Welcome to your Advanced Riding Course
The information in this Associate’s Library is simply intended only to supplement the material provided by IAM RoadSmart. Sometimes viewing a particular riding skill from a different perspective can be helpful to the way that you learn, retain and practice your advanced riding skills. Good luck with your course. If you get stuck, ask your Observer to suggest what might be helpful to you.
Road safety is every road user’s business. Keeping yourself and others safe on public roads is the duty of every citizen. This page contains specific advice for riders. It is essential that every advanced rider understands the contents of this page. It also helps you to share your knowledge with others. Anything that you don’t understand can be discussed with a SAM Observer and our Chief Observer.
Associate Guidelines
What’s included in my first year’s IAM Roadsmart membership fee?
- IAM RoadSmart membership for one year.
- Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists (SAM) Group subscription for one year.
- A copy of the Advanced Rider Course Logbook
- The IAM RoadSmart Test fee
- Access to SAM’s voluntary observer team.
Once you have passed your advanced rider test, you become a full Member of IAM RoadSmart. After 12 months from joining as an Associate, to remain a certified advanced rider, annual subscriptions for BOTH IAM RoadSmart and SAM have to be paid.
How does the Advanced Rider course work?
When we receive notification that you have purchased your course, we enrol you in our Group. Our Chief National Observer/Guidance Secretary will contact you to arrange an initial first ride assessment which provides a benchmark for your ongoing development.
On completion of the first ride assessment you will be allocated with an Observer. Your Observer will then contact you to agree a mutually convenient time and location to meet (we normally meet on a Saturday morning at Meadowhall Retail Park in Sheffield, but you and your observer may wish to make other arrangements, subject to availability).
All our Observers are unpaid volunteers, and in return for them providing you with guidance on the knowledge, skill, attitude and understanding required to ride at an advanced level, the expectation is that you will make a £10 contribution to the Observer for each Observed ride. This is to help cover the Observer’s running costs.
How long will it take for me to be allocated to an Observer?
Observers are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. If we do have to put you on a waiting list, we will keep in touch with updates. You should not have to wait more than three months, in most cases the time will be shorter than this.
How many observed rides will it take to become ready for the Test?
There is no set number of observed rides for an Associate to become Test ready; it depends partly on your own experience, but mainly on how much you can practise, and how quickly you can learn from your Observer. Some people can achieve Test standard after 8 – 10 observed rides. When you are test ready, we will arrange a pre-test assessment and either recommend you for test or make further suggestions for your ongoing development.
What does the Test involve?
The Advanced Riding Test is carried out by an Examiner allocated by IAM RoadSmart When ready for test, applications are submitted on-line by yourself. IAM RoadSmart will then contact you with details of your Examiner. The Examiner will then reach out to you to arrange to meet you for your Test.
The Advanced Riding Test consists of a ride of up to one hour in duration. The test is carried out on different types of roads, including country lanes, built up urban areas, dual carriageways and motorways. The Examiner will also expect you to have a good understanding of the Advance Rider Course material as well as the Highway Code and will ask questions accordingly.
What happens after I take my Test?
After you have taken your Test, please let your Observer know the result as soon as possible. We expect it will be the good news that you have passed, in which case you will become a full Member of the Group. IAM RoadSmart will send your certificate directly to your home address – you can bring it along to a Group meeting so that it can be formally presented to you, if you wish.
Should you fail, don’t despair, please consider the experience as part of your development, as constructive feedback will be given by the Examiner.
There is no minimum time before a further test can be taken. You will need to pay a re-test fee to IAM RoadSmart, and possibly renew your IAM RoadSmart and Group membership if your guidance has exceeded the 12 month time limit.
Whatever happens, remember that you will end up as a better, safer rider.
Read, understand, share!
- Overtaking
- Roundabouts
- Corners
- Slow Riding
- Filtering
- Weather
ADVANCED RIDER TRAINING ADVICE
General advice
Before you hit the road!
Training Guides
Training forms
Advanced Rider Test
Other Information