Car driving tests will restart in England on Wednesday 22 July 2020 with new social distancing and safety precautions in place. These will only be for people who had their driving test cancelled because of coronavirus.
Driving tests are still suspended in:
- Areas under local lockdown in England
- Scotland and Wales
When driving tests will restart
Test type Date tests will restart Car Wednesday 22 July 2020 Motorcycle module 1 and 2 Monday 13 July 2020 Lorry, bus and coach Monday 13 July 2020 Car and trailer Monday 13 July 2020 Tractor and specialist vehicle Monday 6 July 2020 Approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 test (driving ability) Wednesday 22 July 2020 ADI part 3 test (instructional ability) To be confirmed ADI standards check To be confirmed
Pupils with car driving tests cancelled due to coronavirus were sent an email with a new date and time for their test, however this new date will not go ahead. This includes if the new date given was from 22 July.
DVSA will email pupils again soon and ask them to go online and choose a preferred date and time for their test.
When pupils arrange their test, they’ll need to say if there’s a good reason they cannot wear a face covering when they take their test.
Booking a new driving test
Pupils cannot currently book a new driving test if they did not have a test booked before lockdown.
Driving tests will be carried out for people who had their test cancelled because of coronavirus as a priority.
Driving test
Pupils should not arrive for their driving test more than five minutes before the appointment time.
The driving test centre waiting room and toilets will be closed to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Pregnant people, or those with a disability or medical condition will be permitted to use the toilet.
DVSA has introduced social distancing measures and safety precautions.
These include:
- Driving examiners wearing face coverings – they might also choose to wear gloves and use disposable seat covers
- Limiting the number of people arriving for a driving test at the same time
- Not allowing driving instructors or supervising drivers to sit in the back during the test
Wearing a face covering
Test candidates must bring and wear a face covering when they come for a test, unless they have a good reason not to. This includes if:
- They have a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability that means they cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering
- Putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause severe distress
- They need to remove it during their test to avoid harm or injury or the risk of harm or injury to yourself or others
The test will be cancelled if pupils come for test without a face covering and did not declare they could not wear one when they arranged the test.
Candidates will need to remove their face covering briefly so the driving examiner can check ID.
During the driving test
If pupils have a problem with a face covering during the test, the driving examiner will ask them to stop and adjust it. The driving examiner will end the test early if it becomes a safety issue.
If the candidate makes a serious or dangerous fault, which means they’ve failed, the driving examiner will direct them back to the driving test centre, where the test will end. This is to minimise the amount of time spent in the vehicle.
Find out more about how the car driving test works.
At the end of the test the driving examiner will:
- Ask the candidate to get out of their vehicle before they give test result feedback
- Ask if the candidate wants their instructor to come over to listen to the feedback if it’s safe to do so
Pupils must not come for a driving test if:
- They or someone they live with has coronavirus symptoms
- They’ve been told by the NHS Test and Trace service that they’ve been in contact with a person who has coronavirus
- They have entered or returned to the UK in the last 14 days, except in very limited situations – from 10 July you will not have to self-isolate if you’re arriving in England from a country or territory on the travel corridors list
These people must self-isolate.
Candidates can change their driving test appointment if they need to self-isolate on the day of their driving test. They can do this free of charge if they’re self-isolating, including if it is at short notice (within three clear working days of the test).
DVSA recommends that clinically extremely vulnerable people take their driving test after 1 August 2020, when shielding will be paused.
