08/03/2021
Restarting driving lessons and tests in England
Following the publication of the roadmap out of national lockdown on 22 February, we have been working with government and stakeholders to agree the indicative restart dates of all our driver, rider and vocational testing services.
We have set these dates out below. Depending on the outcome of the government review of roadmap measures on 5 April, we’ll write to you again shortly afterwards to confirm if lessons and tests can restart on these dates.
We aren’t able to confirm dates until after the review on 5 April, but we want to share these proposals with you now to help you plan for reopening your businesses and to start teaching again.
You can read more about stopping the spread of coronavirus on GOV.UK
Restarting driving lessons and tests
Following the publication of the roadmap out of national lockdown on 22 February, we have been working with government and stakeholders to agree the indicative restart dates of all our driver, rider and vocational testing services.
We have set these dates out below. Depending on the outcome of the government review of roadmap measures on 5 April, we’ll write to you again shortly afterwards to confirm if lessons and tests can restart on these dates.
We aren’t able to confirm dates until after the review on 5 April, but we want to share these proposals with you now to help you plan for reopening your businesses and to start teaching again.
You can read more about stopping the spread of coronavirus on GOV.UK
Restarting driving lessons and tests
The proposed date for you to restart driving lessons and training is Monday 12 April 2021.
We know many of you want the opportunity to carry out lessons and training before we restart driving tests and we agree with this.
Therefore tests are due to restart 10 days later on Wednesday 22 April, if government guidance allows.
The safety of our customers and examiners is our top priority. Closer to the restart date we will work with Public Health England to review and check our standard operating procedures. We'll let you know the outcome of these discussions closer to the time.
In the meantime, your pupils can continue to practise driving with an accompanying driver from within their household, as long as it’s part of an essential journey. We will update learner drivers and approved driving instructors when this changes.
We have shared our guidance for driving examiners with driver training associations and they have updated their good practice guidance for instructors. Links to good practice guidance are included in the instructor guidance on GOV.UK.
Driving test bookings
We'll email candidates with tests booked before 22 April to let them know their test will be rescheduled. If you have booked a test for any of your pupils, you will receive an email to let you know it will be rescheduled to a new time and date. You will need to contact your pupil to let them know.
We’ll email you with the new time and date as soon as possible; please ask your pupils to bear with us.
If the new time and date is not suitable for you or your pupil, you can choose a different time and date on GOV.UK. You will need your pupil’s driving licence number to do this. Your pupil does not need to pay again to do this.
We know pupils with tests booked between 12 and 22 April will be disappointed. But it’s important that candidates have adequate time to practise with a professional instructor before they come to test.
Restarting lessons ten days ahead of tests will give you chance to provide your pupils with professional refresher training before they take their test. This approach is supported by the National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP).
Instructor tests
We intend to restart instructor testing from 22 April. Any ADI part 2 and 3 tests and standards checks booked after testing is planned to restart will go ahead as planned. If your part 2 or 3 test or standards check is on hold, we will contact you to arrange a new time and date as soon as we are able to.
Theory tests
Currently the intention is for theory tests to restart in England on 12 April 2021. We’ll email all candidates with theory tests booked before 12 April to ask them to reschedule their test.
Mobile emergency worker tests
Practical and theory tests for mobile emergency workers which have already been booked will still take place as scheduled.
Scotland and Wales
We’re working with Scottish Government and Welsh Government, who are setting out their own plans and timetables to reduce restrictions. We’ll keep you updated
