DVSA announces major plans for driving tests as motorists deal with months of delays and 'exploitation'

The proposals focus on who should be allowed to book and manage driving tests, and how tests can be managed, including whether to limit or remove the ability to swap tests between different learners or change test locations.

The consultation launch follows DVSA's recent call for evidence about booking and managing practical car driving tests, which received almost 27,000 responses.

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Almost a third of learners, newly-qualified drivers and their parents or guardians who responded said they had used an unofficial booking service to get earlier test dates, paying an average of £122.

Most driving instructors and schools who responded said they swap tests when a learner isn't ready or when an earlier date becomes available. The high demand for driving tests has changed how people use DVSA's online services.

Car practical test waiting times remain long owing to an increase in demand and low learner driver confidence in driving test availability, resulting in a change in their booking behaviour.

Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood, commented on the importance of the consultation, saying that driving provided a vital link to jobs, social opportunities and a strong economy.

The Labour MP for Nottingham South added: "This consultation is an important move towards giving learners more say over how and where they can book, alongside setting out options to better enable DVSA to block bots from stealing slots, so learners can get on the road without unnecessary delays.

"Working with the DVSA, we want to make driving test booking fairer, protect all learners from exploitation, and reduce lengthy waiting times."

The consultation does not include an option to ban the reselling of tests completely, but focuses on proposals to change how the system works to help prevent reselling.

Preventing reselling rather than an outright ban is a better approach as it stops the problem at its source rather than just the symptoms, brings in changes that are more immediately effective, and makes the system fairer for all learners.

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These options only apply to car driving tests, meaning the booking of all other tests, such as driving instructors, motorcycle, theory, and vocational tests, would not change.

DVSA Chief Executive, Loveday Ryder, said: "We've been working tirelessly to bring down the driving test waiting times.

"To help tackle this, in December 2024, we announced a new plan, on which we're making good progress. DVSA's goal is to make booking a driving test easier and fairer for everyone while preventing excessive charges for learner drivers."

The results of the call for evidence have been published alongside the consultation, with hopes that drivers will take the responses into account before responding.

A spokesperson for the National Associations Strategic Partnership said: "The Driver Training industry welcomes this consultation as a key step in improving accessibility and usability of the test booking system for legitimate users, but equally, as an important step towards preventing access by those seeking to exploit learners through the illegitimate sale of test slots at extortionate prices."

Drivers are being urged to respond to the consultation by 11.59 on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The DVSA will publish a summary of responses within three months of the deadline.