Following a meeting with DVSA this month to communicate and discuss the industry’s continuing concerns regarding driving tests, we submitted a number of FAQs we wanted the agency to specifically respond to, which are derived from key questions members have frequently asked us. We have now received responses to these FAQs from Chief Executive Loveday Ryder.
Whilst we acknowledge the agency’s efforts to engage in an open and frank discussion of the issues, and their transparency in answering these specific FAQs, as NASP we will continue to challenge the agency on its management of the test waiting times issue (and the knock-on impacts this has on other areas of DVSA’s provision), as well as continuing to highlight the concerns and frustrations of trainers and their pupils.
23rd May 2025
Frequently Asked Questions for DVSA on managing driving test supply
Following a meeting with DVSA this month to discuss the industry’s continuing concerns regarding driving tests, below are the main questions we asked DVSA on these issues, and the responses received from DVSA Chief Executive Loveday Ryder.
These FAQs are derived from questions we have received from our members, and our own questions/views as NASP associations.
1. With reference to the additional measures announced by the Minister last week, why weren’t some of these latest measures implemented earlier?
DVSA response:
We’ve made progress on implementing our 7-point plan to reduce waiting times. But we know that our customers are not seeing the immediate effects of the measures. The Secretary of State for Transport has asked us to take further action to accelerate those measures, which will see thousands of additional tests made available every month.
2. What other radical measures have you discounted and why? For example, NASP has previously suggested the consideration of:
a. No swaps (or restricting types of swap, only allowing swaps within a certain timeframe)
b. Closing the booking system to only ADIs
c. Could you open the booking window completely? If not, why not?
DVSA response:
We expect to launch the consultation soon including options that explore ways help to prevent the reselling of tests and use of bots. We will let you know when this has been launched. We will share more with you on the options this includes when we can. The booking window extension pilot is on-going and has been extended further in the last week. We continue to review and assess results.
3. How many extra 1000s of tests are these latest measures expected to create?
DVSA response:
Once all of the additional measures are in place we expect them to create up to 10,000 extra tests a month. The additional measures include:
i. those in other DVSA roles who are qualified to examine will be asked to volunteer to return to the frontline to provide practical driving tests
ii. doubling the number of permanent trainers to skill up new driving examiners quickly
iii. accelerated consultation to investigate the potential abuse of the driving test booking system and prevent bots from accessing tests
iv. reintroduction of overtime pay incentives for everyone delivering driving tests
4. What is actual Examiner recruitment currently looking like at this moment?
DVSA response:
Since July 2024:
Our latest recruitment campaign closed on 14 April and should be complete by mid-June. Following this, we should be in a position to offer employment and increase the number of people going through the driving examiner training process.
5. Where are the extra Examiner trainers being recruited from?
DVSA response:
The additional examiner trainers have been recruited from the existing driving examiner resource as they will be able to get up-to-speed quicker to start training future examiners.
6. What total testing capacity was delivered with the last deployment of warrant card holders? And how does that measure up to what you expect this time?
DVSA response:
When all available warrant card holders were previously deployed back to testing between October 2023 and March 2024, this resulted in around 150,000 additional tests being made available. As part of the additional measures announced at TSC, we’ve issued a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests. Our pool of volunteers this time around will be considerably smaller as many of our warrant card holders are now delivering on key aspects of the 7-point plan, including recruitment and training and policy initiatives. We cannot compare the previous deployment figures with this measure.
7. What timeline do you have for recruitment and deployment of Examiner Trainers and when is that expected to show an impact?
DVSA response:
We are planning to commence training of the new examiner trainers in June 2025. If successful, the trainers would be available to train by the Autumn. We would expect to see these examiners delivering training later this year.
8. How will extra trainers speed up recruitment?
DVSA response:
Increasing the number of trainers will allow DVSA to increase our training capacity for driving examiners. This will allow us to train more examiners allowing us to offer more driving tests.
9. What moves have been made to increase the attraction of the role?
DVSA response:
We have been more targeted in recruitment campaigns and where we have advertised job vacancies, including job fairs, open days, etc. Raising awareness has been important in this. We have also changed our recruitment adverts to highlight the overall benefits package.
10. What measures have been taken to increase retention of recruits, so they stay in the process through to deployment?
DVSA response:
Feedback from candidates who have not completed their training was that doing the majority of their training at a central location didn’t allow them to feel part of the local team they would be part of and didn’t give them a real feel for the role.
We reviewed the split of centralised and local training for future training and have shortened the time at the central site so candidates can spend more time being trained at a local test centre to feel part of the team and get a better feel for the role.
11. How many warrant cardholders do you realistically expect to volunteer this time?
DVSA response:
Whilst the expectation is that numbers to volunteer full time will be lower than before, we do expect warrant card holders to volunteer time through the implementation of the Additional Testing Award incentive scheme.
12. What impact do you expect the overtime offer to have realistically?
DVSA response:
The overtime incentive along with the other additional measures are expected to create up to 10,000 extra tests a month.
13. What happens if you don’t get the volunteers? Will you/can you press gang people?
DVSA response:
We would need to monitor and review how many volunteers come forward and would need to consult on any further action with DfT and trade unions.
14. What impact are these extra measures going to have on the Part 2 and 3? We assume you may need to move resources from this to Cat B?
DVSA response:
We are currently assessing the potential impact of qualified examiners from other parts of DVSA volunteering to contribute to the driver testing recovery work. Part 2 and 3 tests form part of the statutory service so we will continue to deliver these tests. We will share an update on this as soon as we can.
15.If you move Part 2 and 3s capacity, could some weekend and evening capacity be opened up for ADI testing?
DVSA response:
To help increase the number of part 2 and 3 tests we have already been conducting ADI tests on the weekends as part of overtime.
16.When do you foresee Standards Checks restarting and what measures are being taken to tackle instructor performance in the meantime?
DVSA response:
We continue to carry out a limited number of Standards Checks on those that pose the highest risk to road safety. If we receive reports of poor standards, we will investigate any available data and take appropriate action.
17. What are the latest measures to tackle the bots and third-party sales?
DVSA response:
In January 2023, the DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit. Between 9 January 2023 and 5 January 2025, the DVSA issued 350 warnings, 792 suspensions, and closed 813 business accounts for misuse of its booking service.
On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Since this change DVSA has issued 44 warnings, 120 suspensions, and closed 270 business accounts
18. What progress on the Driver Services Platform?
DVSA response:
The project is in the approvals process; we are awaiting approval to spend from HM Treasury. Subject to that approval we aim to have our delivery and assurance suppliers on board later in the year.
19.What has been the real impact of the 7 Point Plan to date?
a. The ten-day cancellation period?
DVSA response:
This change was introduced on 8 April 2025, and it is too early to know the impact of this. We will monitor and review the data going forward and share information on the impact of this when we are able to.
b. Ready to Pass (actual real metrics of impact)?
DVSA response:
To learn more about the effectiveness of the campaign read the latest blog post on GOV.UK: Ready to Pass? – Despatch for driver and rider trainers
c. Speeding up consultation – what does that mean in real terms and when do you expect to be able to act on what the consultation tells you?
DVSA response:
We have made a commitment to launch the consultation in May and will deliver as soon as we can, subject to parliamentary processes.
d. What had been the impact of strengthening the T&Cs (any action been taken against trainers on this)
DVSA response:
On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Since this change DVSA has issued 44 warnings, 120 suspensions, and closed 270 business accounts.
20.Is there a plan to increase test fees, for both theory and practical tests?
DVSA response:
At the Transport Select Committee evidence session on 23 April 2025, the Secretary of State for Transport stated that “We have not taken any firm decisions either way on the issue you raise.”
21.Do DVSA see the continuing issue of test supply as a crisis in terms of service delivery and the impact it has had on pupils and trainers?
DVSA response:
Both DVSA and DfT understand the lack of available tests and the impact that this is having on the driver training industry, ADIs, their businesses and learner drivers. Reducing driving test waiting times continues to be a priority for the government. The government is taking decisive action to address the situation.
22. Do DVSA fully understand the impact of this continuing issue on trainers?
DVSA response:
See answer above.
DVSA additionally wrote to NASP with the following letter:
21 May 2025
Dear Carly
Thank you for your email of 6 May about the driver testing industry’s concern about driving test waiting times.
I want to express my gratitude for your time and comments during the May 1st meeting. I concur that the session was fruitful and gave us a chance to outline current progress and plans to resolve the situation in relation to our recovery goals and how they impact testing. We also updated you on other matters, such as our intentions to improve our booking system.
Please find attached our responses to the questions you have asked; I hope you find them helpful.
I would like to assure you that we respect the professionalism of the driver trainer industry and the patience you have shown throughout the difficult challenges we have had to face with regards to driving examiner retention, booking system issues and test availability. I recognise and value the contribution ADIs make to road safety, and it is important to me that we continue to work together.
Yours sincerely
Loveday Ryder
Chief Executive
Trainer Viewpoints
To add further context to our feedback in the meeting with DVSA, below you will find a selection of comments NASP associations have received from their respective members in the last few months. We have shared these comments with DVSA to ensure they are fully appraised of the feelings of trainers towards the test supply issue (and towards the agency itself) at this time.
Further comments and insights on the subject of DVSA’s efforts to tackle test delivery issues are included in the DIA Survey results which you can find here.
“I’m getting a bit tired of the lack of a strategy from the DVSA, as they either seem not to understand or simply just don’t care.”
“I have been lobbying my local MP’s and they have been very helpful with letters of correspondence to the transport ministers. They have had various responses back, unfortunately it is the same old rhetoric from the DVSA, that I have seen for the last 5 or 6 years, blaming others, i.e. the public and driving instructors, and telling us how they are running recruitment campaigns for examiners, same old stuff. I’m now getting fed up with the propaganda I see on the BBC and from the DVSA, painting a picture of being proactive, when the opposite is clearly true.”
“How do we put pressure on the government to get this massive backlog and inability of the DVSA to resolve this problem. I have heard nothing yet from the DVSA that will resolve this. The latest promise of 10,000 tests a month by next year, is not going to make any difference. Plus the interview on the BBC of Steve Gooding from the RAC foundation saying the DVSA are doing their very best, why interview an ex transport civil servant for an unbiased opinion??”
“The change to 10-day cancellation/swaps which has been bought in is actually detrimental to instructors. Our pupils are booking tests as soon as they can which means often they are not ready for that test when it comes up. Being able to swap with other pupils/instructors is a life line which we definitely don’t want to lose. However, now we have to plan much further ahead to do these swaps and in reality it is more than 10 days before the test date. I have a test on 16 May which had a cancellation deadline of 2 May. So 14 days! And that isn’t the only one. Test date of 14 May – last cancellation date was 30 April. Two weeks before a test we might still be thinking ‘are they ready? Do they need a bit longer or perhaps one more mock test’. It would be really helpful if instructors only could still swap at least 7 days before the actual test date giving us more flexibility. I am not sure that this measure is actually going to reduce the number of no shows/late cancellations anyway in all honesty.”
“As we are all aware of the problems around driving test availability I feel totally deflated concerning my ability to continue my business which I have built up over many years. I’ve personally been trying to book a test for over four weeks at the 06.00 am Monday routine without success – due to the DVSA’s website issues.”
We repeatedly hear hollow promises and absolutely useless action from the DVSA to even attempt to address the problems. Actions such as extending the period students need to cancel or retake their tests will not even scratch the surface of the problems.”
“As I write this I don’t know honestly why I bother as an ADI I feel totally undervalued by the DVSA. I’ve lost count of the numerous requests for feedback with nobody listening at the other end. Isn’t it time to call the government department unfit for use?”
“DVSA communications throughout this period of uncertainty have been woeful. Do they even care about the ADI as a paying customer of their services? The majority of what they send out isn’t answers to the questions and concerns we have, it’s just a ‘look at me, I’m doing something’ emails
about other initiatives which they think makes them look like they’re working hard at something – whether that something is actually what’s needed and necessary right now.”
“DVSA show no regard for just how stressful it is for trainers at this time. Frankly when I’ve seen their leadership team talking about the issues at industry events, they can be quite dismissive and patronising – talking to a roomful of people, who deal with the consequences of their lack of delivery every day, about how hard they’re all working at DVSA and how hard it is for them too…with their certainty of a fixed monthly salary, government pensions and the many other advantages of a being a civil servant, verses the instability we face as self -employed trainers, exacerbated by an instability of test supply.”
Other activities undertaken by NASP on the issue of test waiting times and booking system access.
In addition to fielding the particular FAQs contained in this document to DVSA, throughout this period of test supply instability, NASP has continued to escalate trainer concerns to DVSA and other key stakeholders. Our activities have included:
· Current NASP Chair Carly Brookfield giving evidence at special Transport Select Committee hearing focused on test waiting times in December 2024 (a recording of which is available here)
· Undertaking and publishing surveys of trainer views
· Regular meetings with DVSA senior management where we raise member queries and discuss potential remedies to the issues, as well as interrogating progress on DVSA activities and plans to tackle test waiting times
· Writing to DVSA’s Chief Executive and Ministers to reflect our concerns
· Escalating our ongoing (and increasing) concerns over the prolonged nature of the test supply and booking system issues to the Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander, Under Secretary and Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood and members of the Transport Select Committee. This resulted in an additional meeting with DVSA’s senior management team last week, in which these FAQs and wider concerns were discussed.
Please be reassured that these are matters which NASP takes extremely seriously and we are actively attempting to tackle with key stakeholders.
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