New Changes to the Driving Test 2023

Today (30 March 2023), we are announcing changes we are planning to make to the booking system in summer 2023.

These changes are aimed at encouraging learner drivers to only book and take their driving test when they are properly prepared.

The statistics from February 2023 show that around 53% of learner drivers are failing their car driving test and driving examiners are having to physically intervene in 1 in 8 tests for safety reasons. This suggests that more than half are not ready to take their test or drive safely and responsibly on their own.

These changes are intended to help improve pass rates, make more tests available for learners who are ready and help to reduce driving test waiting times.

They are part of a package of measures that were publicly consulted on in 2022. The changes include:

extending the period that those who fail their car test have to wait before booking another test from 10 to 28 clear working days. This will give learners the time to undertake additional learning, training and experience which will increase the likelihood of them passing their next test. We also foresee this having a positive impact on car test waiting times.

extending the notice period during which a cancelled car test will result in a lost fee, from 3 to 10 clear working days. We are extending the notice period to encourage learners who need more practice, to give DVSA more notice when cancelling. This will give better prepared learners more chance to take advantage of short-notice test appointments.
Why we are planning to make these changes
Many of you have told us that some learner drivers want to pass their driving test as quickly and cheaply as possible and that you’ve been unable to stop pupils booking a test before they are ready. We are planning to make these changes because we think they’ll:

encourage learner drivers to be better prepared for their driving test
help to reduce the number of driving test appointments that are wasted
make more tests available for your pupils who are properly prepared
make it easier for you to find tests that are cancelled at short notice for your pupils who are properly prepared
give your pupils who fail the time they need to properly prepare for their next test
What you and your pupils told us
Your pupils told us that:

1 in 3 learners told us this would encourage them to only book their test when they are ready, even if waiting times remained the same as now.
42.8% of learners said this measure would encourage them to only book their test when ready, even if waiting times were reduced. That's more than those who said it would not change their behaviour (42.2%).
37.1% of driving instructors agreed with increasing the number of days your pupils will have to wait to rebook from 10 to 28.
46.8% of driving instructors agreed with increasing the short notice cancellation period from 3 to 10 days.
You can read through the full results report on GOV.UK

When these changes are happening
We will need to work with Parliament to change the law to allow us to introduce these changes. We plan to introduce these in summer 2023.

We will provide you with regular updates on our progress and will contact you and your pupils when the date is confirmed.

How we plan to work with you
We also consulted on mandating the displaying of certificates when you take your pupils to test and providing consumer information to learner drivers. These measure will require changes to legislation in Parliament, the timetable to do this is still to be determined.

We know that some of you may be concerned about how some of these measures will affect you and the driving instructor industry.

In the coming days, we will publish a blog post to talk about how we plan to work with you and the driving instructors National Association of Strategic Partnership (NASP) to:

raise the recognition of the ADI certificate and the professionalism of qualified ADIs
understand and overcome the barriers to displaying ADI certificates
start to explore what consumer information that you would support being made available to help learner drivers and their family and friends to make informed choices
We will inform you when the blog post is published.

Other measures
The other measures that were consulted on were:

exploring changes to how we carry out the eyesight tests
mandating ADIs displaying their certificate on test
providing better information to learner drivers about driving instructors and their performance
explore creating digital pass certificates for practical and theory tests
00:00 Introduction
00:19 Reason for Changes
01:13 Increased waiting time between test
02:15 Time frame to cancel driving without loosing test fee

[naginenipavankumar]

I agree with the second point as well,

Because, Dvsa knew would have observed that (and it is real as well practically) Some od f the driving tests slots are going waste if one cancels their test in 3 days of time and of no one books them.

Ideally yes everybody looks after cancellations But these people who wait for these also have a wish that If I get the cancellation slot a week before He/She would have much time to put some extra effort in that week. So this is the idea behind that second condition I think. This is to give some extra room on cancellation slots to the people looking after those.

[mitchconnerandsometimesjlotoo]

No of course not, it will add stress about costs even more. As for the 10 days cancellation that's a joke, how many times have we had a last minute cancellation due to the examiner and some of us need flexibility. The d v s a is a joke.

[johndd]

Oh, good luck to those taking the test from the summer onwards...

And hope you're well, mate - sorry I haven't been online recently - back full time in the office, so busy once again 😭

[theriddler]

what they need to do is only allow those who have passed there theory test and once that is done only there driving instructor shud be able to to book the test date and time once spoken to the learner.

[lancethrust]

IN 2002 . NORRIS GREEN WAS 6 WEEK WAIT, SO I RANG SOUTHPORT AND THEY SAID WE GOT SLOT TOMMOROW, I SAID NO BOOKED FOR 1 WEEK LATER HAD 7 LESSONS AND PASSED !!!

[abuasaedomer]

Thank you sir ❤
So what about theory test is there any changes this summer as well? And which theory test app you advise us to read

[milanpaudel]

I agree with the 4 week waiting time to book another driving test after failing, as it gives other learners (those who are ready) time to book a test within those 4 weeks, although, I do not agree with the cancelling timeframe (10 days).

I understand, that it is useful for other learners (again, those who are ready) who can use those cancellations if they are sooner than later, but, it does not help the pupil who might need to cancel their test later than sooner.

[boredhatchi]

I'm okay with the wait time when you failed.. but the wait time to cancel is contradictory to the goal of getting more open slots.. Whoever group of people behind this change are not in the right thinking!

[rain_grg]

how is 28 days become a full 6 weeks i didnt get that ?

[TheLewmen]

It's about time, it'll stop all the I am ready after one lesson learners 😂

[nicholasdrivingacademy]

I blame the pandemic test waiting times and some instructors offering pass in week etc be honest how many novice pupils can learn in a week worse still are they safe. I think a lot instructors are worried about triggering a standard check. DVSA should make it compulsory display ADI badge it might deter some dodgy ADI's bringing up pupils who are clearly not ready! Most ADI's good honest always few bad apples who spoil it!

[ImranAli-hgfm]

DVSA better change their name to ROBBERY Test centre.

[danmclellan-yiur]

No it won’t change anything the DVSA are taking the mick

[User]

I don't agree with two of these new changes. These are not going to make any changes in anyway. Nonsense.

[DouglasLeme-brls]

Again..an other decision without any sense... I failed 3 x.. I got 30 years experience driving... these examinator and government don't want drivers.. they want robots driving on day test.. 45 minutes driving waiting for a mistake to fail you.. these guys don't drive how they want..cos is human being.. drive should be comfortable, on day test is not... 5 minutes is enough to watch who does drive and who doesn't... it should change...

[fabianoabate]

Of course no. The more we wait the more rust we get and so less confident and prone to fail!

[y_strikes]

Second rule is just money making scheme

[carpelogg]

Lousy instructors cause learners to fail.