Open consultation

Improving car driving test booking rules

Published 28 May 2025

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

This consultation is also available in British Sign Language (BSL), Easy Read (PDF, 12.7MB) and Welsh (Cymraeg).

1. Introduction

A consultation lets you give your views on new or changing government policies. We take your responses into consideration before making any final decisions.

This consultation is about changing the rules on how car driving tests can be booked and managed. We’re doing this to:

• make test booking fairer
• stop people charging extra fees to book tests
• simplify the system for learners and driving instructors

This consultation is only about car driving tests. It does not cover theory tests or other types of driving tests, such as motorcycle, heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and bus driving tests.

2. Background

On 18 December 2024, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) published a 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times and help get new drivers on the road.

This consultation is part of action 2 of the plan to review and improve the rules for booking driving tests.

Our goal

Our goal is to make booking a driving test easier and fairer for everyone while preventing excessive charges for learner drivers.

What we’ve done so far

1. We ran a call for evidence from 18 December 2024 to 11 February 2025, asking learners, instructors and booking services about their experiences with the current system.

2. We analysed almost 27,000 responses and used them to develop the proposals in this consultation.

What happens next

1. This consultation asks for your views on our proposed changes to the booking rules.

2. After the consultation closes, we’ll review your feedback and introduce improved rules - changing the law if necessary.

3. How the driving test booking system works

DVSA runs 2 online services for booking driving tests:

• a service for learner drivers to book their own test
• a service for driving instructors to book tests for their pupils

What you need to book a test

To book a car driving test:

• you need a provisional driving licence number of a learner driver
• the learner driver must have passed their theory test in the last 2 years

Only one test can be booked per driving licence at any time.

Current system features

The current system includes features that:

• let you change a test date or location up to 6 times
• allow test appointments to be swapped between learners
• enable instructors to book and manage tests for their pupils

These features were created to help instructors make sure their pupils are ready for their test.

While most people use these features as intended, some are using them in ways that make the system unfair for other learners.

Definitions

In this document, we talk about 2 different ways to manage a test booking.

Changing a test means moving your own test to a different date, time or test centre. For example, moving your test from Monday to Friday, or from Birmingham to Manchester.

Swapping tests means exchanging test appointments between 2 different people. For example, if Learner A has a test on 30 May and Learner B has a test on 30 June, they can swap so Learner A takes the 30 June test and Learner B takes the 30 May test.

4. What we know about how the system is used

What you told us about the system

We asked for your views about the driving test booking service in December 2024. We received 26,922 responses. This is a summary of what you told us.

These findings reflect the experiences of the people who responded to our call for evidence and may not represent all learner drivers, instructors, or booking services.

Learner drivers

Through the responses of 21,656 learners, newly-qualified drivers and parents or guardians, our call for evidence found that:

• most learners who responded said they use the booking service as it was intended
• almost a third who responded said they used unofficial booking services to get earlier test dates
• those respondents using unofficial services said they paid an average of £122 - almost double the standard test fee
• some learners who responded said they used these services because their driving instructor recommended them
• learners who responded said they mainly swap tests when they aren’t ready or when an earlier date becomes available

Driving instructors

Through the responses of 5,251 driving instructors and schools, the call for evidence showed that:

• 60% of instructors responding said they have used the swap feature to swap tests among their own pupils
• most instructors who responded said they swap tests when a learner is not ready or when an earlier date becomes available
• a small number of instructors who responded operate their own unofficial booking services
• around a third of instructors who responded said they charge administrative and/or resale fees for tests they book
• some respondents said they charge fees far higher than the standard test fee
• some instructors who responded said they recommend unofficial booking services to their learners

Unofficial booking services

From the limited responses we received from these businesses (14), the call for evidence showed that:

• almost half of respondents said they use driving instructor registration details to access the booking system
• almost two-thirds of respondents said they use learner driver details to book tests for reselling
• most respondents said they charge extra fees on top of the standard test fee
• these reported fees are often much higher than the standard fee
• some respondents said they use automated tools to constantly search for available test slots

This evidence shows that while most people who responded say they use the system as it was intended, test reselling is considerable with learners often paying double the standard fee for earlier test dates. Read the full results from the call for evidence.

What our data shows

The high demand for driving tests has changed how people use our online services. Through our customer insight data we’ve seen:

• placeholder tests being booked in locations where learners do not intend to take their test so they’re able to swap with someone reselling a test at their local centre
• commercial websites offering to search for and book tests on behalf of learner drivers
• automated tools being used to find available test slots
• tests being resold with extra fees, often costing learners more than double the standard fee
• 327,377 driving tests swapped in 2024
• over 29,000 tests swapped 10 times or more

These practices make it harder for DVSA to offer test slots fairly.

Some websites use software tools to constantly check for available slots, which puts additional pressure on the booking system.

5. What we’re proposing

We’re looking at 2 main areas where we could change the driving test booking system.

1. Who can book and manage driving tests

Option A: Only learner drivers can book and manage tests

In this option:

• driving instructors would no longer be able to book or manage car driving tests for learners
• instructors could still use the online service to book and manage driving tests to set dates and times when they are available and unavailable to take their pupils for driving tests - this stops learners booking a time when their instructor is not available

Option B: Both learners and instructors can book, but only learners can make changes

In this option:

• both learners and instructors could book tests as they do now
• instructors could still use the online service to book and manage driving tests to set dates and times when they are available and unavailable to take their pupils for driving tests - this stops learners booking a time when their instructor is not available
• only learners could make changes to booked tests or swap tests

Option C: Keep the current system

In this option:

• learners could continue to book and manage tests
• instructors could continue to book and manage tests for their learners
• businesses that provide learner driver services and employ driving instructors could continue to book and manage tests for learners they are training

Support for learners who need help with booking

We know that some learners might need help with the online booking process. If option A or B is introduced, we would:

• make sure the booking system is accessible and meets government digital accessibility standards
• provide clear, step-by-step guidance on how to book and manage tests
• offer telephone support through our customer service centre
• consider how friends or family members could help with bookings
• review what additional support may be needed for learners with disabilities or limited digital skills

You will be able to say how these changes would impact you when you fill in the online questionnaire.

2. How tests can be managed

Option A: Remove the ability to swap tests or change test locations

In this option:

• learners could no longer swap tests with someone else
• learners could make 2 changes to their own test’s date and time at the same test centre
• learners could not change the location of their test
• learners could still cancel and rebook tests if they need a different location

Option B: Limit test swaps and location changes

In this option:

• learners could make up to 2 changes or swaps to their test in total (for example, one change and one swap)
• tests could only be moved to test centres within a certain geographical area of the original booking
• we could adjust these limits during busy periods if needed

Option C: Keep current swapping rules and location change rules

In this option:

• tests could continue to be swapped with no limits
• test dates and times or locations could be changed up to 6 times

Why we’re proposing these changes

The features that allow tests to be swapped between learners and let instructors book tests for pupils are no longer always used as intended. This has led to:

• unfair booking practices
• exploitation of some learner drivers
• a secondary market of test resales

These changes would:

• make the booking system fairer
• restrict the resale market
• simplify the booking process for learners

How these changes would prevent test reselling

While this consultation does not propose making test reselling illegal, the proposed changes aim to stop the mechanisms that make reselling possible.

How test reselling currently works

When someone resells a driving test at an inflated price, they typically:

• book a test using a learner’s provisional licence details
• later find another learner who will pay extra for that test
• use the swap feature to transfer the test to the paying learner

Our appoach to prevent reselling

Rather than creating new laws specifically banning reselling, we’re focusing on proposals to change how the system works to prevent reselling.

For example, by changing the rules on who can book tests:

• option A would make sure only learners can book their own tests, stopping third parties from booking tests to resell
• option B would limit only learners and instructors to being able to book tests, reducing opportunities to resell tests

By changing the rules on how tests can be managed:

• option A would remove the swap feature entirely, making it impossible to transfer a test to another learner, and stops tests being booked in quieter test locations and then being moved to a more desired location
• option B would limit swaps and moving a test location to 2 per test, making large-scale reselling operations unviable

Why this works better than banning reselling

This approach:

• stops the problem at its source rather than just the symptoms
• works within existing rules without needing new legislation
• would be more immediately effective than enforcement after resales happen
• makes the system fairer for all learners without creating additional regulatory burden

The changes we’re proposing would make test reselling practically impossible while preserving legitimate uses of the system by learners and instructors.

6. How to respond

The consultation started on 28 May 2025 and will close at 11:59pm on 23 July 2025.

Fill in the online questionnaire to give your views.

When you respond, please say whether you’re responding as an individual or representing the views of an organisation.

If you’re responding on behalf of a larger organisation, make it clear:

• who the organisation represents
• how you gathered the views of members (if applicable)

7. What will happen next

A summary of responses, including the next steps, will be published within 3 months of the consultation closing.

The consultation responses will help us to decide whether any transitional arrangements are needed. We will give clear information about when any changes would come into force and how people will be affected.

Contact DVSA if you have any questions about this consultation.

DVSA Policy team
consultations@dvsa.gov.uk

8. Privacy and Freedom of Information

We collect, use and store your personal data so that we can record and analyse your response to the consultation. We may share your personal data if we have a lawful reason, for example, as part of a criminal investigation or to prevent fraud.

Read the DVSA consultations and call for evidence privacy notice to find out how we collect, use and store your data.

DVSA is an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT). The data controller for DVSA is DfT - a data controller determines the reasons and how personal data is processed.

For more information see the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Data Protection Public Register. DfT’s registration number is Z7122992.

Freedom of Information requests

We might need to publish or share some or all of your response to this consultation in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

Under the FOIA, there is a statutory code of practice that we have to comply with. It covers how we deal with confidential information.

Tell us if you think any information you have given us is confidential. If we get a request to see all or part of your response, we’ll consider what you have told us before we decide whether to release it. We cannot promise to keep all the information you have given us confidential.

Some IT systems produce an automatic confidentiality disclaimer. We do not always recognise them.

Annex A: government consultation principles

This consultation follows the government consultation principles.

The principles give us clear guidance on running consultations.

Annex B: full list of consultation questions

This is a full list of the questions that you’ll be asked when you fill in the online questionnaire to respond to the consultation.

General questions

Are you responding as:

• a learner driver
• a driver with a full licence who has recently (within the last 2 years) passed their test
• a parent or guardian who booked a test for a learner
• an approved driving instructor (ADI) or trainee driving instructor
• a driving school
• a business that provides unofficial driving test booking or cancellation finder services
• DVSA member of staff
• other (please specify)

Questions about proposals on changes to who can book and manage driving tests

Option A: Only allow learner drivers to book and manage their own driving test

1A. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this proposal:

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree or disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Do not know

Please tell us how these changes would impact you and/or your business.
[Free text – maximum of 150 words]

Option B: Allow learner drivers and driving instructors to book tests, but do not allow driving instructors to make any changes to booked tests

1B. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this proposal:

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree or disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Do not know

Do you agree or disagree that driving instructors be permitted to move tests to a different time and/or date on behalf of their learner drivers?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree or disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Do not know

Please tell us how these changes would impact you and/or your business.
[Free text – maximum of 150 words]

Option C: Keep current swapping rules and location change rules

1C. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this proposal:

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree or disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Do not know

Please tell us how this would impact you and/or your business.
[Free text – maximum of 150 words]

Questions about proposals on changes to how tests can be managed

Option A: Remove the facility to swap driving tests

2A. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this proposal:

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree or disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Do not know

Please tell us how these changes would impact you and/or your business.
[Free text – maximum of 150 words]

Option B: Limit how many times a test can be swapped

2B. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this proposal:

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree or disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Do not know

If we introduced a limit to the distance that the test could be changed to from the original booking, which of the following distances would you prefer?

• 10 miles
• 20 miles
• 30 miles
• 40 miles
• None of the above
• Do not know

Please tell us how these changes would impact you and/or your business.
[Free text – maximum of 150 words]

Option C: Continue with the current rules for swapping driving tests

2C. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this proposal:

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree or disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Do not know

Please tell us how this would impact you and/or your business.
[Free text – maximum of 150 words]