Who needs to take the training?

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Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) is a course you usually have to take before you ride a moped or motorcycle on the road.

The training makes sure you can ride safely on your own while you practise for your full moped or motorcycle test.

 

CBT isn’t a test that you pass or fail.

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After you’ve completed CBT, you can ride a:

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• moped if you’re 16 or over

• motorcycle up to 125cc and with a power output of up to 11kW if you’re 17 or over

 

You must use L plates (L or D plates in Wales).

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You must pass your full moped or motorcycle test within 2 years, or you have to either take CBT again or stop riding.

 

You can be fined up to £1,000 and get up to 6 penalty points for riding if you don’t have a valid CBT certificate.

 

When you don’t need to take CBT

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You don’t have to take CBT if you:

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• want to ride a moped (up to 50cc) and you passed your car driving test before 1 February 2001

• want to ride a motorcycle and have a full moped licence from passing a moped test since 1 December 1990

• have a full motorcycle licence for one category and want to upgrade to another

• live and ride on some offshore islands.

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How much does it cost?

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It costs £180

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Booking your CBT course

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You can book your training by contacting us directly.

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We can ask you to share your driving licence information with us before the course.

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Preparing for your CBT course

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Your trainer can stop your compulsory basic training (CBT) course if your basic knowledge of The Highway Code and traffic signs isn’t good enough for you to ride safely.

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You need to know:

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• the main rules that apply to moped and motorcycle riders

• what other road users are likely to do

 

You can be charged again to retake the course if your trainer stops your training because you aren’t prepared.

You can buy the guide to learning to ride to help you prepare. You can also buy it from high street and online book shops.

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What to take to your course

 

Take your UK driving licence to your training course.

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What you need to wear

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You must wear:

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• a motorcycle helmet that meets British safety standards (unless you’re Sikh and wearing a turban) 

• motorcycle boots or other sturdy footwear that supports and protects your ankles

• textile or leather motorcycle trousers or heavy denim trousers

• a textile or leather motorcycle jacket or a heavy denim jacket with several layers underneath

• motorcycle gloves

 

Your course can be stopped and you can be charged to take it again if you don’t wear suitable clothing.

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How the training works

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The compulsory basic training (CBT) course usually lasts a full day. It can take longer depending on how quickly you learn.

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There are 5 parts to the course:

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• introduction and eyesight check

• on-site training

• on-site riding

• on-road training

• on-road riding

 

The CBT course syllabus on the government website tells you more about what’s involved in each part.

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You move from one part to the next when your trainer is happy you’ve:

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• learnt the theory

• shown the practical skills to a safe basic level

 

On-road riding

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The on-road riding part lasts at least 2 hours.

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How many people you’ll train with

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You might train with other learners. There’s a maximum number of:

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• 2 learners per trainer for on-site parts

• 2 learners per trainer for on-road parts

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When you complete the course

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You’ll get a ‘certificate of completion’ or ‘DL196’ when you successfully complete the course.

You can then ride a moped or motorcycle up to 125cc and with a power output of up to 11kW on the road with L plates (L or D plates in Wales).

You must pass your theory test and full moped or motorcycle test within 2 years otherwise you’ll need to complete CBT again or stop riding.

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If you have a car driving licence

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You can ride a moped (up to 50cc) without L plates and without taking the moped test in some situations.

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You passed your driving test on or after 1 February 2001

 

You’ll get a full moped licence if you either, pass your car driving test and then complete a compulsory basic training (CBT) course or complete a CBT course and then pass your car driving test within two years. You can then ride a moped (up to 50cc) without L plates. You don’t need to take the full moped test and can ride mopeds for as long as your car driving licence lasts.

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You passed your driving test before 1 February 2001

 

You can ride a moped (up to 50cc) without L plates. You don’t need to take a CBT course or take the full moped test, but you must take CBT if you want to ride anything larger than a 50cc moped.