Ah, the dreaded driving test. After weeks (or months, or even years) of those nightmarish driving lessons, it all comes down to that one day with a usually grumpy-seeming examiner.
But the wait to get to that one day isn’t always particularly short in the UK.
Some learner drivers are raring and ready to go for months before they even get chance to get onto the car seat for their test.
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However, the whole test process could hopefully be improving to an extent as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has a whole list of changes coming for learner drivers in 2025.
Why the DVSA are making these changes
The DVSA revealed its plans earlier this week to try and cut down the mega amount of learner drivers waiting months for their driving test.
This includes a ‘seven-point plan’, which recognises that the government needs ‘to take action to fix the driving test booking system and get new drivers on the road’.
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Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood, said: “Passing your driving test is a life changing opportunity for millions – but sky-high waiting times for tests in recent years have denied that opportunity to too many people.”
She explained the scale of the backlog that’s been inherited is ‘huge’, but these new measures are a ‘crucial step’ to: “Tackle the long driving test wait times, protect learner drivers from being exploited, and support more people to hit the road.”
The aim is that the following changes will reduce the waiting time to seven weeks by December 2025.
Recruit and train 450 driving examiners
DVSA will recruit and train 450 new driving examiners across Great Britain.
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These were advertised on the Civil Service jobs site back in June and July, and in a second phase in September and October this year.
Review and improve the rules for booking driving tests
Taking ‘time to complete', the DVSA are going to make sure learners can book their test ‘easily and efficiently'.
To do so, the DVSA will:
- Launch a call for evidence about the current rules and processes, which DVSA did on Wednesday (18 December).
- Analyse the evidence and develop proposals to improve the rules and booking system.
- Run a consultation on the proposed improved rules.
- Introduce the improved rules - changing the law if necessary.
Introduce tougher terms and conditions
These new terms and conditions will come into force on 6 January and set out that only driving instructors or businesses that employ driving instructors can use the service to book car driving tests.
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If anyone breaks the terms and conditions, DVSA can:
- Issue them with a warning notice
- Suspend their account
- Close their account
Consult on new proposals to increase the amount of time people have to wait to book another test
Learners currently have to wait 10 working days before being able to book a new test and the consultation will set out the full details of the potential options to change this.
Increase the amount of notice you need to give to change or cancel a car driving test without losing the fee
It’s currently set at three working days but DVSA are going to increase this to 10 clear working days from spring 2025.
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This change will:
- Encourage people to change or cancel their test sooner if they’re not ready
- Give more chance for appointments to be used by someone else
Explore changing the current 24-week limit on how far ahead car driving tests can be booked
Currently set at 24 weeks, the DVSA are going to explore how it can change the limit on how far ahead you can book your test.
This could help make it better understood how many people want to take a test at each centre.
Encourage learner drivers to be better prepared for their driving test through the ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign
Rated as useful by 95 percent of users, the campaign encourages those not ready to pass to move their test back.
Jess Battison