Upgrade Provisional License

Tij da feen

Hey lads,

Just a quick query about upgrading a provisional A2 to a Provisional A.

Got an A2 license over a year and a half ago but I'm now over 24. Is it just a case of filling out a form with the NDLS to change it to an A?

I'd rather not have to do the test then wait to get the A. If I could get the A provisional and then the A license it'd be much handier.

Cheers!

Free-2-Flow

Tij da feen wrote:

Got an A2 license over a year and a half ago but I'm now over 24. Is it just a case of filling out a form with the NDLS to change it to an A?

As far as I know you still have to do progression, I think you need to do a phase of IBT that is left out for an A2, you might need to go back to your IBT instructor.

Free-2-Flow

Tij da feen wrote:

I'd rather not have to do the test then wait to get the A. If I could get the A provisional and then the A license it'd be much handier.

When you done your IBT for an A2 he would not have signed you off on a bike bigger than 47bhp, An A licence requires a minimum of 54bhp therfore you are not qualified to ride an A category bike, you'll have to go back and do that part of your IBT

cantdecide

You can go to the NDLS with an app form and €35 and add category A to your permit now that you're over 24. You can then take your cat A permit and take the IBT upgrade. You can then apply to take the cat A test (ie a driving test on a cat A bike).


Tip: Bear in mind that the new permit you get will expire at the same time as the old one unless you're within 3 months of renewing your current permit in which case they'll renew it and add cat A - it may be worth your while to hold on for a bit and renew your current permit and add A- that would cost the same now and you wouldn't be revisiting the NDLS again to renew the permit and paying another €35 in a few months.

frozenfrozen

If you haven't done the IBT yet then you can just add the A category for 35 euro and then do the IBT as normal

you would have to repeat the IBT on an A bike if you have already done it.. or else do the 2 year wait and progression module... and fcuk that

johnmolly92

Just about to upgrade to A from A2 as well!

frozenfrozen wrote: »

If you haven't done the IBT yet then you can just add the A category for 35 euro and then do the IBT as normal

I have my A2 learner permit that is in date. I dont need to pass the theory test again to add cat A to this right?

frozenfrozen

I think it would depend how old your theory test is, they will have yours on file and if it's still in date then they'll let you go to the A license. ring them and they'll be able to tell you straight away if you give your driver number from your current provisional

johnmolly92

frozenfrozen wrote: »

I think it would depend how old your theory test is, they will have yours on file and if it's still in date then they'll let you go to the A license. ring them and they'll be able to tell you straight away if you give your driver number from your current provisional

Cheers mate!

I passed the theory just over a year ago so hopefully it should be ok. I'll give them a buzz to double check.

Free-2-Flow

frozenfrozen wrote:

I think it would depend how old your theory test is, they will have yours on file and if it's still in date then they'll let you go to the A license. ring them and they'll be able to tell you straight away if you give your driver number from your current provisional

The age of the Theory test is irrelevant, I done my theory test 11 years previous to getting my bike licence

frozenfrozen

Free-2-Flow wrote: »

The age of the Theory test is irrelevant, I done my theory test 11 years previous to getting my bike licence

I had to do a second theory test last year for the bike with bike specific questions.. Had only done the car one a few years earlier I think it changed

Free-2-Flow

frozenfrozen wrote:

I had to do a second theory test last year for the bike with bike specific questions.. Had only done the car one a few years earlier I think it changed

I done a car one 11 years ago, never done one for my bike licence, got my bike licence last September

cantdecide

The original theory test from '01 to '06 covered both cars and bikes so anyone that might have taken it and passed a car test would not have to do the bike specific theory test today In that respect, they never expire. In the same way that if someone took the car theory test today and went on to pass the car test wouldn't have to re-take the theory test for the BE category even way into the future.

robinwing

frozenfrozen wrote: »

If you haven't done the IBT yet then you can just add the A category for 35 euro and then do the IBT as normal

you would have to repeat the IBT on an A bike if you have already done it.. or else do the 2 year wait and progression module... and fcuk that

How exactly does the 2 year wait and progression module work ? can anybody explain it please ?

cantdecide

robinwing wrote: »

How exactly does the 2 year wait and progression module work ? can anybody explain it please ?

Basically 'progression module' or 'take more IBT' or 'upgrade your IBT' all means the same thing - further mandatory IBT training with a registered trainer.

Unlike car licences where a car is a car and you do your EDT lessons to cover all cars; when it comes to bikes, if you start out an a small bike and train for that small bike, when you want to go for, say a medium size bike you would have to get more mandatory training for the medium bike. If you want to go for a large bike, you would then have to take mandatory training again for the big bike. Essentially, if you want to start with smaller bike, you can't move up to bigger bikes without getting trained for them. However, this is inefficient- you should go for the biggest bikes available to you depending on your age and circumstance (eg ability to get insurance).

If you're between 18 and 24 you can't start on anything bigger than a medium size (A2 category) bike. If you're over 24, you can go for any size bike but the most efficient thing is go straight for the large bike (A category).

For arguments sake, let's say you fall into one of these two categories 1) you're between 18 and 24 OR for whatever reason, you're not motivated to get anything bigger than a medium sized bike. What you can do is 1) get your theory test sorted) 2) get your learner permit for A2, take IBT for A2 and then pass the bike test for cat A2 and add your full A2 entitlement to your full licence.

What you can do at this point is ride your medium size bike using your A2 licence for 2 years*. After this, you can go back to the NDLS and get a learner permit for category A (big bike), go back to your trainer and take the training for category A and bring your new IBT cert to the NDLS and have the full A added to your licence - effectively, your trainer has granted you your full A licence without having to take an official driving test through 'progressive access'- you progress from A2 to A under the care of your instructor.

If you don't take IBT in the relevant category, you basically haven't validated that learner category and it's illegal to ride while not under instruction from a trainer.

EDIT: How is all this policed?

If you're underage and/ or you're underage and haven't had a full licence in a smaller category showing on your full licence, the NDLS won't issue you the learner category. If you're overage for the learner category (eg over 24 for cat A) and you add the category to your permit - when you apply for a driving test in a category for which you have not been trained, the RSA will check your file before issuing a test date and if don't have IBT, you won't be issued a test date so you stay in limbo with a learner category you've never validated.

Remember- even if you don't have (or maybe can't insure big bikes), you can hire them from your instructor for the purpose of passing tests.




*However, if you're over 24, or become 24 in the meantime, you can get an A permit, get the A IBT training, apply for and pass an A test and add the full A to your licence.

robinwing

Many thanks Cantdecide for the explanation