Motorcycle Practical Test 2026: Modules 1 and 2 Explained

What do you take to the motorcycle practical test?

A moped or motorcycle that meets the test rules
Your UK photocard driving licence. With an old paper licence, bring a valid passport too; with a Northern Ireland licence, the photocard and the paper counterpart
Your theory test pass certificate
Your compulsory basic training (CBT) certificate, unless you’re upgrading a full motorcycle licence
For module 2, your module 1 pass certificate

Without the bike or the right documents the test is cancelled and you don’t get your money back. If you lose your licence and the new one won’t arrive in time, rearrange the test at least 3 working days before. You also need the same protective kit as on CBT.

What to wear for CBT and the tests →

Motorcycles and mopeds you can use

A solo machine. A sidecar is allowed only for certain disabilities, with no passenger in it
A speedometer that shows miles per hour
L plates front and rear, or L or D plates in Wales
Insured, taxed and roadworthy, with no engine warning lights on
The same subcategory as the licence you want, and the same transmission, in both modules

Pass on an automatic or semi-automatic and your licence covers only those. An electric bike needs the same power as its petrol version and must hold it for at least 30 minutes, which the maker can confirm. The engine and power rules for each category are on its own page.

A1 test bike →A2 test bike →Category A test bike →

How the motorcycle practical test is marked

Dangerous faults involve actual danger to you, the examiner, the public or property
Serious faults are potentially dangerous
Riding faults aren’t potentially dangerous but could become serious if you keep making them

Each module has its own limit on riding faults, and you hear the result at the end of the test.

Module 1 exercises and result →Module 2 and show me, tell me →

How to pass a motorbike test

GOV.UK says you must ride safely in different road and traffic conditions and show you know the Highway Code by the way you ride. DVSA’s national standard for riding mopeds and motorcycles sets out everything you must be able to do to pass. After the test, the examiner’s notes show the faults you made, and GOV.UK suggests going over your result with your instructor.

DVSA on GOV.UK: National standard for riding mopeds and motorcycles ↗Motorcycle rider training courses →

Bad weather and cancelled tests

Riding tests don’t go ahead in dangerous weather, such as ice, flooding, thick fog or high winds. If yours can’t:

Call your test centre on the day if you’re unsure. Its number is in your booking email
DVSA books the next available date and sends the details within 3 working days, or up to 7 days in a long spell of bad weather
You can change that date if it doesn’t suit

When you lose the fee or pay again →

Help with a disability, health condition or learning difficulty

Say so when you book. You ride to the same standard, but the examiner can adjust the test:

Deaf or hard of hearing: written notes at the start, facing you if you lip read, and directions usually by hand signals
A British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, who must be 16 or over. Your instructor can do it, and you arrange and pay for them
Reading difficulties: you can write down the number plate in the eyesight check
Learning difficulties: changes to independent riding, such as following signs or a diagram, or fewer directions at a time
Pregnancy: you can take the tests at any stage if you can do an emergency stop, wheel the bike and do the hazard avoidance exercise

Sources: GOV.UK · DVSA on GOV.UK and 3 more. Checked October 2026.