We’ve received an update from the DVSA advising of the measures they are taking to reduce Driving Test waiting times. The suspension of driving test as a result of COVID-19 has had a massive impact on the demand for driving tests so it really pleases us at Driving Skills Academy to see the DVSA taking a proactive approach to dealing with this issue. They have stated as follows:
Test availability
The measures we put in place to protect our customers and staff from COVID-19 have limited the number of available tests.
This includes reducing the number of tests our examiners carry out per day.
To help increase the number of available tests, DVSA is already:
- offering more tests outside of normal working hours, including weekend and bank holidays.
- ensuring all DVSA staff who are qualified to perform driving tests are doing so, such as senior managers and policy staff.
But this alone will not reduce the backlog as quickly as we want.
Recruiting more examiners
Today (Wednesday 10 February) DVSA is launching a national recruitment campaign for new driving examiners.
There are posts based in England, Scotland and Wales.
The closing date for applications is Monday 1 March 2021 at midnight.
Find out more about the role and how to apply on civil service jobs.
DVSA plan to reduce waiting times
The recruitment of new examiners is one of the actions DVSA will take to reduce the backlog caused by the pandemic.
We will also consult and work with the driver and rider training associations on our proposed plan to reduce waiting times.
How to reduce waiting times
We also need support from you, your pupils and our examiners to help us reduce driving test waiting times.
Driving tests will continue to be in high demand as a result of the pandemic and the suspension of testing. It will take time to get our services back to normal. We thank you and your pupils for your understanding, support and patience.
We have re-arranged tests for all candidates who have been affected by the current restrictions to the first available date. If the new time and date is not suitable, you can change the test time and date at: https://www.gov.uk/change-driving-test
It is vital that your pupils are test-ready when rearranging their tests, as tests could be at short notice.
On average, fewer than 50% of learners pass their driving test and there could be long waiting times for a retest – your pupils should take their test only when they are confident they can pass.
You can see the FULL update here
Getting an earlier driving test date
It is possible that you could get an earlier test date by using the .gov website above, but this will require you to check on a very regular basis if there are any cancellations. If you want to save yourself some time and hassle then you could use a service like Driving Test Cancellations 4 All (make sure you click Get Started). This site will check for cancellations every 5 minutes and if it finds one will text you about it. You then just have to reply to the text within 12 mins and it will be swapped to the earlier date / time. Its risk free too as if they don’t find you an earlier test then your money will be refunded.
Before using these types of service it is essential that you are 100% ready for your test as potentially you could get a test for tomorrow!!! You should also check with your Driving Instructor that they are prepared to take you on an earlier test and available on the day!