The shake-up comes in 2025, for learner drivers, as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency introduces rules that they expect will reduce waiting times and help improve the testing process. The entire shake-up is in response to this growing backlog in tests, a situation enhanced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which left many hoping drivers waiting for up to five months for the chance to sit their practical tests.
As a new driver, it’s important to run a vehicle check on the car you’re interested in. This will provide you with historical information about the car, including its insurance group. The lower the group, the cheaper the insurance will be for a new driver. This report will also reveal a detailed history check, such as finance records or whether the car has been written off.
Tackling Long Waiting Times
One of the main focuses of the DVSA is to reduce the wait for learners to access their practical tests. The waiting time stands at around 13 weeks in Wales, over 15 weeks in Scotland, and nearly 21 weeks in England. To resolve this issue, the DVSA is to employ 450 new driving examiners, thereby increasing the available slots for tests, which would benefit most learners to be able to use the roads sooner.
Lilian Greenwood, minister for the future of roads, commented: “A driving licence is a passport to employment, opportunities, and better living standards for hundreds of thousands of people each year. Learners should be able to take a test when they are ready to pass, not be held back by systemic delays.”
Changes to Test Cancellations
Under the new rule, the cancellation process of a driving test will go through a significant change. It is currently possible for students to cancel their test with up to three days’ notice, and no penalty is imposed. But from 2025, learners will need to give at least 10 days’ notice to cancel their test without losing their fee. This change will try to reduce last-minute cancellation, reduce disturbances, and free up slots available for reallocation to other test-takers ready to take the test.
Rationalising the Test Booking System
Another significant area of reform is concerning the booking mechanism of driving tests. The DVSA has outlined plans to inspect and enhance the booking system along with specific steps to prevent test appointments from being resold. This has increasingly become a problematic issue because this usually results in unfair access to the test appointment and allows people to make some money at the expense of the learner driver.
To make the system more fair, the DVSA will introduce more stringent terms and conditions for the driver training businesses that manage test bookings. The changes are to make the booking process more efficient and prevent anyone or any business from taking advantage of learners trying to get test dates.
Furthermore, the DVSA is considering an increase in the test booking window for learners, increasing it beyond the current limit of 24 weeks. This will give learners greater certainty about the preparation they will need, which reduces stress over finding an available test slot.
Penalties for No-Shows and Abusive Behaviour
As part of a move to promote respect and responsibility, the DVSA is also consulting on the introduction of waiting periods that are longer before candidates can rebook a test in the following circumstances:
- Multiple serious or dangerous faults are made during a test
- Abuse of driving examiners
- Failure to attend a scheduled test without reason
In addition, individuals who fail to attend their test without notice might be liable to a penalty fee. The DVSA believes such measures will dissuade poor behavior that will make time for examiners respected and contribute to a better testing environment.
Expansion of the “Ready to Pass?” Campaign
To further support learner drivers, the DVSA will extend its successful “Ready to Pass?” campaign. This initiative guides and equips learners to prepare better for their driving tests. The campaign encourages candidates to take their tests only when they are ready, thus increasing first-time pass rates and reducing overall demand for the testing system.
A System in Transition
While intended to deal with current pitfalls within the driving test system, improvement will not happen overnight. “These measures are practical, targeted, and designed to address the issues facing the driving test system,” Greenwood said. “However, I must be clear: there is no quick fix. It will take time to tackle the root causes, fix the broken system, and build a robust framework for the future,”
Between April 2023 and March 2024, the DVSA carried out more than 2 million driving tests, while already 500,000 more have been booked for the next 24 weeks. All these efforts notwithstanding, reform is a need, and changes
