Following the publication of the roadmap out of national lockdown on 22 February, we have been working with government and stakeholders to agree the indicative restart dates of all our driver, rider and vocational testing services.

We have set these dates out below. Depending on the outcome of the government review of roadmap measures on 5 April, we’ll write to you again shortly afterwards to confirm if lessons and tests can restart on these dates.

We aren’t able to confirm dates until after the review on 5 April, but we want to share these proposals with you now to help you plan for reopening your businesses and to start teaching again.

You can read more about stopping the spread of coronavirus on GOV.UK

Restarting driving lessons and tests

Following the publication of the roadmap out of national lockdown on 22 February, we have been working with government and stakeholders to agree the indicative restart dates of all our driver, rider and vocational testing services.

We have set these dates out below. Depending on the outcome of the government review of roadmap measures on 5 April, we’ll write to you again shortly afterwards to confirm if lessons and tests can restart on these dates.

We aren’t able to confirm dates until after the review on 5 April, but we want to share these proposals with you now to help you plan for reopening your businesses and to start teaching again.

You can read more about stopping the spread of coronavirus on GOV.UK

Restarting driving lessons and tests

The proposed date for you to restart driving lessons and training is Monday 12 April 2021.

We know many of you want the opportunity to carry out lessons and training before we restart driving tests and we agree with this.

Therefore tests are due to restart 10 days later on THURSDAY 22 April, if government guidance allows.

The safety of our customers and examiners is our top priority. Closer to the restart date we will work with Public Health England to review and check our standard operating procedures. We’ll let you know the outcome of these discussions closer to the time.

In the meantime, your pupils can continue to practise driving with an accompanying driver from within their household, as long as it’s part of an essential journey. We will update learner drivers and approved driving instructors when this changes.

We have shared our guidance for driving examiners with driver training associations and they have updated their good practice guidance for instructors. Links to good practice guidance are included in the instructor guidance on GOV.UK.

Driving test bookings

We’ll email candidates with tests booked before 22 April to let them know their test will be rescheduled. If you have booked a test for any of your pupils, you will receive an email to let you know it will be rescheduled to a new time and date. You will need to contact your pupil to let them know.

We’ll email you with the new time and date as soon as possible; please ask your pupils to bear with us.

If the new time and date is not suitable for you or your pupil, you can choose a different time and date on GOV.UK. You will need your pupil’s driving licence number to do this. Your pupil does not need to pay again to do this.

We know pupils with tests booked between 12 and 22 April will be disappointed. But it’s important that candidates have adequate time to practise with a professional instructor before they come to test.

Restarting lessons ten days ahead of tests will give you chance to provide your pupils with professional refresher training before they take their test. This approach is supported by the National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP).

The possible start date is the 12th of April 2021, but please read below it looks like it has not been confirmed.

Here is the information i have received today 24.02.2021.

Driving tests in England cancelled up to 8 March

DVSA has cancelled all practical and theory tests in England up to and including 8 March.

This follows the government’s roadmap announcement which set out that driving tests and theory tests in England will restart no earlier than 12 April 2021.

DVSA says it is working closely with the government and the driver and rider training industry to confirm restart plans. It will provide more information as soon as possible on motorcycle, vocational and other tests, lessons and training.

The agency will email candidates affected by test cancellations with a new date and time for their test. If it’s not suitable, they can change it at www.gov.uk/change-driving-test.

If you booked a test for any of your pupils, you’ll receive the email to let you know it has been rescheduled. You’ll need to give your pupil the new details.

DVSA’s update comes after AA announced yesterday that it had been in touch with the agency and been told: “It is confirmed that driving lessons can commence from 12 April and driving tests seven days later, subject to there being no slippages in the government’s planned dates.” 

DVSA told us today that no such plans have been confirmed with anyone. However, first tier stakeholders (which the AA is not) such as DIA will be appraised early next week of the full plans for restarting testing and training. We understand that the AA will be publishing a retraction of the statements it made. 

We are reopening the driving test booking service on Monday 7 September at 8am.

Driving Tests will be available to book in England, Scotland and Wales but will be limited, with tests available to book for the next 6 weeks.

Due to limited availability, unfortunately not everyone who wants one will be able to book a test on Monday.

This is until the next set of tests are released on 14 September, when we are extending the period in which tests can be booked to 18 weeks ahead. This will allow us to add over 375,000 new and rescheduled tests to be booked for dates between 14 September and 21 January 2021.

As well as increasing available tests to 18 weeks ahead we are moving from 5 to 6 car tests a day.

Driving examiners are now familiar with using PPE such as face coverings and gloves and the using the latest guidance for carrying out tests. This means there is more capacity to safely increase the test programmes from 5 to 6 a day.

Changes to the booking service

As a result of high demand, we will continue to use the queuing system we introduced last week, to ensure the stability of the system. So, when you or a pupil logs in, you will not have access to the system straight away.

You will be held in a queue and given a queue number. We will regularly update gov.uk and our social media with information on driving test availability.

It is possible that you will be held in the queue for some time; please do not try to access the system using multiple devices as this increases the overall queue.

We will continue to update gov.uk and our social media channels to let everyone know when all tests sell out.

All the available appointments are shown on the online service. The DVSA customer service centre does not have access to any other appointments, so please do not call or email them.

There is not a ‘waiting list’ or ‘cancellation list’ for driving tests. You can only book the appointments you can see online.

Test slot availability

If a pupil can’t book a test at their local centre, other nearby centres may be available. Your pupil should be properly prepared and able to take a test at any driving test centre.

After 7 September, new test slots will be made available on Monday 14 September and every Monday after that. You and your pupils will need to check again when we add new tests if you cannot find one immediately. 

Extension for driving licences that expire between 1 February 2020 and 31 August 2020

If your photocard driving licence or your entitlement to drive expires between 1 February 2020 and 31 August 2020 you have a 7-month extension from the date of expiry.

This means that you will not need to renew your photocard or entitlement to drive until seven months after your original expiry date.

You do not need to do anything as this extension is automatic. 

Yesterday (25 June) we announced driver and rider instruction can restart from 4 July in England.

We also confirmed that all car tests can restart from 22 July. This will give learner drivers time to have refresher lessons and practice with you before taking their test.

Motorcycle and vocational tests booked by a trainer can restart from 13 July.

Motorcycle and vocational tests booked directly by pupils can restart from 22 July.

What this means for tests

As set out in the letter from Gareth Llewellyn on 15 June, to make sure your pupils can take their test at a convenient time, in a way that’s fair to everyone, we will be putting all tests ‘on hold’.

This means all driving tests that are booked in will not go ahead on the original or rescheduled date. This includes if the new date your pupils were given was from 22 July. 

We will email candidates again soon to ask them to go online and choose a new date and time for their test. They will also be able to cancel their booking if they want to.

These candidates will be given priority for the available appointments.

Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay

Driving lessons and theory tests will restart on Saturday 4 July 2020 in England, and car driving tests will restart from Wednesday 22 July 2020.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has announced that learners can resume driving lessons and motorcycle training in England from Saturday 4 July 2020.

The rule applies to all types of driver and motorcycle training in England, including private practice with someone you live with or in your support bubble.

Theory tests will restart in England on Saturday 4 July. The tests will take place with social distancing measures in place to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Car driving tests will restart in England on Wednesday 22 July, which will give learner drivers time to have refresher lessons and practice before taking their test.

Driving lessons, theory tests and driving tests are still suspended in Scotland and Wales, in line with guidance from the devolved administrations. There are different dates for Northern Ireland.

DVSA will make further announcements on the resumption of testing, training and lessons, including publishing information on how services will be restarted safely, shortly.

When lessons and tests will restart

When services restart depends on what vehicle you’re learning to drive or ride.

Car

Service	Date
Driving lessons	Saturday 4 July 2020
Theory tests	Saturday 4 July 2020
Driving tests	Wednesday 22 July 2020

Motorcycle and moped

Service	Date
Motorcycle and moped compulsory basic training (CBT)	Saturday 4 July 2020
Motorcycle direct access scheme (DAS) training	Saturday 4 July 2020
Theory tests	Saturday 4 July 2020
Motorcycle and moped module 1 and module 2 tests	Monday 13 July 2020

Lorry, bus and coach

Service	Date
Driver training	Saturday 4 July 2020
Theory tests	Saturday 4 July 2020
Driving tests	Monday 13 July 2020

Car and trailer

Service	Date
Driver training	Saturday 4 July 2020
Driving tests	Monday 13 July 2020

Tractor and specialist vehicle

Service	Date
Driver training	Saturday 4 July 2020
Driving tests	Monday 6 July 2020

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay 

Mogg lets the cat out of the bag on training

 

Leader of the House announces driver and rider training to resume from 4 July in England.

Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg has announced in parliament that all driver and rider training can resume from 4 July.

He was responding to a question from Greg Smith, MP for Buckingham. Mr Rees-Mogg described driving instructors as the “unseen engines of the country” and said:

“From the 4th July I am happy to say that people will be able to take driving lessons on a motorcycle or in a car, lorry or bus and there will be a phased approach to resuming practical testing so learners have the opportunity to practice before taking a test.”

NASP will be briefed fully later today on plans to resume testing and a full announcement from DVSA is expected imminently.

The DVA in Northern Ireland has announced a phased return for driving tests and MOTs. We will update you with the position in Wales and Scotland as soon as the information is available.