A full category A licence has no power restriction. Any bike, any capacity, pillion, motorways, permanently.
There are two ways in and which applies to you depends entirely on your age.
Route 1: Direct access, from 24
The Direct Access Scheme allows riders aged 24 or over to go straight from a CBT to a full category A licence without first obtaining an A1 or A2.
Step 1. CBT. A day of training. Every route starts here.
Step 2. Motorcycle theory test. Multiple choice and hazard perception.
Step 3. DAS training. Usually several days on a full-power machine with an approved instructor. This is the substantial part, because you are going from a 125 to a large bike in a short space of time.
Step 4. Module 1. Off road, on a manoeuvring area.
Step 5. Module 2. On road, around forty minutes with an examiner.
The practical tests must be taken on a motorcycle of at least 595cc, producing at least 50 kW (around 67 bhp) and weighing at least 180kg. In practice that means a mid-size naked like an MT-07 or an SV650, which is what most schools put you on.
Training costs for the A licence via direct access start from around £800. That figure varies by region and by how much training you need, so treat it as a floor rather than a quote.
Route 2: Progressive access, from 21
Available if you have held an A2 licence for two years.
Step 1. Hold A2 for two full years.
Step 2. Take Module 1 and Module 2 again on a bike meeting the full A specification: at least 595cc, 50 kW and 180kg.
No new theory test is required where you already hold one that is still valid, and the practical training is usually shorter than DAS because you have been riding a real motorcycle for two years.
Which route to take
The arithmetic is simpler than it looks.
24 or over, no motorcycle licence. Direct access. There is no reason to take A2 first.
Under 19. A1 or CBT until you turn 19, then A2.
19 to 21. A2 now. You cannot reach full A before 21 whatever you do.
22 or 23, holding A2 for two years. Progressive access at 21 was available and you may already have taken it. If not, waiting for 24 and going direct is often simpler.
22 or 23, no licence at all. Worth doing the sums. A2 now and progressive access later means two full sets of tests. Waiting until 24 means one. The question is whether you want to be riding in the meantime.
How long it takes
Most candidates complete CBT, theory, training, Module 1 and Module 2 within two to four months from a standing start. An intensive course can compress it to a single week of training plus the test slots.
The constraint is usually test availability rather than your own readiness, and it gets considerably worse in spring when everyone books at once. If you want to be riding by summer, start in January.
Direct access is the fastest route to an unrestricted licence if you are old enough, but it is not suitable for complete novices with no prior riding experience, and most schools recommend at least some riding background before attempting it.
That recommendation is worth taking seriously. Going from never having ridden to a 600cc-plus machine inside a week is achievable and is not the same as being ready for it.
Buying your first full-power bike
The licence permits anything. That does not make anything a sensible first purchase.
Depreciation is steepest on the bikes new full-licence holders want. A litre sportsbike bought in April and sold in October costs real money in the difference.
Insurance on a large bike for a newly qualified rider is substantial, and it is worth getting quotes before you commit rather than after.
Check the history before you buy. Big bikes attract the theft, the finance and the crash damage in roughly that order.
Consider what you ride. A great many riders with unrestricted licences are happiest on middleweight machines, and the licence being unrestricted does not oblige you to be.
What the 2026 consultation could change
The progressive access route is the specific thing under review.
The DVSA proposals, announced on 7 January 2026, include progressive access training that would allow riders to move up a licence category by completing a training course instead of repeat testing, with testing remaining an option rather than a requirement.
If that lands, moving from A2 to full A would mean a course rather than another Module 1 and Module 2. Nothing has changed yet and any change needs legislation, so anyone planning now should plan around the current rules.
FAQs
Can I get a full licence at 21?
Only through progressive access, which requires two years of holding A2. Direct access with no prior motorcycle licence starts at 24.
Do I need to hold A2 before direct access?
No. Direct access needs a CBT and a theory pass, not a prior motorcycle category.
Is the test harder than A2?
The format is identical. The bike is larger and heavier, which makes the slow-speed manoeuvres in Module 1 more demanding.
Does a full licence expire?
No. Renewal of the photocard itself is a separate administrative matter.