A BBC investigation in December found that some driving instructors were being offered kickbacks of up to £250 a month to sell their official test-booking login details to touts. Those touts used the details to book driving tests in bulk, then sold them on WhatsApp and Facebook for as much as £500 – more than eight times the standard weekday fee of £62.
Now, in a bid to break the black market and slash waiting lists that stretch up to six months, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has introduced a series of changes to how driving tests are booked.
“From 12 May, only learner drivers can book their own driving tests, as new rules aim to stop touts selling slots for £500.”
From 12 May, only learner drivers themselves can book, change or swap their own test. Driving instructors, who previously could book on behalf of students, are now banned from doing so. Tests already booked by instructors remain unaffected.
The changes have been phased in since March. From 31 March, learners were limited to just two changes to a booked slot – down from six under the old rules. Changing the date, time, test centre, or swapping a slot with another learner all count as a change. However, if multiple changes are made at the same time – for example, moving both the date and test centre – that counts as just one. If the DVSA changes the test, it does not count against the learner's allowance. Anyone who needs more than two changes must cancel and rebook, with a refund available if cancellation is at least 10 working days before the test date.
From 9 June, further restrictions will apply: learners will only be able to move their test to one of the three test centres closest to their original booking. The DVSA warns learners to book only at a centre they intend to use and to choose a realistic date.
To book a test, learners must first speak to their instructor to confirm they are ready, then obtain the instructor's reference number, which must be entered during the booking process to ensure the instructor is available. While helpers – such as family members – can assist with the booking, they must do so only with the learner present, and all confirmations must be sent to the learner's own email or phone number.
The crackdown follows months of frustration among learner drivers who faced long waiting lists and inflated prices from unofficial resellers. The DVSA hopes the new rules will put control back in the hands of learners and ensure tests are booked fairly.