The Driving Test

When the country first went into lockdown back in March, the DVSA rescheduled every upcoming test that was booked. Initially some of these were booked for May and June, but as the length of the lockdown increased these tests were again rescheduled for later in the year.

So what’s the latest?

After weeks of speculation as to when driving tests will actually go ahead, the DVSA have finally made an announcement. Due to the unique social distancing challenges that the driving test presents, the DVSA have decided to cancel ALL driving tests with immediate effect. They have several reasons for this:

• the dates given may not have been suitable for either the candidate or the instructor
• the DVSA cannot be certain how many examiners they will have available when testing begins
• it is uncertain as to the testing capacity of each test centre (for example, it’s not uncommon to see 5 or 6 tests going out at one time in regular conditions – 6 candidates, with 6 intructors and 6 examiners – 18 people in a very small room can’t social distance!)

What happens next?

Once the DVSA have decided on when tests will resume and what the availability will be, they will then invite the candidates who have had tests cancelled to rebook. This will be done in small batches to avoid overloading the system. When all of these candidates have rebooked their test the system will then be opened up to the general public to book their driving test. At the moment we have no further information as to when tests will begin again.

What if I’m a critical worker?

Critical/key worker tests will still go ahead as planned. If you are classed as a critical worker you can still make an application for a test by visiting https://www.gov.uk/apply-emergency-driving-test

The Theory Test

At present theory tests are suspended until the 3rd July 2020. The DVSA have been postponing the theory test by just a week or two at a time so this date may change. If you have a theory test booked before this date then the DVSA will contact you directly to rearrange. The DVSA is still taking theory test bookings which you can do at www.gov.uk/book-theory-test.

What about driving lessons?

We hope you and your family are all staying safe during this time, and we know it’s frustrating for those who want to have lessons and get their driving licence. At the moment the only people that are allowed to take driving lessons are critical workers who already have an emergency test booked. Anyone else is not permitted to take a driving lesson with an instructor. There is no guidance yet as to when lessons may resume, we will update you again when we no more. We appreciate your patience during this time and as soon as it’s safe to do we’ll be back on the road!