The Scottish Government yesterday announced that theory tests, motorcycle tests and training can resume in Scotland from Wednesday 22 July 2020.

Theory tests will restart in Scotland on Wednesday 22 July. The tests will take place with physical distancing measures in place to help stop the spread of coronavirus

Motorcycle training will resume on 22 July.

Motorcycle and tractor testing will resume on Monday 3 August in Scotland.

Driving lessons and tests remain suspended in Scotland. The Scottish Government will make an announcement on driving lessons on 30 July. Once it is clear when lessons are resuming there will be an announcement of when tests will start.

Different approaches to easing lockdown are currently being adopted across England, Scotland and Wales. DVSA is following published guidance in each of those countries as it restarts services safely.

DVSA will continue to observe the guidance and scale up services when it is permissible and lawful to do so. 

DVSA has continued to test critical workers during the lockdown and driving lessons have continued for these workers. 

DVSA chief executive Gareth Llewellyn said: “It has been vital that training and tests only resume when safe to do so and in line with the government’s advice. 

“We know this has been a tough time for the whole country including learners and driving instructors but I am pleased to announce the restart of rider training and tests in Scotland. 

“Tests for critical workers have continued during the lockdown and I would like to thank all those instructors and examiners who have continued to work to help deliver tests for those who have done so much to help us during this terrible pandemic.” 

New candidates will be able to book driving tests once DVSA has carried out the tests reserved for critical workers and everyone with a suspended test has had the opportunity to choose a new time and date. DVSA will announce when the system opens to book tests in due course. 

DVSA is contacting anyone who has a scheduled test to let them know what will happen next. DVSA will then email them at a later date to invite them to book a test at a time and location that is convenient for them. Learners should talk to their instructors and arrange refresher lessons so they can practice the skills they need to prepare for their test.

DVSA has published guidance on GOV.UK for instructors and candidates to let them know what to expect on the day of their theory test and practical test.

DVSA has shared their guidance for driving examiners with the driver and rider training associations and they have update their good practice guidance for instructors.

Theory tests and motorcycle tests and training to restart in Scotland

The Scottish Government announced yesterday (9 July) that theory tests and motorcycle training will restart on Wednesday 22 July 2020 in Scotland. We’ll be contacting candidates who have theory tests booked in Scotland before 22 July to reschedule these. Motorcycle testing and tractor tests will resume on 3 August 2020. All other driving lessons, are still suspended in Scotland, apart from for critical workers who can apply here. We have shared our guidance for testing with the rider training associations.

Motorcycle instruction and theory and hazard tests to restart on 22 July but no dates as yet for Category B and vocational tests.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday that motorcycle instruction and theory and hazard tests will restart on 22 July in Scotland. However she said that driving lessons and tests in cars would “unfortunately have to wait a bit longer”.

Ms Sturgeon was unable to give a firm date for when driving lessons and tests in cars can resume, though she did say that it can be assumed at this stage that they will not restart before 31 July.
DVSA is working closely with Transport for Scotland to resume ALL testing as soon as is possible and is expected to make further announcements on a return to car and vocational testing shortly.
The agency is also currently preparing briefing packs for the resumption of testing and training in Scotland which should be available shortly. No news yet on when Wales will follow suit but this is expected imminently.

All theory tests in Scotland and Wales up to and including 14 July have been rescheduled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Theory tests for critical workers in Scotland and Wales will still go ahead. We will continue to keep the situation under review in line with government advice in the respective countries and will provide an update on theory testing as soon as possible. Theory tests in England will return for all candidates from 4 July with social distancing measures in place. What DVSA are doing We are emailing anyone with a test booked up to and including 14 July in Scotland and Wales to let them know it has been rescheduled. If you’ve booked a test for your pupils If you have booked a test for any of your pupils during these dates, you will need to contact them to let them know that their test has been rescheduled. You can do this on GOV.UK. You will need your driving licence number to do this. You’ll get another email from Pearson Vue. You do not need to pay again to do this. Emergency theory tests An emergency theory testing service will still be available in Scotland and Wales to those who have a critical need to take a test, such as NHS and social care workers. Please do not call our customer service centre as they will not be able to help. Stay up to date with the latest COVID-19 guidance for Scotland and Wales by visiting their websites. We will be monitoring the situation and we will let you know if we need to cancel any more tests.

Theory tests

Following our announcement last week we have published guidance on GOV.UK for candidates to let them know what to expect on the day of their theory test and practical test. For the theory test, the guidance includes: using floor markings to keep people 2 metres apart spacing workstations and chairs to keep people at least 2 metres away from other people extra cleaning of the test centres using protective transparent screens at the reception desk providing hand sanitiser when candidates arrive and leave cleaning workstations, including computers and headphones, before every test coming into the test centre alone Find out what will happen during the theory test. Driving and motorcycle tests The practical test guidance includes: wearing a face covering if you are able to not arriving for your test more than 5 minutes before the appointment time candidates being directed back to the driving test centre if they make a serious or dangerous fault what to do if you or someone you live with (or in your support bubble) has coronavirus symptoms use of DVSA waiting rooms and toilets Find out what will happen during the driving test. Providing driver and rider training during the pandemic We have shared the procedures we’ll follow to carry out tests safely during the coronavirus pandemic with the driver and rider training associations. They are producing guidance to help you understand how you can provide driver and rider training safely during the coronavirus pandemic. We will share this guidance with you when it’s available on the driver and rider training associations websites. What happens next Over the next few days we are continuing preparations so that our test centres and examiners are ready. This includes a phased returned of the trainer booker service and the online business service from 6 July. We’ll update you on this later this week. We will also keep the situation on local lockdowns under review.

Yesterday (25 June) we announced driver and rider instruction can restart from 4 July in England. We also confirmed that all car tests can restart from 22 July. This will give learner drivers time to have refresher lessons and practice with you before taking their test. Motorcycle and vocational tests booked by a trainer can restart from 13 July. Motorcycle and vocational tests booked directly by pupils can restart from 22 July. What this means for tests As set out in the letter from Gareth Llewellyn on 15 June, to make sure your pupils can take their test at a convenient time, in a way that’s fair to everyone, we will be putting all tests ‘on hold’. This means all driving tests that are booked in will not go ahead on the original or rescheduled date. This includes if the new date your pupils were given was from 22 July. We will email candidates again soon to ask them to go online and choose a new date and time for their test. They will also be able to cancel their booking if they want to. These candidates will be given priority for the available appointments.

PLEASE NOTE: England Only at the moment. No word from the Scottish Government.

• Rider, driver and vocational training can resume from 4th July
• Theory Tests resume 4th July
• Car testing to resume in England from 22 July
• Rider and vocational testing to resume from 13th July

DVSA has announced that driver, rider and vocational trainers can resume in-car training from 4 July and have also produced a timetable for overall resumption of training and testing.

The agency will begin a phased resumption of driving tests following the easing of restrictions in Step Three of the government’s plan to rebuild.

Theory tests will restart in England on Saturday 4 July. The tests will take place with social distancing measures in place to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Car driving tests will restart in England on Wednesday 22 July, which will give learner drivers time to have refresher lessons and practice before taking their test.

Driving lessons, theory tests and driving tests are still suspended in Scotland and Wales, in line with guidance from the devolved administrations
 
DVSA Chief Executive Gareth Llewellyn said: 
 
“It has been vital that lessons and tests only resume when safe to do so and in line with the government’s advice. I am pleased to announce the restart of lessons and theory tests in England from 4 July and car practical tests will restart from 22 July.
 
“Tests for critical workers have continued during the lockdown and I would like to thank all those instructors and examiners who have continued to work to help deliver tests for those who have done so much to help us during this terrible pandemic.” 
 
DVSA has continued to test critical workers during the lockdown and driving lessons have continued for these workers. 
 
The phased restart to testing:  

• 4 July – driving and riding lessons and Compulsory Basic Training to restart (England only)
• 4 July – theory test restarts for all candidates – including Approved Driving Instructor  part 1 tests (England only)
• 6 July – expanding critical worker driving tests to more applicants (Great Britain)
• 6 July – trainer booker service for practical driving tests reopens to motorcycle trainers and vocational instructors(Trainers will only be able to book tests at tests centres in England)
• 13 July – motorcycle and vocational tests start (England only)

 
New candidates will be able to book driving tests once DVSA has carried out the tests reserved for critical workers and everyone with a suspended test has had the opportunity to choose a new time and date. DVSA will announce when the system opens to book tests in due course. 
 
DVSA is contacting anyone who has a scheduled test to let them know what will happen next. DVSA will then email them at a later date to invite them to book a test at a time and location that is convenient for them. Learners should talk to their instructors and arrange refresher lessons so they can practice the skills they need to prepare for their test.
 
Safety measures will be put in place to protect learners and examiners from COVID-19 and information on how to implement these measures will be published in due course.

Confusion caused with test emails – and the communication you should be making to your pupils

DVSA have apologised for emails being sent (in error) to candidates this week about the rescheduling of tests which may have caused confusion. 

The email was sent in error as the existing booking platform automatically generates a standard email when tests are moved within the system. DVSA will update us when they expect the first tranche of pupils to be contacted to book a new test. Priority in this process will be given to pupils who have been waiting the longest for tests to be rescheduled and those pupils can expect to be sent their link to book first.

An important communication trainers can make now, to those pupils who booked their own test, is that the pupil (when they have received their link) should consult with their trainer first before leaping to choose a new date. It is important trainer and pupil are aligned on what is the best date for a new test, given the need for an appropriate amount of refresher training needing to be scheduled in before test. 

It is also our advice that expectations are properly managed around when new tests may be available for any new Learners you are looking to on-board in the near future. As you can see with the challenges ahead in resuming enough testing to allow DVSA to catch up tests rescheduled due to lockdown, it will be some time before new tests can be booked in. 

All theory tests rescheduled

All theory tests in England, Scotland and Wales from 22 June up to and including 3 July have been rescheduled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We will update you with a start date for theory testing as soon as we are able. What DVSA are doing We are emailing anyone with a test booked from 22 June up to and including 3 July to let them know it has been rescheduled.  If you’ve booked a test for your pupils If you have booked a test for any of your pupils during these dates, you will need to contact them to let them know that their test has been rescheduled. You can do this on GOV.UK. You will need your driving licence number to do this. You’ll get another email from Pearson Vue. You do not need to pay again to do this. Emergency theory tests An emergency theory testing service will still be available to those who have a critical need to take a test, such as NHS and social care workers. Please do not call our customer service centre as they will not be able to help. Stay up to date on the latest information on GOV.UK. We will be monitoring the situation and we will let you know if we need to cancel any more tests.

Theory tests cancelled up until 21st June All theory tests in England from 15 to 21 June have been rescheduled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.DVSA will update the industry with a start date for theory testing in England as soon as they are able. What DVSA are doing They are emailing anyone with a test booked from 15 to 21 June to let them know it has been rescheduled.  On 29 May the agency notified that tests in Scotland and Wales will be rescheduled up to and including 21 June 2020. This is in line with government guidelines in the respective countries. If you’ve booked a test for your pupils If you have booked a test for any of your pupils during these dates, you will need to contact them to let them know that their test has been rescheduled. You can do this on GOV.UK. You will need your driving licence number to do this. You’ll get another email from Pearson Vue. You do not need to pay again to do this. Emergency theory tests An emergency theory testing service will still be available to those who have a critical need to take a test, such as NHS and social care workers. Please do not call DVSA customer service centre as they will not be able to help. Stay up to date on the latest information on GOV.UK. The situation will be monitored and DVSA will let trainers and candidates know if there is further need to cancel more tests. Driving lessons Driver, rider and vocational trainers should continue to limit instruction to key workers preparing for an essential test. DVSA provided the industry with advice on this in April and will provide further information about broader training as soon as they are able to. See our video above where DIA’s CEO talks about the challenges surrounding resuming tests. DIA has asked, and continues to lobby for, the extension of Theory and CBT certificates in the light of a prolonged shut down of these services.