Driving test rules updated to block bot bookings

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said that banning slot resale by third parties would prevent people from being "exploited" by online bots.

But she admitted to MPs on the Transport Committee that waiting times for driving tests would not be reduced by seven weeks by the summer of 2026, the latest deadline she had set.

The average waiting time at the end of June was 21.8 weeks.

Currently, instructors can book exams on behalf of their students, but this will be restricted under the changes. Limits will also be placed on how often drivers can change or reschedule exams, and on the jurisdictions they can transfer exams to once they've booked one.

In addition to changing who books exams, Ministry of Defence (MoD) examiners will be brought into the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to reduce backlogs.

The Department for Transport said 36 MoD driving examiners will be brought into England to conduct exams one day a week for a year, at an estimated cost of £100,000.

These examiners are government employees, not military personnel.

The DVSA has recruited 316 new examiners, but Alexander said this represents a net increase of only 40 as others have left.

Driving examiners will be given a "retention payment" of £5,000 from next year to help keep them in the post.

Resale of Tests
In April, BBC Verify found that the average waiting time at Great Britain's 319 driving test centres was 22 weeks, and three-quarters had the highest average waiting time of 24 weeks.

Every week, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) makes more tests available, but many are quickly booked by bots – automated software that can process faster than humans.

The companies then resell test slots to desperate candidates at inflated prices.

Last month, 38 MPs signed a letter calling on the government to take "strongest action" on the issue of reselling tests.

Driving tests cost £62 for weekday slots or £75 for evenings and weekends.

The letter states that some third-party vendors are charging up to £500.

Labour MP Amanda Hack, who organised the letter, said she supports these changes.

"The surge in [test] prices is linked to widespread test swapping since the Covid pandemic. While some changes are legitimate, bots and third parties exploit unlimited swaps, hoovering up tests and making it harder for genuine learners."

Learner drivers have said they have had to wake up at 05:30 GMT to book a test directly or wait in virtual queues for hours.

By the end of last month, 642,000 learner drivers had booked tests.

The DVSA has said this backlog is a result of increased demand and people booking tests much earlier than before.

Nearly 182,000 tests were conducted last month, a 9% increase compared to October 2024.

Aman Sanghera, who runs Clearview Driving in west London, said the changes were "the fairest way to fix the current system".

She said that limiting how many times a test can be swapped or amended would "stop third-party companies from exploiting vulnerable learners and make the whole process more transparent".

Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, added learner drivers across the country still faced "excessive and restrictive waiting times" when booking tests.

"Additional support from military driving examiners should help alleviate some of the pressure on the system," Ms Bush said.

"The tightening of the booking system should reduce the wiggle-room that is allowing unscrupulous test resellers to profit from learners' misery."