Recently, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) was called in by parliament to be asked questions about the service it delivers. At the Committee, the agency addressed surprising claims made by the Public and Commercial Services Union that represents some driving examiners.

The union gave evidence that examiners are being told to be lenient on learners during tests to help boost pass rates. The union also claimed that the DVSA is using a software tool to highlight test routes that are more difficult with the aim of dropping them in the future.

Claims rejected

However, the DVSA’s head honcho Loveday Ryder said that pass rates are not manipulated and that “we keep statistics of all the test routes and [the] pass rate. It’s really important that we have fair and consistent standards.

“That means looking in detail at the statistics to make sure every test route is round about the same level of difficulty, and that examiner pass rates are consistent, and the way things are marked and passed on routes are ‘normed’ so people are marking them in the same way.”

Keep consistent

The agency’s aim is simple – no matter where you take your test, you will receive a similar experience to someone at the other end of the country. Ryder’s view was echoed by Catherine Atkinson, MP for Derby North and part of the Committee.

She stated: “It’s absolutely essential to maintain standards, but what is also clear is that if you’re managing the system, you want to make sure that all your examiners – and we’re talking about 1,500 people – are applying those standards consistently.”

Testing times

There were also queries about the long, long waits for a driving test. According to the DVSA’s own data, the average wait across the UK is now 26 weeks.

Ryder told the Transport Select Committee that addressing the waiting time issue “is our top topic of management attention and we have worked tirelessly over the last four years to try and address this situation.

“It’s priority one, and I am desperately sorry for people really struggling to get their tests – I empathise and feel for them, there is no complacency here.”

Don’t panic

During the session, the issue of “panic buying” was also raised – these are learners not ready to pass but who book their test as soon as they start taking lessons. This inevitably leads to learner failing on the big day and heading straight back into the booking system, adding to the wait times for everyone else.

This problem is why the DVSA remains committed to its ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign that highlights how important it is to be properly prepared for your test before making a booking.

Bad faith

The waiting time issue is also being exacerbated by third-parties using apps and bots to bulk book available tests before flogging them on with a whopping surcharge attached (anything up to £250).

To combat such bad practises, the Driving Instructors Association argued that the system should be changed so tests can only be booked through Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs), not by learners themselves.

In the meantime, the DVSA says it is already hard at work on its new driver services platform that will be able to better identify and reject bots attempting to block book.

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