Motorcycle Module 2 Pass Rates: Easiest and Hardest Centres

#The national picture for Module 2

Module 2 pass rates across the UK have run between roughly 50 and 60 percent in recent years for full A category tests, with A2 tests typically a few points higher. That is broadly in line with the car test national pass rate of around 48 percent, though bike data has more noise because the test counts are lower. A small rural centre might run 30 Module 2 tests a quarter, where a busy London centre might run 30 in a fortnight.

The top-line figure hides a wide range. Urban centres in dense traffic regularly produce pass rates in the high 30s to low 40s for Module 2. Rural centres, especially in Wales, Scotland and the West Country, often run in the high 50s and occasionally cross 65 percent. That is a gap of more than 20 percentage points for the same test conducted to the same standards.

#Why the gap is wider for bikes than cars

Three reasons. First, bike tests are more sensitive to traffic density than car tests. Filtering through stationary cars on a London arterial is a skill, and the chance to make a mistake is higher in dense traffic. Second, route length matters more on a bike. Forty minutes of urban riding produces more potential fault moments per minute than forty minutes of country B-road. Third, the U-turn manoeuvre is much harder on a busy multi-lane city road than on a quiet rural one. Examiners try to be fair across centres, but the underlying difficulty does shift.

On the easiest centres ranking for car tests, the names that appear are mostly Scottish island centres, small Welsh towns, and a handful of West Country and East Anglian centres. The motorcycle equivalent looks similar, with the addition that some Northern Irish bike centres tend to outperform the GB average. The hardest centres ranking is dominated by London centres, parts of Birmingham, and the inner urban areas of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds.

#Easiest places to take Module 2

The pattern that gives a Module 2 candidate the best statistical odds is: small centre, low traffic density, simple road layout, no large multi-lane roundabouts on the standard routes. Small Welsh and Scottish centres often tick all four boxes. Some examples that have run high Module 2 pass rates in recent quarters include centres in mid-Wales, the Highlands, and parts of the South West. The full list is updated quarterly and worth checking on the easiest ranking page.

Travelling for an easier test is a real option for bike candidates because most riders are willing to ride 60 or 90 minutes to reach a centre. The car-test equivalent of this is well covered in the travel for an easier test guide, and the same logic applies to Module 2. The trade-off is unfamiliar routes versus higher headline pass rates. For a bike candidate the right answer often comes down to confidence on the manoeuvres rather than route familiarity.

#Hardest places to take Module 2

London centres tend to run the lowest Module 2 pass rates, often in the high 30s to low 40s. Inner Birmingham, parts of inner Manchester, and dense areas of Greater Liverpool follow a similar pattern. The reasons are predictable: heavy traffic, complex multi-lane roundabouts, bus lane networks, and route layouts that force U-turns onto busier roads than a small town would. The London city page breaks out the individual centre figures.

Specific London-only fault patterns include bus lane infringement (extensive bus network, easy to misread the operating hours), lane discipline on multi-lane roundabouts (Hangar Lane and the major junctions are deceptive), and observation in cycle traffic (London has one of the densest cycle networks in the UK). A more detailed breakdown is in the Mod 2 London tips guide.

#Urban versus rural patterns

The single biggest variable for a Module 2 candidate is whether the centre is urban or rural. Urban centres test you on traffic management. Rural centres test you on speed control and road position at higher speeds, with B-road bends and the occasional A-road dual carriageway. Both are legitimate tests, but they exercise different skills and reward different practice patterns.

• Urban Module 2: filtering, lane discipline, multi-lane roundabouts, bus lane awareness, U-turn in tight spaces
• Rural Module 2: speed sensitivity on B-roads, hazard reading on bends, road position around farm vehicles, U-turn on a wider road
• Mixed centres (suburban): a bit of both, often the fairest test of overall riding skill

The mixed suburban centres tend to produce the most consistent Module 2 results. Cardiff, Newcastle, Bristol and Edinburgh all sit in this category. Pass rates at these are usually a few points above the UK national average without dropping into easy territory.

#Should you book by pass rate?

Booking solely on the published pass rate is rarely the right call for a bike candidate. The lower-pass-rate centres often have shorter waits and friendlier examiners, and the higher-rate centres can be far enough away that you are riding an unfamiliar bike on unfamiliar roads. The bigger lever for most candidates is hours practised on the type of road they will be tested on. A small rural centre is no help if every fault you make is a U-turn fault.