How to Get a Motorbike Licence: CBT, Tests, and Access Routes

To get a motorbike licence in the UK, you apply for a provisional driving licence, complete Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), pass the motorcycle theory test, and then pass the two practical modules on a bike that matches the category you want to ride. The category you aim for depends on your age and the size and power of bike you want, and each stage has its own fee, time limit, and set of restrictions.

Which Licence Category You Need

Before you book anything, work out which category fits the bike you want to ride. The UK has four:

AM (16+): mopeds with a top speed between 25 and 45 km/h, and small three-wheelers up to 50cc.
A1 (17+): light motorcycles up to 125cc, maximum 11 kW, with a power-to-weight ratio no higher than 0.1 kW per kg.
A2 (19+): motorcycles up to 35 kW with a power-to-weight ratio no higher than 0.2 kW per kg, not derived from a bike producing more than twice that power.
A (24+ by direct access, or 21+ by progressive access): no restriction on engine size or power.

Each category covers everything below it, so a full A licence lets you ride any moped or motorcycle on the road.¹

Step 1: Apply for a Provisional Licence

Nothing else happens until you have a provisional driving licence. Apply online through GOV.UK for £34, or by post using a D1 form from most Post Offices for £43.² You will need valid proof of identity and your current address.³

You also have to meet the eyesight standard. At your practical test the examiner will ask you to read a number plate from 20 metres away (20.5 metres for older-style plates). If you need glasses or contact lenses to do that, you must wear them whenever you ride.

The provisional licence is the same document whether you plan to stop at a 50cc moped or push through to unrestricted Category A, so you only apply once.

Step 2: Complete Compulsory Basic Training

CBT is the course that lets you take a bike onto public roads as a learner. You cannot legally ride on the road without it.⁴ Most providers run it in a single day, split across classroom briefings, off-road handling, and a period of on-road riding with an instructor. Bring an approved helmet, sturdy boots, gloves, and appropriate protective clothing.

Costs run from roughly £120 to £300 depending on the provider and location.⁵ If your instructor is satisfied you can ride safely by the end of the day, they issue a DL196 certificate. That certificate is your proof of competency and it lasts two years. If you have not passed your full test within that window, you have to take CBT again before you can continue riding on L plates.⁴

What You Can and Cannot Do as a Learner

A CBT certificate is not a full licence. While you ride on your provisional, these rules apply:

L plates on the front and back at all times. In Wales you can use D plates, L plates, or both.
No pillion passengers.
No motorways.
Maximum bike size of 125cc and 11 kW.

These catch people out more often than you might think. Giving a friend a lift on the back of your 125 while on a provisional is an offence, not a favour.⁴

Step 3: Pass the Theory Test

Once you hold a provisional licence, you can book the motorcycle theory test through GOV.UK. It costs £23 and comes in two parts, taken back-to-back in a single sitting.⁶

50 multiple-choice questions in 57 minutes, with a pass mark of 43.
14 hazard perception video clips scored on how quickly you spot developing hazards, with a pass mark of 44 out of 75.

You must pass both parts in the same sitting. Pass the multiple choice but miss the hazard perception and you retake the whole thing.⁷ A theory pass is valid for two years. If you have not completed both practical modules by then, the theory expires and you start over.

Step 4: Pass the Practical Test (Module 1 and Module 2)

The practical is split into two separate tests on different days. You have to pass Module 1 before you can book Module 2, and you must pass Module 2 within six months of passing Module 1.⁸

Module 1: Off-Road Manoeuvres

Module 1 takes place in a controlled off-road area and tests your low-speed and higher-speed control. The exercises include a slalom, a figure of eight, a slow ride, a U-turn, a circuit ride at a minimum of 30 km/h, an avoidance exercise at 50 km/h, and an emergency stop at 50 km/h. You will also wheel the bike and put it on and off its stand. The emergency stop is where most failures happen: you need to pull up quickly, under control, without locking the wheels. Module 1 costs £15.50.⁶

Module 2: On-Road Riding

Module 2 is a road ride of about 40 minutes. The examiner usually follows you on another motorcycle and gives directions through a radio earpiece. It opens with the eyesight check and a couple of “show me, tell me” safety questions about your bike. On the road you will handle a range of traffic conditions, do normal stops, an angled start from behind a parked vehicle, and a hill start where the route allows. Around 10 minutes is independent riding, where the examiner stops directing you and you navigate on your own.⁹

To pass you need zero serious or dangerous faults and no more than 10 minor faults. Module 2 costs £75 on a weekday, or £88.50 on evenings, weekends, and bank holidays.⁶ Once you pass, the examiner takes your provisional details, you receive a test pass certificate, and you can ride within your new category straight away while your full licence arrives by post.

Reaching an Unrestricted Licence: Direct or Progressive Access

If you want the full Category A with no engine or power limit, the route depends on your age.

Direct access is the faster path. From age 24, you can go straight for Category A by completing CBT, passing the theory, and passing both practical modules on a bike of at least 595cc producing at least 50 kW. You skip the intermediate categories. Between 19 and 23, direct access is available only up to A2, tested on a bike of at least 245cc producing between 20 kW and 35 kW.⁸

Progressive access lets you reach Category A at 21 rather than 24, provided you have held an A2 licence for at least two years and pass a further practical test on the larger bike. The same two-year stepping stone applies between A1 and A2.¹

When you train through direct access on a bike larger than 125cc, you must be accompanied at all times by an approved instructor riding a separate motorcycle and in radio contact with you. You still need L plates and still cannot carry a passenger.

Insurance Before You Ride

You must have motor insurance in place before you ride any motorcycle or moped on UK roads, including during learner stages. The legal minimum is third-party cover, which pays for damage or injury you cause to others and their property. It does not cover damage to your own bike or injuries to yourself.¹⁰

What the Full Process Costs

At official rates, the fees look like this:

Provisional licence: £34 online, £43 by post.²
CBT: roughly £120 to £300, set by the provider rather than the government.
Theory test: £23.
Module 1: £15.50.
Module 2: £75 weekday, £88.50 evening, weekend, or bank holiday.⁶

At the low end, reaching a full licence costs around £270 if you pass everything first time. Most riders also pay for professional lessons between CBT and the practical tests, which can add several hundred pounds depending on how many hours you book. Every failed test means paying that fee again, so there’s a real financial reward for being properly prepared before you turn up.

1
GOV.UK. Riding a Motorcycle, Moped or Motor Tricycle – Bike Categories, Ages and Licence Requirements
2
GOV.UK. Driving Licence Fees
3
GOV.UK. Apply for Your First Provisional Driving Licence
4
GOV.UK. CBT Motorcycle and Moped Training
5
Safe Driving for Life. A Guide to Compulsory Basic Training (CBT)
6
GOV.UK. Driving Test Costs
7
GOV.UK. Theory Test – Motorcycles and Mopeds
8
GOV.UK. How to Get a Motorcycle Licence
9
GOV.UK. Motorcycle and Moped Tests – Module 2 On-Road Test
10
GOV.UK. Vehicle Insurance – Overview