.1st Castle: School of motoring & motorcycle training in Portsmouth, Hampshire | Portsmouth driving school

Motorcycles

CBT - WHAT IS IT?

About compulsory basic training (CBT)

CBT stands for Compulsory Basic Training. CBT was introduced in 1990 to try and reduce the number of accidents in first time riders and it has been working well ever since.

The CBT is not designed to be a test but a training course where your instructor will at the end of the course decide upon your level of ability. As long as your ability reaches the safe basic standard required for a CBT you'll receive a certificate that is valid for 2 years. The idea is to get you through the CBT in a day but some people need a little extra time, with 1st Castle - if at the end of the day you don't feel confident or your instructor feels you require a little extra training you will receive a second day of training completely free of charge (this must however be taken on a weekday, if you wanted that second day on a weekend there would be a small charge).

The course lasts a whole day and covers 5 elements.

Element A - Introduction
Element B - practical on-site training
Element C - practical on-site riding
Element D - practical on-road training
Element E - practical on-road riding

The five elements have to be completed in sequence, although the order of the exercises within the element can be varied. You will only move on to the next element when your instructor is satisfied you have learnt the necessary theory and demonstrated the practical skills to a safe basic level. Trainees must, by law, receive a minimum two hour on-road ride in Element E.

You will need to complete CBT if:

You want to ride a moped (a moped has an engine not over 50 cc with maximum design speed not exceeding 50 kilometres per hour (km/h) which is approximately 31 miles per hour)
You want to ride a motorcycle.

Certificate of completion (DL 196)

When all five elements have been satisfactorily completed, a certificate of completion, called the DL196, is issued. This is a legal document which validates the relevant entitlements on your driving licence. It is important that the holder of a DL196 considers the following points: a DL196 certificate validating a provisional moped or provisional motorcycle entitlement lasts for two years - CBT will have to be retaken if both theory and practical tests are not passed within the two year certificate life

For moped entitlement only, if you pass your car driving test whilst your DL196 is still current or complete a CBT course and obtain a DL196 after passing your car test, the certificate is not subject to expiry, you will therefore need to keep your DL196 certificate safely. Please note that this applies to mopeds only, for riding motorcycles as a learner the DL196 remains valid for two years

Once you have your certificate you are advised to take additional training to pass your theory and practical tests and qualify for a motorcycle or moped licence. You must take the DL196 certificate with you when you go to your practical test.