DVSA Consultation

2026 has brought another round of DVSA’s consultations about the future of motorcycle training. To put this in some context there were consultations in 2015 and 2017 – neither of which produced anything of note.

The principal thrusts of the current one are:

• Theory Test – should riders take a Theory Test before they can take a CBT
• CBT – limiting its lifespan to one year
• Teaching – having a mandatory 30-minute break while on the road during element E (the two-hour road ride)
• Qualification – making the CBT and DAS qualification for instructors one assessment, and then having a separate supervisory grade assessment
• Manual/Automatic – making the CBT certificate specific to the type of machine used (currently you can take the CBT on an automatic but still use a geared motorcycle)
• Progressive Access – allowing training schools to upgrade an A2 licence to a full DAS without the need for the rider to take the Module 1 & 2 tests again
• CBT syllabus – reviewing the CBT syllabus and allowing the DVSA to make changes without the need for an act of parliament
• Digital CBT certificate – instead of receiving a paper certificate people who complete the CBT will receive a digital certificate

The consultation period ends on the 31 March 2026, thereafter it is referred back to the DVSA and interest groups. As this will require an act of parliament it will then follow the normal White Paper route before being debated and becoming legislation. Typically, legislation is rarely retrospective – in other words anyone with a CBT certificate will not suddenly lose a year or be restricted from riding a geared bike. Time also needs to be allowed for people like the DVSA to update their publications and website, and for training companies to make similar changes. Taken in the round it would seem unlikely that anything new will happen within the next 18 – 24 months. Or at all – if the government changes these are the sort of proposals that get dropped or lost.

As a training school we have our views on these topics – we would be very interested to hear yours: