From this week, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will begin sending texts to you with a reminder of your up and coming driving test. These will be sent out 6-10 days before your test.
The reason? Despite the backlog of driving tests caused by the pandemic, some learners are still failing to turn up to their tests.
More than a reminder
The aim is of course to remind you – but also to encourage you to rearrange your test if you are unable to attend or feel that you’re not test-ready.
Rearranging your appointment in enough time means your test slot can then be assigned to someone else.
Every little helps
Research shows text reminders could play an important role as the number of driving tests affected by learners not turning up on the big day has doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels.
This represents a whopping 1 in 22 pupils not showing up for their test. Of these:
- 25% used a third-party app to book their test
- 13% said they couldn’t do the test because an instructor wasn’t available
- 11% forgot the date or time of their booking.
The aim of the new texting service is to address that third reason.
Make the change
Bear in mind you will only receive a text from the DVSA if you include your mobile number when booking your driving test.
If you’ve already booked your test via the DVSA – but didn’t include your mobile number – you can update your details via the change your driving test service.
You’ll need to have two of the following pieces of information to make any changes:
- your driving test licence number
- your booking reference number
- your theory test pass certificate number.
Once on the site, go to the ‘candidate’s details’ section of your booking to add your mobile number. You will also need to re-enter all your details for security reasons.
Once done, you can carry on with your lessons without fear of forgetting your actual driving test date!
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