The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is currently trialling flexible driving tests where tests don’t start and finish at a driving test centre – but at other locations.

These include community, retail or leisure centres – or even having the examiner meet you at your car.

Trials are already underway at Birmingham (Kings Heath), Doncaster, Dumfries and Mill Hill (London).

Why the potential change?

There are several reasons for the possible move to more flexible driving test locations including:

  • Addressing the issue of test centres that have been tied to a location where both road and traffic conditions have changed over the years and are no longer ideally located to assess your ability to drive.
  • Making you potentially feel more at ease meeting the examiner as you could arrive at a location you may already be familiar with – like a shopping centre – instead of an unknown test centre.
  • Increasing testing capacity; for example, if a specific area is experiencing particularly high demand, a team of examiners can be dispatched to conduct tests to reduce bottlenecks.
  • Offering a realistic driving test that discourages route learning and instead relies on your skills as a driver only.

“If a learner is truly test ready, they should be able to pass on any roads, not just those which they have practised on. It is one of the reasons DVSA does not publish test routes, to discourage route learning.”

• DVSA

What will stay

One thing that won’t change is the driving test itself. Wherever you end up taking your test, you will still need to carry out the same manoeuvres, drive independently, answer the show me tell me questions, and more.

If you do find yourself taking part in one of the trials on your big day, the DVSA will be in touch afterwards to get your feedback about how you found the experience.

Once the trial phase is complete, the agency will review all feedback – from candidates, ADIs and examiners – before mapping out the next steps for what could be a significant change to where you are tested.

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Learner and instructor photo by Bas Peperzak on Unsplash