Mod 1 Manoeuvres Guide: All 8 Explained (UK 2026)

#The eight manoeuvres in order

On test day the examiner will brief you, then send you through the layout in roughly this order. Some MPTCs vary the sequence slightly, but every manoeuvre is mandatory. There are no choices and no skipping.

• 1. Wheeling the bike off the stand and parking it back on the stand
• 2. Slow ride alongside the examiner at walking pace
• 3. Slalom through five cones
• 4. Figure of eight around two cones
• 5. Cornering and a controlled stop in a target box
• 6. Cornering and an emergency stop at 32 mph (50 km/h on the test gun; 20 mph / 32 km/h for A1 and AM)
• 7. Cornering and a hazard avoidance swerve at the same speed
• 8. U-turn between two parallel lines

#Wheeling and parking the bike

The test starts with you wheeling the bike from a parked position to a marked spot, then parking it on the side stand. It is a footwork and bike handling check more than a riding skill. The examiner watches your balance, posture and how you control the weight of the bike. Most candidates pass this section without realising it has been scored.

The big trap here is that some candidates rush the wheeling section because they want to start the riding. Examiners notice if you wrestle the bike rather than walk it confidently. Take your time, keep both hands on the bars, and lift the stand fully before you move.

#The slow ride

You ride at walking pace alongside the examiner from one end of the manoeuvring area to the other. The distance is short, often only 10 to 15 metres. You must keep your foot off the floor for the entire stretch. Walking pace is around 3 mph, which feels glacial on a 600cc bike.

The technique is heavy clutch slip with a steady throttle. You ride the friction zone, with revs around 1500 to 2000 rpm, and use the rear brake to stabilise the bike. Looking up and far ahead is the trick. Riders who look at the front wheel always wobble and put a foot down within three seconds.

#The slalom

Five cones are placed in a straight line, around 4.5 metres apart. You weave through them, alternating left and right around each cone. Most training schools recommend around 10 to 12 mph (15 to 20 km/h), fast enough to commit to a lean but slow enough to stay in control. There is no DVSA-mandated speed for the slalom; missing or hitting a cone is what counts as a fail.

The detailed slalom guide breaks down body position and line. The headline tip is to look two cones ahead, not at the cone you are passing. Your bike follows your eyes.

#The figure of eight

Two cones placed about 6 metres apart. You weave a continuous figure of eight around them for two full laps. The trick is to keep momentum, slip the clutch and use head position to lead the bike round each cone. The full figure of eight guide covers the technique step by step.

#Cornering and the controlled stop

You ride a curving line through a marked corner, then bring the bike to a controlled stop within a marked target box on the far side. The corner sets up your line and balance. The stop tests your ability to bring a bike to rest precisely. The target box is roughly 1 metre by 2 metres. Stop short, long, or wide of the line and it is a serious fault.

Smooth braking matters more than fast braking on this manoeuvre. Use both brakes evenly, ease off as you slow, and put your left foot down first as you stop.

#Cornering and the emergency stop

You take the same corner, then accelerate to at least 32 mph (50 km/h on the test pad gun, which reads in km/h; A1 and AM only need 20 mph / 32 km/h) before a measurement line. The examiner signals (usually with a raised hand) and you brake as quickly and safely as possible to a stop. The speed gun checks you hit the target. Stopping distance is measured. A locked rear wheel or a long stop are both serious faults.

The full emergency stop guide covers the brake split (front 70 percent, rear 30 percent), the importance of warming the tyres on the lap before, and the head-up posture you need to keep balance.

#Cornering and the hazard avoidance

Same corner, same speed target, but instead of braking you swerve to a different lane to avoid a notional hazard. Two pairs of cones mark the entry and exit lanes. You commit to one side, swerve smoothly, then settle into the new line. The detailed hazard avoidance guide breaks down the body lean and target fixation pitfalls that catch most candidates.

#The U-turn

Two parallel lines mark a corridor about 7.5 metres wide. You ride to the far end, perform a full U-turn within the lines, and ride back. Foot down, line cross, or stalling is a fail. The U-turn is the biggest single fail-point on Mod 1. The full U-turn guide covers reference points, throttle control and head position.

#How to drill them all

You cannot replicate every Mod 1 manoeuvre in a public car park. What you can do is rent the actual MPTC layout (most centres have practice slots) or use a training school facility that mirrors the dimensions. Two practice sessions on a real layout in the week before your test is worth ten sessions on an improvised one. The test day guide covers what to expect on the morning, and the fail reasons breakdown shows where most candidates lose marks.

For licence-route context, see our A, A1 and A2 licences explainer, and if you are still on a CBT certificate the preparing for Mod 1 after CBT guide sets out the realistic timeline.

#Sources and further reading

The figures, fees, and procedures referenced in this article are verifiable on the official gov.uk pages below. PassRates.uk is built on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s open data, published under the Open Government Licence.

• If you fail your driving test (gov.uk)
• Change or cancel your driving test (gov.uk)
• Driving test manoeuvres (gov.uk)
• Motorcycle test (gov.uk)
• Driving test and theory test data, cars (gov.uk)
• Open Government Licence v3.0 (nationalarchives.gov.uk)