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Factsheet 59 - May 2007

Motorcycle full licence: What the test involves

The full licence test is the practical riding test that restricted motorcycle licence holders must pass before 'graduating' to a full New Zealand motorcycle licence.

What does the full licence test involve?

The full licence test is designed to assess your:

  • basic riding skills
  • ability to recognise and respond to a range of common road hazards
  • ability to ride in higher speed zones.

The full licence test takes about one hour in total and is made up of three parts:

  • Part 1: basic riding (about 15 minutes)
  • Part 2: detecting and responding to riding hazards in built-up areas (about 20 minutes)
  • Part 3: detecting and responding to riding hazards in higher speed zones (about 10 minutes).

Time is also allowed for pre-test roadworthiness check of you motorcycle and for the testing officer to give you feedback on your performance.

How much does the test cost?

The application fee for a full licence is $44.30 (including GST). The test itself costs $70.80 (including GST). Should you fail the test and wish to re-sit, a new test fee must be paid.

How is the test is scored?

If you perform a riding skill to the required standard, you'll score a 'yes'. If you don't perform the skill to the required standard, a 'no' score will be recorded .

If you successfully completed part 1 (by achieving 80 percent or more 'yes' scores) to progress to parts 2 and 3 of the test. The testing officer will tell you the result of part 1 as soon as you have completed it.

If you successfully completed part 1, you will then need to score 80 percent or more across parts 2 and 3 to successfully pass the full licence test.

How is the test conducted

The testing officer won't ride with you on your motorcycle (that would be against the restricted licence conditions). They will follow you in a car or on another motorcycle. At locations where 'intercom' equipment is available, you will wear an earpiece so the testing officer can give you instructions during the test. Where this equipment isn't available, the testing officer will ask you to stop at specfic points throughout the test so they can give you more instructions.

During the test, you must ride safely and legally. You must also ride to suit the conditions and, where it's safe to do so, you must travel within 5 km/h - but never exceeding - the speed limit.

When might I fail the test?

Apart from failing to score the required 80 percent to pass the test, you may also fail (and the test will be terminated) in the following situations:

  • careless, reckless, dangerous or inconsiderate riding
  • any accident for which you are wholly or partly responsible
  • if you are unable to carry out the instructions given by the testing officer, because of lack of riding ability
  • exceeding the speed limit
  • failure to comply with give way rules or Give Way signs
  • failure to comply with traffic signals or Stop signs.

Preparing for the full licence test

During the test, you will be required to demonstrate safe riding behaviour across a wide range of traffic situations and road conditions. Because of this, you need to have a skill level where you are able to ride on all types of road and in all traffic conditions.

The things that you'll be aksed to do in the test are designed to see if you can safely handle riding situations that present the greatest crash risk to New Zealand motorcyclists in their first five years of riding.

To prepare for part 2 of the test, you will also need to practise detecting hazards that you may see when riding. You should practise until you can confidently and clearly identify and remember traffic hazards (for more detail about part 2, see below).

Pre-test roadworthiness check

You need to provide the motorcycle that you'll ride for the test. (Note that you must sit the test on a motorcycle, not a moped or all-terrain vehicle (ATV).)

Your motorcycle will be checked for roadworthiness before the test begins. If it isn't roadworthy - even if it has a current WoF - the test won't proceed and you'll need to book and pay for another test. (The test fee won't be refunded.)

The roadworthiness check includes:

  • Licence label and WoF: The motorcycle must display a current licence label and a current WoF label.
  • Tyres and wheels: The motorcycle's tyres must have legal tread depth and no uneven wear. The wheels must appear undamaged.
  • Indicators: The indicators must operate correctly and all lenses must be intact.
  • Brake lights: The brake lights must operate correctly and all lenses must be intact.
  • Headlights: The high and low beams must operate and the lenses must be intact.
  • Horn: The horn must operate satisfactorily.

It's good practice to get into the habit of checking your motorcycle regularly for things that may be deteriorating or broken. There's excellent information on this, and other aspects of motorcyclist safety, in the motorcyclists' section of our website.

Do I need to carry my driver licence for the test?

Yes, you must always carry your licence with you when riding. If you can't produce your restricted driver licence, you won't be allowed to sit the full licence test. You'll need to rebook the test (and pay the fee again).

Remember:

  • Don't be late. If you're more than five minutes late, your test will be cancelled and you'll have to book and pay again to sit the test at a later date.
  • Make sure your motorcycle is roadworthy and has enough fuel in it to last for the 45 minute ride.
  • Bring your restricted licence with you.

The full licence test for motorcyclists

During all parts of the full licence test, the testing officer will be checking your riding ability again the following behaviours.

  • Search: that you search forward, to both sides and behind to identify potential hazards.
  • Signal use: that you use signals, applied in the appropriate direction for a minimum of three seconds before turning, changing lanes and merging.
  • Head checks: that you check over your shoulder in the appropriate direction before turning merging or changing lanes.
  • Braking: that you brake smoothly and effectively.
  • Speed control: that you adopt a safe and legal speed throughout the test.
  • Position: that you position the motorcycle in a safe and legal position at all times.
  • Gap selection: that you select an appropriate gap in traffic before moving into traffic flows, moving through intersections and merging.

Part 1: Test of basic riding

Part 1 confirms that you have developed the basic safe riding skills needed to deal with the four most common crash situations for motorcyclists in their first five years of riding:

  • riding in a straight line
  • riding through intersections
  • turning left at 90-degree intersections
  • turning right at 90-degree intersections.

You'll be asked to perform these riding skills on roads with and without painted centrelines, at intersections with and without Give Way and Stop signs, in speed zones of up to 60 km/h, and in all types of traffic.

Part 2: Detecting and responding to riding hazards in built-up areas

Part 2 of the test requires you to show that you can detect and respond to riding hazards in built-up areas (eg, in and around towns and suburban areas), where speed zones range up to 60 km/h. You can expect to be riding on streets and roads where there are a lot of intersections, traffic and pedestrians.

In part 2, the testing officer will be looking at the same things as in part 1, but will also be checking the way you detect hazards.

A hazard is anything that is moving or has the potential to move that could pose a clear and direct threat to you (the rider) in carrying out the manoeuvre (eg other vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrians, animals, other road users such as cyclists).

In order for the testing officer to determine if you have detected the hazards during a riding manoeuvre, they will ask you to observe and remember the major hazards that you detected as you perform each riding manoeuvre.

As soon as possible after each manoeuvre, the testing officer will ask you to pull over and stop in a safe location on the side of the road). They will then ask you to verbally describe the hazards you saw while performing the manoeuvre and where those hazards were. This will indicate to the testing officer your awareness of riding hazards.

For example, if you had been asked to make a right-hand turn at a busy intersection, the testing officer would expect you to describe the things that provided a direct or potential hazard to you in performing the manoeuvre and the direction where those hazards were located in relation to you, such as cars to the left, dog on footpath on left, pedestrians crossing the road ahead, oncoming car, car behind or cyclist ahead.

In order to score the maximum marks, the hazards that you describe must match those the testing officer noted. You must also have performed the riding manoeuvre safely and legally.

During part 2 of the test you will be required to perform each of the following riding manoeuvres at least once:

  • U-turn
  • turning left at an intersection when facing a Give Way or Stop sign
  • turning right at an intersection when facing a Give Way or Stop sign
  • turn right at an uncontrolled intersection (when not facing a Give Way or Stop sign).

Part 3: Detecting and responding to riding hazards in higher speed zones

Part 3 of the test requires you to show that you can ride in higher speed zones, where the speed limits range from 70 km/h to 100 km/h. You can expect to be riding on sections of highways, major roads and motorways.

As in parts 1 and 2, your ability to demonstrate safe and legal riding skills will be tested across a variety of traffic situations, including:

  • riding straight
  • riding around curves
  • merging into traffic flows.

What if I have hearing, speech or language difficulties?

If you have hearing or speech difficulties, or can't understand or speak English well, special arrangements can be made for you to complete the full licence test - see your driver licensing agent.

Where you can find out more