This report shows the results of the call for evidence which ran from 18 December 2024 to 11 February 2025.
26,922 responses to the call for evidence - 53 also provided further evidence or feedback by email
The results of the call for evidence have been used to develop the proposals in the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s consultation about improving car driving test booking rules.
About the respondents
| Respondent type |
Percentage of responses |
| A learner driver |
68.7% |
| An approved driving instructor (ADI) or trainee driving instructor |
18.2% |
| A parent or guardian who booked a test for a learner |
10.4% |
| A driver with a full licence who has recently (within the last 2 years) passed their test |
1.4% |
| A driving school |
1.3% |
| A business that provides unofficial driving test booking or cancellation finder services |
0.1% |
Questions for learner drivers, newly-qualified drivers and parents or guardians
We received responses from 21,656 learners, newly-qualified drivers and parents or guardians.
How did you book your last driving test?
| Booking method |
Percentage of responses |
| I booked online on GOV.UK |
91.0% |
| I used a company that offers to book driving tests |
5.7% |
| My driving instructor booked it for me |
2.1% |
| I called the DVSA booking service |
1.2% |
Have you ever had any difficulty in booking a suitable date for a driving test due to test availability?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
93.1% |
| No |
5.9% |
| Cannot remember |
0.9% |
How long did you have to wait before a suitable date was available for you to take your test?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Less than a month |
3.7% |
| 1 to 2 months |
8.8% |
| 3 to 4 months |
21.5% |
| 5 to 6 months |
45.9% |
| 7 months or more |
17.9% |
| Cannot remember |
2.2% |
Were you able to book your test at your nearest driving test centre?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
59.9% |
| No |
39.5% |
| Cannot remember |
0.6% |
Have you ever used a third-party booking service to book your test?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
30.9% |
| No |
66.3% |
| Unsure |
2.8% |
Why did you use a third-party booking service?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| To get an earlier test |
76.4% |
| My driving instructor recommended it |
4.8% |
| I was no longer able to attend my original test date |
1.3% |
| It was included as part of a complete learning to drive package purchased from a driving school |
1.0% |
| Other (please specify) |
16.5% |
Did you have to pay a fee that was higher than the standard test fee (between £62 and £75) to book your driving test?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
40.4% |
| No |
59.6% |
If yes, how much did you pay in total to book a driving test?
£122 (median).
If yes, did you pass or fail your driving test?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| I have not taken my test yet |
52.3% |
| Pass |
7.6% |
| Fail |
40.2% |
Would you use a cancellation checker to find a test if this service was offered by DVSA?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes, only if it was free |
56.6% |
| Yes, and I’d be willing to pay |
35.6% |
| No |
3.8% |
| Unsure |
3.9% |
Questions for driving instructors
We received responses from 4,909 approved driving instructors (ADIs) or trainee driving instructors.
How many pupils are you currently teaching to drive?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| 0 to 5 |
5.6% |
| 6 to 15 |
35.6% |
| 16 or more |
57.8% |
How frequently do you use the book your driving test service to book or manage car driving tests?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Never |
50.9% |
| Daily |
7.8% |
| Weekly |
19.3% |
| Monthly |
22.0% |
In the timeframe chosen, how many times do you use the book your driving test service to book or manage car driving tests?
| Answer |
1 to 25 |
26 to 75 |
76 or more |
Total |
| Daily |
75.3% |
15.7% |
9.0% |
100.0% |
| Weekly |
89.6% |
9.4% |
1.0% |
100.0% |
| Monthly |
94.7% |
4.2% |
1.1% |
100.0% |
Do you book tests on behalf of your pupils using the book your driving test service?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
76.8% |
| No |
23.2% |
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Never |
48.6% |
| Daily |
8.1% |
| Weekly |
19.2% |
| Monthly |
24.0% |
| Answer |
1 to 25 |
26 to 75 |
76 or more |
Total |
| Daily |
77.9% |
15.0% |
7.1% |
100.0% |
| Weekly |
88.0% |
10.4% |
1.6% |
100.0% |
| Monthly |
96.0% |
3.2% |
0.8% |
100.0% |
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Easier if get pupils to book their own tests |
20.0% |
| The book and manage driving tests for your pupils service is not very good / unavailable |
19.0% |
| Do not have an account / cannot log in |
10.0% |
| To check test availability |
10.0% |
| Ease of use |
10.0% |
| Not applicable |
9.0% |
| To help pupils look/book for a test |
9.0% |
| Unaware I could use the book and managing driving tests for your pupils service |
4.0% |
| Other |
4.0% |
| Unsure |
3.0% |
| I do not know how to use the book and managing driving tests for your pupils service |
1.0% |
Do you use an administrative service to find and book tests on your behalf?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Always |
2.9% |
| Sometimes |
12.3% |
| Never |
84.8% |
Do you ever book driving tests for anyone other than for your own pupils?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
4.1% |
| No |
95.9% |
Do you charge an administrative or resale fee for the tests that you book?
Administration fee: a charge to solely cover the costs associated with booking and managing a driving test.
Resale fee: an additional charge added when reselling or swapping a driving test, separate to any administrative costs.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Administrative |
24.4% |
| Resale |
1.0% |
| Both |
4.5% |
| No |
70.1% |
How much do you charge in total?
Please include any admin or resale fees that you charge.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Up to £25 |
28.3% |
| £26 to £50 |
46.7% |
| £51 to £100 |
16.7% |
| £101 to £150 |
6.7% |
| £151 or more |
1.7% |
Do you ever swap booked driving tests?
This could be between your own pupils or with another instructor’s pupils.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
60.0% |
| No |
40.0% |
How often do you swap booked tests between your own pupils?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Never |
1.9% |
| Daily |
0.2% |
| Weekly |
4.8% |
| Monthly |
29.7% |
| Other (please specify) |
63.3% |
Within the timeframe chosen, how many times do you swap tests between your own pupils?
| Answer |
1 to 5 |
6 to 10 |
11 to 25 |
26 or more |
Total |
| Daily |
71.4% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
28.6% |
100.0% |
| Weekly |
71.6% |
22.0% |
6.4% |
0.0% |
100.0% |
| Monthly |
90.6% |
7.1% |
2.0% |
0.3% |
100.0% |
| Other |
94.0% |
4.3% |
1.3% |
0.4% |
100.0% |
How often do you swap tests with another driving instructor’s pupils?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Never |
29.9% |
| Daily |
0.1% |
| Weekly |
2.4% |
| Monthly |
19.7% |
| Other (please specify) |
47.9% |
Within the timeframe chosen, how many times do you swap tests with another driving instructor’s pupils?
| Answer |
1 to 5 |
6 to 10 |
11 to 25 |
26 or more |
Total |
| Daily |
50.0% |
25.0% |
0.0% |
25.0% |
100.0% |
| Weekly |
72.9% |
20.0% |
7.1% |
0.0% |
100.0% |
| Monthly |
90.6% |
7.1% |
1.8% |
0.5% |
100.0% |
| Other |
94.9% |
3.4% |
1.0% |
0.7% |
100.0% |
How do you find available tests to swap with?
Select all that apply.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Book and manage driving and riding tests for your pupils online service |
49.7% |
| Talking to other driving instructors |
47.0% |
| Social media groups or messaging apps with other driving instructors |
47.2% |
| Through other driving instructors associated with the same driving school |
14.8% |
| Other (please specify) |
12.4% |
Why do you swap driving tests?
Select all that apply.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Pupil may not be ready for the test |
93.6% |
| A test on an earlier date may have become available |
68.3% |
| A test at a preferred location may have become available |
24.2% |
| To secure a test to hold a potential test date |
8.1% |
| To resell a test |
0.3% |
Questions for driving schools
We received responses from 342 driving schools.
How many pupils are currently learning to drive at your driving school?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| 1 to 50 |
63.5% |
| 51 to 100 |
14.2% |
| 101 or more |
22.3% |
How frequently do you use the book your driving test service to book or manage car driving tests?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Never |
32.6% |
| Daily |
26.5% |
| Weekly |
22.7% |
| Monthly |
18.3% |
In the timeframe chosen, how many times do you use the book your driving test service to book or manage car driving tests?
| Answer |
1 to 25 |
26 to 75 |
76 or more |
Total |
| Daily |
69.7% |
16.9% |
13.5% |
100.0% |
| Weekly |
86.8% |
10.5% |
2.6% |
100.0% |
| Monthly |
95.1% |
3.3% |
1.6% |
100.0% |
Do you book tests on behalf of others using the book your driving test service?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
61.5% |
| No |
38.5% |
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Never |
31.6% |
| Daily |
27.5% |
| Weekly |
21.6% |
| Monthly |
19.3% |
| Answer |
1 to 25 |
26 to 75 |
76 or more |
Total |
| Daily |
74.2% |
14.0% |
11.8% |
100.0% |
| Weekly |
86.3% |
13.7% |
0.0% |
100.0% |
| Monthly |
95.4% |
3.1% |
1.5% |
100.0% |
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Do not have an account / cannot log in |
10.0% |
| Easier if get pupils to book their own tests |
10.0% |
| I do not know how to use the book and managing driving tests for your pupils service |
10.0% |
| The book and manage driving tests for your pupils service is not very good / unavailable |
10.0% |
| Not applicable |
60.0% |
Do you use an administrative service to find and book tests on behalf of your company?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Always |
7.9% |
| Sometimes |
14.1% |
| Never |
78.0% |
Do you charge an additional administrative or resale fee for any tests that you book?
Administration fee: a charge to solely cover the costs associated with booking and managing a driving test.
Resale fee: an additional charge added when reselling or swapping a driving test, separate to any administrative costs.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Administrative |
13.7% |
| Resale |
0.9% |
| Both |
3.8% |
| No |
81.6% |
How much do you charge in total?
Please include any admin or resale fees that you charge.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Up to £25 |
44.4% |
| £26 to £50 |
23.8% |
| £51 to £100 |
15.9% |
| £101 to £150 |
7.9% |
| £150 or more |
7.9% |
Do you ever swap booked driving tests?
This could be between instructors who are connected with your company or instructors who are not connected to your company.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
56.1% |
| No |
43.9% |
How often do you swap tests between the driving instructors connected to your company?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Never |
7.8% |
| Daily |
6.7% |
| Weekly |
20.2% |
| Monthly |
65.3% |
Within the timeframe chosen, how many times do you swap tests between those driving instructors?
| Answer |
1 to 5 |
6 to 10 |
11 to 25 |
26 or more |
Total |
| Daily |
16.7% |
16.7% |
0.0% |
66.7% |
100.0% |
| Weekly |
79.2% |
16.7% |
4.2% |
0.0% |
100.0% |
| Monthly |
87.9% |
6.9% |
5.2% |
0.0% |
100.0% |
How often do you swap tests with the pupil of another driving instructor not connected to your company?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Never |
52.3% |
| Daily |
2.1% |
| Weekly |
7.3% |
| Monthly |
18.7% |
| Other (please specify) |
19.7% |
Within the timeframe chosen, how many times do you swap tests with the pupil of another driving instructor?
| Answer |
1 to 5 |
6 to 10 |
11 to 25 |
26 or more |
Total |
| Daily |
25.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
75.0% |
100.0% |
| Weekly |
57.1% |
28.6% |
7.1% |
7.1% |
100.0% |
| Monthly |
83.3% |
8.3% |
8.3% |
0.0% |
100.0% |
| Other |
94.7% |
5.3% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
100.0% |
How do you find available tests to swap with?
Select all that apply.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Book and manage driving and riding tests for your pupils online service |
64.2% |
| Talking to other driving instructors |
40.9% |
| Social media groups and messaging apps with other driving instructors |
33.7% |
| Through other driving instructors associated with the same driving school |
26.9% |
| Not applicable - I do not swap tests |
3.1% |
| Other (please specify) |
8.3% |
Why do you swap driving tests?
Select all that apply.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Pupil may not be ready for the test |
64.8% |
| A test on an earlier date may have become available |
23.2% |
| A test at a preferred location may have become available |
6.4% |
| To secure a test to hold a potential test date |
3.2% |
| To resell a test |
2.4% |
Questions for businesses that provide unofficial driving test booking or cancellation finder services
We recieved 14 responses from businesses that provide unofficial driving test booking or cancellation finder services.
How many employees do you have working for you?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| 1 to 5 |
64.3% |
| 6 to 10 |
14.3% |
| 11 to 15 |
7.1% |
| 16 or more |
14.3% |
Do you have any driving instructors who work directly for your company or who have given you access to their DVSA registration details to enable you to book driving tests on the book your driving test service or book and manage driving and riding tests for your pupils service?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
42.9% |
| No |
57.1% |
Do you or have you ever used a provisional driving licence holder’s licence details to book a driving test on the book your driving test service with the intention of making that booking available to one of your customers?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
62.5% |
| No |
37.5% |
Did you pay them to use their details?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
20.0% |
| No |
80.0% |
How much do you or did you pay on average?
(Free text)
Did they know that you were using their details to book a driving test?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
75.0% |
| No |
25.0% |
How many customers do you book driving tests for per week?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| 1 to 50 |
57.1% |
| 51 to 150 |
0.0% |
| 151 or more |
42.9% |
Do you charge an additional administrative or resale fee for the tests that you book?
Administration fee: a charge to solely cover the costs associated with booking and managing a driving test.
Resale fee: an additional charge added when reselling or swapping a driving test, separate to any administrative costs.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Administrative |
35.7% |
| Resale |
0.0% |
| Both |
42.9% |
| No |
21.4% |
How much do you charge in total?
Please include any admin or resale fees that you charge.
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Up to £25 |
18.2% |
| £26 to £50 |
9.1% |
| £51 to £100 |
9.1% |
| £101 to £150 |
18.2% |
| £151 or more |
45.5% |
Do you provide a complete learner driver course to customers that includes both their driving lessons and a driving test?
| Answer |
Percentage of responses |
| Yes |
42.9% |
| No |
57.1% |
How much do you charge for these courses, on average?
£185 (median).
