Understanding your motorcycle module 2 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.

Get The official DVSA guide to riding and Get The official highway code

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:

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

How you can improve in this area:

Check rules 204 to 225 of The Highway Code
Read pages 136 to 141 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

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:

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

How you can improve in this area:

Check rules 162 to 169 of The Highway Code
Read pages 164 to 166 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

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

Examples of faults:

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

How you can improve in this area:

Read section 5 and 6 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)
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:

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

How you can improve in this area:

Check rule 126 of The Highway Code
Read pages 154 to 155 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills (2020 edition)

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:

Not giving way to road users that have the right of way
Reacting late when meeting an approaching vehicle

How you can improve in this area:

Check rules 162 to 169 of The Highway Code
Read pages 155 to 164 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

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:

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

How you can improve in this area:

Check rules 170 to 190 of The Highway Code
Read section 9 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

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

Using the observation - signal - maneuver (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 signaled when necessary. Your control of the bike should have prevented it from stalling.

Examples of faults:

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

How you can improve in this area:

Check rules 159 to 161 of The Highway Code
Read pages 89 to 90 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practicing 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 - maneuver (OSM) and the position - speed - look (PSL) routine

Pedestrian crossings¶

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

Examples of faults:

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

How you can improve in this area:

Check rules 191 to 199 of The Highway Code
Read pages 166 to 170 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practicing 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:

Partially or completely blocking a driveway
Obstructing other road users
Parking too far from the kerb

How you can improve in this area:

Check rules 239 to 252 of The Highway Code
Read pages 93 to 94 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practicing 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 center 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 center of your lane. You should have been positioned according to road markings and the direction you wish to take.

Examples of faults:

Riding too close to the kerb, putting pedestrians at risk
Riding for too long in the right-hand lane of a dual carriageway, for no reason
Straddling lanes causing issues for other road users

How you can improve in this area:

Check rules 127 to 132 of The Highway Code
Read pages 144 to 148 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

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

Identifying lane markings on the road
Using the observation - signal - maneuver (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:

Trying to move away with the side stand down
Starting the bike with the gear not in neutral

How you can improve in this area:

Check rule 97 of The Highway Code
Read pages 82 to 83 and section 4 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

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

Examples of faults:

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

How you can improve in this area:

Check rules 124 to 126 of The Highway Code
Read pages 216 to 218 of ‘

The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

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

Using the observation - signal - maneuver (OSM) and the position - speed - look (PSL) routine
Responding to changing road and traffic conditions

Signals¶

You were marked on:

Correct use: using your signals correctly
Canceling: canceling your signals when they are no longer needed

You should have signaled clearly and in good time. Your signals should have been canceled when they are no longer needed.

Examples of faults:

Failing to signal at a roundabout
Signaling too early or too late
Not canceling your signal after a maneuver

How you can improve in this area:

Check rules 103 to 106 of The Highway Code
Read pages 102 to 107 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Riding: the Essential Skills’ (2020 edition)

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

Using the observation - signal - maneuver (OSM) routine
Using your signals at different types of junctions