwykle PLN 705 ‑ 1,050, a operatorów stale szukają zakłady produkcyjne, huty i magazyny.

What questions are asked in the overhead crane exam?

Pytania na egzaminie teoretycznym pochodzą z katalogu pytań UDT i dotyczą budowy suwnicy, zabezpieczeń, zasad bezpiecznej pracy i obowiązków operatora. Ośrodki zwykle dają testy do nauki w cenie kursu, czyli w typowych PLN 705 ‑ 1,050.

How much does a container crane course cost?

Osobnej mediany dla suwnic kontenerowych nie mamy. To suwnice specjalnego przeznaczenia, więc kurs obejmuje szerszy zakres i zwykle kosztuje więcej niż podstawowe PLN 875, bliżej górnej granicy cenników.

Do you need a driving licence to take an overhead crane course?

Nie, do kursu na suwnice prawo jazdy nie jest potrzebne. Trzeba mieć ukończone 18 lat i zwykle zaświadczenie lekarskie o braku przeciwwskazań do pracy na stanowisku operatora, a sam kurs kosztuje typowo PLN 705 ‑ 1,050.

Can you take an overhead crane course for free?

Kurs może opłacić pracodawca albo urząd pracy w ramach szkoleń dla bezrobotnych, a część ofert w bazie usług rozwojowych kwalifikuje się do dofinansowania. Bez wsparcia kurs kosztuje zwykle PLN 705 ‑ 1,050 plus egzamin.

Translation of the original Polish article dated 30 September 2026. Quotations from price lists are in Polish, as published by the companies. Read the original in Polish.

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