Motorcycle module 2 (on-road) test

Understanding your motorcycle module 2 test result, including what was assessed, what sorts of things counted as faults, and how to improve in each area.

About your motorcycle test result

To pass your motorcycle module 2 test, you needed to make:

  • no more than 10 riding faults (sometimes called ‘minors’)
  • no serious or dangerous faults (sometimes called ‘majors’)

If the examiner had to tell you to do something to avoid an accident, your result will show the ‘examiner took action (ETA)’.

Talk to your motorcycle instructor about your result. This will help them focus any more lessons you need on the right skills.

You or your motorcycle instructor have to rebook your test and pay again if you failed. You have to choose a date at least 10 working days (Monday to Saturday) from the date of your last test.

Awareness and planning

You needed to show you can anticipate other road users’ intentions and potential hazards. You needed to show you can react in good time, not at the last minute.

You should have been extra careful around more vulnerable road users. This includes:

  • other motorcyclists
  • cyclists
  • horse riders
  • pedestrians

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • not anticipating or showing awareness of a passing cyclist
  • not anticipating or showing awareness of a vehicle using hazard lights
  • not anticipating that pedestrians are about to cross the road at any time

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. Practise using your surroundings to look for clues to any potential hazards. This could be:

  • looking well ahead to anticipate what might happen
  • checking and rechecking what’s going on around you
  • looking for other road users, signals given by drivers, and road markings and traffic signs
  • looking for clues to help you act safely, such as, reflections in shop windows

Clearance and obstructions

Watch out for changing situations, such as pedestrians walking out from between parked cars, doors opening and vehicles trying to move off. Be prepared to slow down or stop if needed.

You needed to keep a safe amount of distance when passing other road users or hazards – at least one meter when possible.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • being closer than one meter of a vehicle when passing, even if the road allows for more space
  • moving back in too soon after passing the vehicle or hazard

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. You could work on:

  • using the observation - signal – manoeuvre (OSM) and the position - speed - look (PSL) routine
  • looking over your shoulder to check blind spots (lifesaver check)

Control

You needed to show you can use all the bike’s primary controls smoothly and at the correct time. This includes the:

  • throttle
  • clutch
  • gears
  • foot brake
  • rear brake
  • steering
  • balance/slow control
  • ancillary controls

Your examiner will have monitored this throughout the test.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • over-steering when making a turn, and mounting the kerb

  • keeping the clutch pedal held down (coasting) reducing your control of the vehicle
  • turning late, causing you to be on the wrong side of the road you just turned onto
  • selecting the wrong gear causing a sudden reduction in your speed, forcing vehicles behind you to slow down
  • pressing the brake too hard, or not hard enough

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, read section 5 and 6 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. Use the time to familiarise yourself with the bike’s primary controls.

Eyesight test

Your examiner will have started the test by asking you to read aloud a number plate of a parked vehicle. You will have had 3 chances to do this correctly.

If you did not read it correctly, you will have failed and not been allowed to continue with your test.

You have to book another test and pay again if you failed. If you need glasses or contact lenses, you must bring them to your next test.

If you have dyslexia, you can declare this when you book your test. You can then write down the vehicle registration instead of reading it out.

Following distance

You needed to keep a safe distance when riding behind other road users.

Your distance from the vehicle in front should have been appropriate for the conditions of the road.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • riding too close to the vehicle in front
  • not adjusting your distance when there is bad weather, such as rain, ice or fog

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. You could work on:

  • the 2-second rule - keeping at least a 2 second gap between you and the vehicle in front on roads with faster-moving traffic in dry conditions
  • riding in slow-moving traffic
  • riding in different weather conditions

Judgement

You were marked on:

  • overtaking / filtering
  • meeting
  • crossing

You needed to show good judgement when overtaking, meeting and crossing other road users. Such as knowing when to proceed, and when to wait for a safer opportunity.

You needed to make your intentions clear, and understand the intentions of the other road users. Filtering should only be done at a slow speed, in slow moving traffic.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • not giving way to road users that have the right of way
  • reacting late when meeting an approaching vehicle

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor.

Junctions (including roundabouts)

You were marked on:

  • approach speed - your ability to approach junctions at an appropriate speed
  • observation - your effective observation and judgement of your surroundings
  • turning right - your position when turning right
  • turning left - your position when turning left
  • cutting corners - your ability to avoid cutting corners when turning

You needed to show you can ride through junctions safely. You should have observed your surroundings, made your intentions clear, followed road signs and signals, and properly handled the bike.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • incorrectly judging the speed of an oncoming vehicle, forcing it to slow down when emerging from a junction
  • not checking for other road users when emerging from a slip road, onto a dual carriageway
  • being positioned too far to the left when turning right onto a minor road, holding up vehicles behind you
  • approaching a junction too fast, making it difficult to make observations

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. You could work on:

  • using the observation - signal - manoeuvre­ (OSM) and the position - speed - look (PSL) routine
  • looking over your shoulder to check blind spots (lifesaver check)
  • approaching and emerging at a variety of different junctions

Move away

You were marked on:

  • control - your ability to control the bike
  • safety - your ability to perform this action safely

You needed to show you could move away safely and under control throughout your test. This included:

  • from the side of the road
  • on a slope or hill (gradient)
  • from behind a parked vehicle, so you have to move off at an angle
  • at junctions

You should have used your mirrors to observe your surroundings, and signalled when necessary. Your control of the bike should have prevented it from stalling.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • repeatedly stalling when moving off throughout the test
  • trying to move away in the wrong gear
  • not properly checking your blind spots
  • moving off into the path of an oncoming vehicle

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. You could work on:

  • finding the biting point when using the clutch, to prevent stalling
  • using the observation - signal - manoeuvre­ (OSM) and the position - speed - look (PSL) routine

Pedestrian crossings

You needed to recognise each type of pedestrian crossing and react correctly to each.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • stopping on a crossing (not before)
  • moving off before a pedestrian has completely cleared the crossing
  • approaching a crossing too fast
  • failing to stop at a crossing

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. Take a route that passes different kinds of pedestrian crossings.

Position / normal stops

When asked to by your examiner, you needed to pull up and stop on the side of the road. This needed to be done in the first safe place available.

When parked, your bike should not have been a hazard to other road users.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • partially or completely blocking a driveway
  • obstructing other road users
  • parking too far from the kerb

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. You could work on:

  • spotting safe and legal places to stop on the side of the road
  • stopping on a hill or gradient

Positioning

You were marked on:

  • normal riding - your control of the bike when riding, such as not riding too close to the kerb or centre line
  • lane discipline - your ability to use the correct lane

You should have positioned your bike in a safe position - as a general rule in the centre of your lane. You should have been positioned according to road markings and the direction you wish to take.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • riding too close to the kerb, putting pedestrians at risk
  • riding for too long in the right hand lane of a dual carriage way, for no reason
  • straddling lanes causing issues for other road users

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. You could work on:

  • identifying lane markings on the road
  • using the observation - signal - manoeuvre­ (OSM) and the position - speed - look (PSL) routine

Precautions

Before you started riding, you should have performed a few safety checks. This includes making sure:

  • your helmet is properly fastened
  • your mirrors are positioned correctly
  • the handbrake or parking brake is on
  • the gear is in neutral

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • trying to move away with the side stand down
  • starting the bike with the gear not in neutral

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. Use the time to familiarise yourself with the bike’s controls and features.

Progress

You were marked on:

  • appropriate speed - riding at an appropriate speed for the road and traffic conditions
  • undue hesitation - you did not hesitate and slow down when you didn’t need to

You should have ridden at a speed appropriate for the road and traffic conditions, without going over the speed limit. You should not have driven too slowly either as this can be dangerous to you and others

Your examiner will have monitored this throughout the test.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • not emerging from a junction when it is safe to do so
  • riding too slow unnecessarily, holding up following traffic
  • riding well below the speed limit on clear roads
  • waiting for another road user to pass who has clearly given way to you

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. You could work on:

  • keeping up with the flow of traffic and making confident decisions when emerging
  • riding in different weather conditions

Rear observations

You were marked on:

  • signalling - your ability to make good rear observations when signalling
  • change direction - your ability to make good rear observations when changing direction
  • change speed - your ability to make good rear observations when changing speed

You needed to show you can use your bike’s mirrors to see what’s behind you. This should be done in good time, before appropriate situations.

When mirrors were not enough to cover blindspots you must look directly (‘lifesaver check’).

Your examiner will monitor this throughout your test.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • making rear observations too late when changing position
  • trying to exit a roundabout without making effective rear observations

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. You could work on:

  • using the observation - signal - manoeuvre­ (OSM) and the position - speed - look (PSL) routine
  • looking over your shoulder to check blind spots (lifesaver check)
  • making well timed observations when changing position

Response to signs/signals

You should have recognised and reacted correctly to signs and signals on the road. This included:

  • road signs
  • road markings
  • traffic lights
  • traffic controllers
  • other road users

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • taking up space meant for cyclists when stopping at a red traffic light
  • reacting late or not at all to a speed limit change sign
  • not stopping at a compulsory stop sign
  • riding in a bus lane when sign says you should not
  • riding in an incorrect lane that was clearly marked

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. Ask them to quiz you on the signs and signals you will come across on the road.

Safety questions (‘show me, tell me’ questions)

You needed to correctly answer questions relating to the safety checks you should make on your machine before you ride, for example: fluid levels, lighting and tyres.

The examiner also asked you about the effects of carrying a passenger or load.

You needed to answer all the questions correctly to avoid getting a fault

How you can improve in this area

To improve in this area, read our guide to the ‘show me, tell me’ vehicle safety questions.

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. Ask your riding instructor to include safety questions in your lessons.

Signals

You were marked on:

  • necessary - you used signals when you needed to
  • correctly - you used the right signals
  • timed - you didn’t use signals too late or too early

When performing a manoeuvre, you should have used appropriate signals to let everyone around know what you were about to do. This should have been done in good time.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • signalling left or right, but not turning
  • not cancelling a signal after you have turned
  • signalling right at a roundabout when you want to go ahead
  • signalling too late for the signal to be effective

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. You could work on:

  • giving signals in good time
  • using signals correctly

Use of speed

You needed to show you can ride at an appropriate speed. Your examiner will have assessed this throughout your test.

You should have taken into consideration the conditions of the road, the amount of traffic, road signs and signals, and the speed limit.

Your speed should not have prevented you from being able to perform a controlled stop in the clear space in front of you.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

  • riding over the speed limit
  • not adjusting your speed to road conditions

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your riding instructor. You could work on:

  • riding on a variety of roads with different speed limits
  • riding in different weather conditions