Driving licences and tests - ongoing discussion, merged topics

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

Belgium didn't have a compulsory car driving test until 1977.

That explains my experience on the motorway there, then.

[stuving]

Belgium didn't have a compulsory car driving test until 1977.

But Belgian cars did have red lettering on their number plates, to make it easier to avoid them.

(Examples here, if you like that sort of thing.)

[grahame]

Belgium didn't have a compulsory car driving test until 1977.

But Belgian cars did have red lettering on their number plates, to make it easier to avoid them.

(Examples here, if you like that sort of thing.)

Delighted to see that they added license plates from Ghana to the website last month - not sure where I would have found out about them otherwise (on second thoughts, not sure why I want to know).

[Chris from Nailsea]

Am I correct in saying you then have to wait six months to take your driving test again?

No.  Ten working days.  My source is https://www.gov.uk/driving-test/driving-test-faults-result 

[infoman]

Can't apply for a new re-test for ten days,fair enough.

But getting a new test date could take many weeks/months?

[Timmer]

Can't apply for a new re-test for ten days,fair enough.

But getting a new test date could take many weeks/months?

Yup and that’s the issue. To hear the words ‘I’m sorry to say you have not passed’ can mean a few months when you can next take a test.

One of the issues I heard about a few months ago was automated bots buying up driving tests as soon as they become available that then get sold on, for a higher price of course, on unofficial apps and websites. I don’t know whether the government has done anything about it.

So yes, you probably can get a driving test much sooner, but you’re going to be paying more for it.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Driving test backlog: 'It's easier to pass a test than book one'

Some people used the Easter Monday bank holiday as a chance to have a much-needed lie-in.

Not Stephen Dawes, who set his alarm for 05:45. It wasn't to start work or to catch a train - he just wanted to book his driving test. When he logged into the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) website, he entered an online queue "almost like buying a festival ticket", he says. "I was number 11,000 in the queue."

The 26-year-old, who lives in Newcastle, started learning to drive in February. His instructor told him about a month ago to book his practical test, but each time Stephen looked, the only slots available were in Berwick-upon-Tweed or Scarborough, both more than an hour's drive away. After looking online, he discovered the trick was to log on at 06:00 on Mondays, when the DVSA releases new slots. But some people say it takes several weeks of trying to secure one.

Stephen's experience reflects those of other learner drivers across the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), who tell BBC News they're on a road to nowhere with getting a driving exam booked during an ongoing test backlog. Some are even paying for apps that alert them when slots become available.

BBC Verify found this week that the average waiting time across the 319 driving test centres in Great Britain was 22 weeks, with three-quarters of centres hitting the maximum average wait time of 24 weeks.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has pledged to reduce the average waiting time to no more than seven weeks by summer 2026, a deadline the government had previously set for the end of 2025. She said the current situation was "totally unacceptable" and that ministers would aim to clear the backlog with measures such as doubling examiner training capacity and reintroducing overtime pay incentives.

Pauline Reeves, the DVSA's director of driver services, told the BBC the organisation had "made significant progress" in reducing wait times since last December but customers were not yet seeing this.

Jodie Johnston, a driving instructor in Exeter, likens booking a test to the infamous annual scramble to buy tickets for Glastonbury Festival - and says some learners in London, where demand can be even higher, are travelling 200 miles to take their tests in Devon. "It's easier to pass a test than book a test at the moment," adds Ali Slade, a driving instructor in Farnham.

One consequence of the long wait list is that many learners are trying to book their practical exam far in advance, despite DVSA advice stating that learner drivers should book it when they're "test-ready". And when learners eventually get a slot, for some it's so far in advance that they're having to fork out extra money on refresher lessons. Some learners say they're also worried about their theory tests expiring as they only last for two years - and you need one to take a practical test.

Many driving schools have long waiting lists for lessons - Ali says hers is about seven months. It can therefore be difficult for learner drivers to align finding an instructor, passing their theory test, and booking a practical exam.

This was the experience of Ella Davis, 26, from Leeds, who says her instructor told her to book her test as soon as she started learning. "I had to book way before I was ready for a test and just guess when I would be ready," she says. Even then, when she looked, she struggled to find any slots in her area or at the right time. In the end, she booked a test for several months away, and then paid £18 for a mobile app that allowed her to change her test to an earlier date, in April 2024, so she wouldn't have to keep paying for more lessons when she already felt ready.

Apps like these alert users when slots become available through other learners cancelling their tests. The DVSA says it does not endorse any apps that find cancellations.

"It just felt like the only way," Ella says.

Lauren Devlin had put off using these apps, but she's worried she will soon be left with little choice. "It felt a bit scammy to me… but at this point, I may just have to try," she says. Lauren, 37, got her driving licence in New Jersey, US, when she was 16. When she first moved to the UK, she relied on public transport to get around - but she's decided she would now like the freedom of being able to drive. Lauren estimates she's already spent about £2,000 on driving lessons, two theory tests and one practical test in summer 2024 that she failed. She has another test scheduled for August, for which she had to wake up early on multiple Monday mornings to join the online queue before she was able to book. But she's worried about what happens if it gets cancelled, or if she fails, as her theory certificate only lasts until next March.

So, what's the cause of the current situation? A DVSA spokesperson has blamed an "increase in demand and a change in customers' booking behaviour" for the backlog.

DVSA data shows that the number of people taking practical driving tests plummeted during waves of lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. There was then a surge in between September 2023 and March 2024, but the number of tests being taken is now similar to pre-pandemic levels. Just under 450,000 practical driving tests were taken between July and September 2024, the most recent data shows.

The DVSA also says that bots have been buying up some test slots and then reselling them at inflated prices. The agency says a high-speed consultation in May will aim "to improve the booking system and block bots from accessing tests".

For some people, the difficulty of booking a test is just too much stress. Libby Murphy says she's "just given up" after failing her test in February, having had two previous tests cancelled by the test centre (the DVSA says it only cancels tests in "exceptional circumstances" and then offers the first available test in the area). Libby, who is 26 and lives in Liverpool, says she's had more than 100 hours of lessons and feels her decision to abandon it will harm her career aim of being a runner in the film industry. As she puts it: "I've spent grands and grands and I've gotten nowhere."

[Chris from Nailsea]

Also from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Driving instructor shortage 'adding to test delays'

A shortage of training instructors is contributing to the backlog of learner drivers waiting to sit their practical test.

Instructors have said delays in booking their own exams, "astronomical" costs and a "convoluted" testing process are deterring people from the industry.

The UK^▸ (United Kingdom) government's department of transport said it was aiming to double examiner training capacity by summer 2026. But instructors have questioned the plans and fear the system is at risk of "grinding to a halt". Three quarters of the 319 driving test centres across Great Britain have hit the maximum average waiting time of 24 weeks to book a practical test, the BBC has found. Among the problems is fewer instructors.

The number of registered approved driving instructors (ADIs) has seen a 10% fall over the past decade, while the number of new registrations for 2024-25 (1,553) was half that of the previous year, according to Department of Transport figures.

Trainee instructors have two years from the date of sitting the first of four tests to qualify, but often have to wait months for an exam date, leaving many struggling to complete the course in the required timeframe.

"There are just not enough examiners to go around," said Elwyn Marfell-Jones, 60, principal instructor of Auto Learners driving school in Swansea. "Many are being pulled across to help clear the backlog of driver tests but that is having a knock-on effect for teaching new instructors and examiners. We're in a mess when you consider this problem has been getting steadily worse since Covid and nothing has been done about it. It's been coming and the system is going to come to a grinding halt. The expense can now be astronomical with the cost of tests and paying £50 an hour for at least 40 hours training. And the tests are prohibitively difficult. When you have a very low pass rate of about 28%, you have to ask if something is wrong with the tests."

Mr Marfell-Jones is teaching four trainee instructors but fears not all will complete the course. "One instructor had her test cancelled on the morning of the test and had to wait four months for a new date," he said. "The stress and expense of getting through the training in an ever diminishing window could well prove too much for her. She has worked really hard to get a new career while also being a carer at home, but has been hugely frustrated by the lack of tests available. I think she is seriously questioning whether to carry on, which would be a real shame because we don't have enough instructors, let alone female instructors in the industry."

There are also concerns that instructors are unable to undergo a standards check every four years - sometimes waiting up to twice that long.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has instructed the DVSA, external to intensify efforts to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests. That will include doubling examiner training capacity by summer 2026 to ensure newly recruited driving examiners can qualify "as quickly as possible".

Lynne Barrie, president of the Approved Driving Instructors National Joint Council, is sceptical. "The seven-point plan, which they started to introduce in December 2024, just is not working," she said. "Some 25% of it was about consultations but that's not action, and whilst we are getting new examiners in, there are a large number leaving the profession as well." She added: "We can have as many driving examiners and tests as we like but until we stop people selling on test slots for fraudulent amounts of money then the situation will remain challenging."

[JayMac]

I was extremely happy for my daughter after she passed her test at the first attempt. She'd waited nearly 7 months for her practical test date after passing her theory. Had she failed it would probably have meant a similar long wait.

Learning to drive can be a stressful time for young people. Having to wait so long for a test doesn't help. It can also be a financial burden. You may be test ready after a handful of lessons, but then need to keep taking lessons to keep your skills sharp in preparation for your test.

The only positive from my daughter's interminable wait for a test was the chance to really hone her driving skills, and do plenty of mock tests. It certainly worked for my her.

That and the fact she had an excellent teacher for much of her learner driving. Me! Nearer her test date she had lessons with an instructor, but they were mainly focused on learning to pass her test, rather than learning to drive.

We started off road at Upottery Airfield learning basic car control, manoeuvres, vehicle checks and basic maintenance. Then on to quiet streets and out of town B roads, and finally busy town traffic and 70mph dual carriageways.

Since passing her test I've accompanied her a couple of times onto the M5 for continued learning.

[CyclingSid]

I believe the Reading test centre has closed. Seemed to be a lack of DVLA^▸ (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) signage when I went by the other day.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I believe the Reading test centre has closed. Seemed to be a lack of DVLA^▸ (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) signage when I went by the other day.

Yes, the Reading Driving Test Centre is closed - due to relocation.

From the Reading Chronicle:

Date of closure confirmed for Reading driving test centre



The driving test centre in Reading has confirmed when it will be conducting its last lot of tests following news that it is relocating.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) was served notice by the owner of the current driving test centre site, because it is being redeveloped for housing. Staff have now found a permanent new location for a driving test centre, and are in the process of negotiating a lease for this.

The last day of testing at the Elgar Road site will be on March 22 2025. It was hoped that this would mean they could move from the current site to the new permanent site, but we are being asked to leave by the landlord before the new site is ready.

For this reason, they are invoking the business continuity plan, which involves running driving tests from the nearby Holiday Inn in Reading. All driving examiners will move to the temporary site, so there will be no interruption or loss of tests. The first day of testing at the Holiday Inn temporary site will be March 24 2025. Following this, all driving examiner roles will move to the new permanent site later in the year.

A spokesperson said "I am unable to confirm the location of the new site yet as it is still commercially sensitive at this stage of the process; this is normal practice in the commercial property sector. We will be happy to write to you again when we are able to announce where the permanent site is. We will be holding an information session about the temporary move on the 10 March at 6:00pm at the Holiday Inn. We are fully committed to opening the permanent new driving test centre in Reading as soon as possible."

The centre, where drivers undertake their practical tests, is set to be demolished to make way for a new residential building containing 16 flats.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

'Driving test waits are so long because examiners don't earn enough'

Clearing the backlog in driving test wait times relies on improving pay and conditions for examiners, industry professionals have said.

The government has pledged to provide 10,000 extra practical test slots each month, after transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the average wait time of six months was "totally unacceptable." She promised to double the capacity to train new examiners.

Yet Craig Harris from the Sheffield and District Driving Instructors Association said the difficulties in recruiting and retaining examiners had arisen because they could make more money teaching learners than assessing them. He said: "Examiners used to make a decent wage. Now, instructors make their wages in 14 hours, so why would anyone go and work 37 and a half hours?"

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), a government body, recruits examiners, who are classed as civil servants and therefore unable to speak to the media. Some of them are represented by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which said there needed to be "long-term investment into training and staffing" to achieve manageable waiting times.

"A long-term solution to mitigating driving test waiting times can be achieved through proper investment into DVSA resources and employees," a PCS spokesperson said. "These include a return to a substantive [permanent or long-term] contract where weekend working is optional and paid properly, at an overtime rate."

The DVSA announced last week it would reintroduce overtime pay, and said it would ask staff in other roles who are qualified examiners to hold tests. It is all in an effort to clear the backlog of test-ready learners by summer 2026 and get the average wait down to seven weeks.

Mr Harris said similar attempts to reduce waiting lists have failed previously, as a "big area of recruitment has gone".  "A heck of a lot of instructors used to be recruited to be examiners, as we thought we'd have an easier life there, but that's changed now," he said.

A quick search for examiner roles through the DVSA shows a typical salary to be just above £28,000 before tax.

Driving instructors tend to be self-employed and work a range of hours, but full-time instructors typically earned up to £40,000 and "even exceeded that" in 2023, according to the AA.

The DVSA did not comment on its working conditions and pay. It noted customers were "not seeing the immediate effect" of measures announced last year, which aimed to recruit 450 examiners and give higher penalties for short-notice cancellation.

Pauline Reeves, DVSA's director of driver services, said there had been "significant progress" on the original plan and the recent announcement would help "accelerate" that plan.

Some learner drivers are taking tests elsewhere in the country due to a lack of slots available in their area.

Gwydion Elliot, a biosciences student at the University of Sheffield, is set to take his practical test in Wakefield in late September. "If it's past six months they don't list it, and there was nothing available for Sheffield test centres at all," he said.

Learners can only book practical tests six months in advance, and they wait on average 22 weeks and three days to secure a test.

"The pressure has really mounted," Mr Elliot added. "It's hard to sit in a test with the knowledge that if you fail, you might be waiting another six months". He said he hoped to find work as an ecologist which would involve visiting field sites far from public transport links. "I'll have a much easier job finding a job in that sector once I can drive," he said.

Instructors are also feeling the pressure of supporting their students through such a difficult challenge, Mr Harris said. "I consider our prices below average at around £35 an hour, but that is still not cheap. If they then choose to only take occasional lessons while they wait, that makes it hard for us to fill our diary. The worst thing is, if they fail a test, they've got a six-month wait again."