The DVSA has announced a major crackdown on driving test booking misuse, cancelling hundreds of tests and suspending thousands of accounts.
These measures are aimed at tackling the ongoing misuse of the booking system and making access to tests fairer for learners. Booking a driving test has become increasingly difficult in recent years, with long waiting times and high demand making availability more limited than ever. The aim is to stop rule-breaking, either by preventing future bookings or cancelling tests that have already been secured.
DVSA steps up action on test booking misuse
On 12th June 2026, the DVSA announced that it has so far:
- Cancelled 450 driving tests booked using payment cards linked to many other test bookings.
- 4,034 online booking accounts have been suspended for 12 months.
- Removed 17 apps from Google and Apple stores that break the terms and conditions of the DVSA’s driving test booking service.
These measures are aimed at targeting misuse of the DVSA booking system, particularly where third parties are bulk-booking test slots. Learners affected will not be refunded, meaning some could lose hundreds of pounds.
The DVSA is urging learners to book tests in accordance with their rules only through the official GOV.UK service, warning against unofficial apps, websites and social media sellers. Ignoring this advice could lead to a cancelled test or account suspension.
The announcement has also sparked debate within the industry about whether these measures will make any real difference to the ongoing backlog of driving tests.
Company Director, Anthony Johnson’s view
This has been a long time coming, and well done to the DVSA for finally getting a grip on the problem.
However, as I’ve said all along, this problem has only arisen because the DVSA cannot recruit enough examiners to conduct driving tests.
Will this actually reduce waiting times?
The DVSA stated that approximately 3% of the tests booked were no-shows, which equates to 64,500 tests. This sounds like a lot, and it is, but even if these changes reduce that figure to 1.5% – around 32,250 tests – it still will not have a significant long-term impact on the long waiting times. For example, if you are taking driving lessons in London or another big city, you will probably be waiting around six to nine months for a test.
The only way to overcome this problem so it does not become the norm forever is to recruit more examiners. The DVSA has been trying to do this, but to no avail.
Emergency legislation required
In my opinion, the DVSA needs to apply for emergency legislation to be passed through Parliament to tackle the situation, rather than going down the road of introducing a minimum learning period. You can hear my ideas on what I would do by watching the video below between 16:15 and 21:00.
The DVSA proposal is as follows:
- A minimum amount of time to be spent learning and a minimum number of learning hours
- A mandated learning syllabus and guidance on how this learning can be conducted
The DVSA has said the following:
“Introducing an MLP will provide learners with more time to develop their skills before they take their practical driving test. It also provides learners with the opportunity to gain more supervised driving experience in varied conditions, such as at night, in heavy traffic and in different weather conditions.”
My view on their planned proposal is that the only reason they are suggesting this is because they want to divert attention away from their failure to get waiting times down.
Concerns over driving instructor testing standards
The main reason young people have more accidents than older people is driver attitude and less respect for the consequences.
The DVSA’s current testing process to become a driving instructor does not test this very well. At the moment, an instructor taking the test can choose their learner and choose the lesson plan. Why would any instructor wanting to pass their Part 3 test choose a challenging learner with the wrong attitude or an appetite for risk?
Therefore, this is rarely seen within the test, and, to be fair to the examiner, they cannot assess this very well if these challenges do not arise during the test.
Questions over the style of testing
We used to have an old style of testing where the examiner would play the role of the pupil. During the test, the examiner would purposely challenge the instructor by acting as a pupil with the wrong attitude. Despite trainers preparing their PDIs – potential driving instructors – for this, many would be surprised or fazed by these challenges and, quite rightly, would fail.
At the moment, we are seeing far too many instructors qualifying under the current format, and this side of the teaching is rarely tested. Naturally, an instructor wanting to pass is not going to choose this type of learner to shine them in the best light.
I am not saying we should completely go back to the old format of testing, but I am saying it was better than what we have now. My proposals for a new type of instructor Part 3 test are quite lengthy and are probably best saved for another article on another day.
Final thoughts on the DVSA’s new crackdown
The DVSA’s latest action is aimed at making the system fairer and reducing misuse of the booking process. While it may help ease pressure for learners using the official GOV.UK service, the demand for driving tests is still far higher than the availability of them.
At the end of the day, the real issue underpinning this all is capacity. Until more examiners are recruited and test availability improves, waiting times are likely to remain high across the UK. There’s only so much enforcement can do when demand is like this. In the meantime, the best approach for any learner who wants to book a test is to stick to official channels and make sure you are fully ready when your driving test arrives.
Written by Anthony Johnson
Grade A - 51/51
ORDIT Registered Trainer
