CBT or theory test first? How the two fit together

CBT is not the theory test, and there is no “CBT theory test” to pass. Compulsory basic training is a course, usually a single day, that lets a learner ride on the road with L plates. The motorcycle theory test is a separate DVSA exam you need before the practical motorcycle test. You can do them in either order.

CBT and the theory test side by side

What CBT involves

The course has five parts, taken in order: an introduction and eyesight check, on-site training, on-site riding, on-road training and on-road riding. You move on when the trainer is happy that you have learnt the theory and can show the practical skills at a safe basic level. The on-road ride must last at least two hours.

There is no written exam, but there is theory in the day, and it is the reason people search for a CBT theory test. Your trainer can stop the course if your knowledge of the Highway Code and traffic signs is not good enough for you to ride safely, and the school can charge you to come back. Arriving with the rules already learned is the cheapest preparation there is; a few free motorcycle mock tests in the week before will show you where the gaps are.

What you can ride after CBT

With a provisional licence and a valid CBT certificate you can ride:

• a moped if you are 16 or over
• a motorcycle up to 125 cc with a power output of up to 11 kW if you are 17 or over

You must display L plates (L or D plates in Wales), you must not carry a pillion passenger, and you must not ride on a motorway. Riding without a valid CBT certificate can bring a fine of up to £1,000 and up to six penalty points.

Some riders are exempt. You do not need CBT to ride a moped if you passed your car test before 1 February 2001, or to move from one full motorcycle category to another.

Which to do first

Either order is allowed: GOV.UK says the theory test can be taken before or after CBT. What differs is what each gives you.

CBT first suits most new riders. You are on the road straight away, gaining the experience that makes the practical modules easier, and the rules you revised for the course are fresh for the theory test.

Theory first makes sense when the training school is booked up for weeks, or when you plan an intensive direct access course and want the exam out of the way before the riding starts.

Either way, three things must be in place before a practical test: a valid CBT certificate, a theory pass and the right provisional entitlement.

The two-year clocks

Both certificates expire, and they run separately.

• CBT: you must pass the theory test and both practical modules within two years of completing CBT. Otherwise you take CBT again or stop riding.
• Theory: you must pass module 1 and module 2 within two years of passing the theory test. Otherwise you sit the theory test again.

A learner who does CBT in spring and passes theory eighteen months later still has two years of theory validity, but only six months of CBT left. Check both dates before booking module 1, and renew CBT early if the certificate would run out between the two modules.

Where each step leads

1. Provisional licence with motorcycle entitlement.
2. CBT, then riding as a learner.
3. Theory test: multiple choice and hazard perception. See the motorcycle theory test format.
4. Module 1, the off-road manoeuvres test.
5. Module 2, the on-road riding test, on a machine that matches the category you want. The licence categories and ages guide explains which bike that is.

GOV.UK sets out who needs the course, what to wear and how to book in its guide to CBT motorcycle and moped training.