DVSA Driving Test Rule Changes 2026: Dates set for new guidelines for arranging driving tests
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has said that new criteria for driving tests will go into effect in the next few months. The goal is to make the booking system more fair.
The DVSA announced that starting on May 12, only learner drivers will be able to book, change, or exchange a car driving test. Starting on June 9, there will be restrictions on changing the location of a booked exam.
This new modification will only let learners move their test to the three centers that are closest to where they booked it.
Simon Lightwood, the Minister of Roads, claimed the change will cut down on long waiting lists and stop slots from being sold at high costs. “Learners deserve clear, honest access to tests—not being ripped off by third-party sites,” Lightwood said. “Learning to drive is hard enough without a booking system that isn’t fair.”These reforms give learners back control, stop the system from being rigged, and make sure that tests go to the people who genuinely need them.I’m glad that the DVSA is doing something to make things more equitable and help learners become safe, confident drivers.
Instructors can now book tests for their students, but this will not be allowed after the modifications go into effect.
In December, a BBC investigation showed that some driving instructors are being offered up to £250 a month to sell their official test-booking login data to touts.
Touts would then use these login data to book a lot of driving tests and offer them to people who wanted to learn how to drive on WhatsApp and Facebook, charging up to £500 for exams.
The cost of tests is £62 on weekdays and £75 on weekends, evenings, and bank holidays.
The modifications that will happen in May and June will solely affect driving exams for cars. The DVSA claimed that there won’t be any changes for students who book vocational or motorbike tests online.
It said that the move would be a “big change” for driving instructors.The DVSA added, “People abusing the booking system has made it harder for us to offer slots fairly.”Based on the evidence, we’ve made a choice. Our consultation showed that most learners desired full control, so we’ve taken steps to put fairness for learners first and stop exploitation.We understand that reasonable professionals disagree on this, and we respect that.
Richard Holden, the Conservative shadow transport secretary, said that Labour was “tinkering with the booking system while tens of thousands are stuck.”Holden told the BBC that these adjustments don’t even begin to address the real issue. “This government has L-plates on—it’s making too many promises, not keeping them, and leaving Britons stuck in the slow lane.”
It said that these modifications in May and June would mean that learners would only have to pay the amount that the DVSA really charges.
Beverley Warmington, the new head of the DVSA, said, “Our top priority is to stop third parties from taking advantage of learners and give them control over booking their driving test.”
It follows the DVSA’s earlier announcement that starting on March 31, a trainee driver will only be able to change their automobile driving test booking twice instead of six times.
The government claimed in November that the change will only let novice drivers book driving tests. This was part of an attempt to cut down on large waiting lines and stop people from selling slots at high costs.
The most recent changes are meant to make it difficult for people to use automated programs, or “bots,” to quickly book available spaces and then sell them for a profit.
The National Audit Office (NAO) also said in November that trainee drivers may have to wait months to book practical tests because of a backlog caused by the Covid-19 outbreak that won’t be cleared until November 2027.
The NAO noted that due of the pandemic, there were 1.1 million tests that did not happen in the 2020/21 financial year.