There has been a lot of talk about the huge delays to booking a driving test caused by the pandemic. The latest figures suggest that waiting times are now stretching to six months, leaving many learners frustrated or even traveling hundreds of miles to get tested.

We spoke to Lynne Barrie, Chair of ADINJC, the leading national association for driving instructors, to find out how the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) booking system works for both students and Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) trying to source a driving test for their pupils – and what advantages the latter approach offers learners.

How the booking processes work

Students can ring the DVSA’s booking line or head to the DVSA’s ‘Book your driving test’ page. Alternatively, many ADIs can book your test for you via the official government gateway system, which is accessible to instructors only.

Lynne says this “helps learners as they don’t have to enter their details such as name, address, number plate, and so on.”

The other benefit is that you don’t have to queue to try and book a test yourself; instead, your instructor does it for you. Here’s how the ADI booking process works:

  • The ADI goes to the official government gateway
  • They check to see if any slots are available in their local area
  • If there are, the ADI enters the individual pupil’s details to secure a slot
  • Every test booking must have a named pupil assigned to it
  • Critically, the booking service is only made available to ADIs when booking is also open to the public.

“Many ADIs check very regularly because they may have several students who need a test or may have failed their test but are now ready to take another one.”

• Lynne Barrie, Chair of ADINJC

Swapping slots

If the ADI wishes to swap round a test slot booked for one pupil to another, they can do this online free of charge.

“This is a really useful option,” says Lynne. “For example, let’s say you have a student with an early booking who is not ready for a test.

“At the same time, you have another pupil who – with a few more lessons – will be test-ready far sooner but has a later test booking. The DVSA system means we can swap them around so everyone wins.”

Also, if two ADIs who know each other both have a pupil that they wish to swap the dates round for, they can phone the DVSA to arrange this.

Inevitably, phoning up takes longer and the ADINJC is currently in talks with the DVSA about digitising the system to make it quicker and more efficient, rather than ADIs waiting in a phone queue.

“Ultimately, we are striving to help pupils get the most appropriate slots according to their skill levels. For ADIs with, say, 30 students, the ability to swap candidates is vital and actually the responsible thing to do.”

• Lynne Barrie, Chair of ADINJC

Talk to your ADI

Any practical solutions to help curb waiting times are always welcome – but if you have any concerns or queries about securing a test in the first instance, do talk to your driving instructor.

They will be able to advise you on when you should consider taking your test. If they believe you are more advanced than another student, they may be able to swap the tests round so you can take yours sooner.

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