Learners can take driving tests again from 22 July

Learners will be allowed to take their driving tests again this week after four months of them being suspended.

Practical tests will restart in England from Wednesday 22 July, though only candidates who have had their already-booked exams put on hold will get the chance to sit their exam this week.

Driving tests for non-critical workers have been cancelled since 20 March, meaning some half a million budding motorists have been chomping at the bit to get their hands on their full licences.

On average, some 4,000 learners were sitting driving tests every day in the UK before the nation went into lockdown, meaning a huge backlog of people waiting to get their hands on a licence.

With there being 124 days between practical tests being halted and them restarting, an estimated 496,000 learners are raring to sit their exams.

Driving theory tests in England were also suspended on 19 March as part of the wider efforts to restrain the spread of Covid-19, though restarted again on 4 July as part of the easing lockdown measures.

Theory tests will resume in Scotland from Wednesday, though the date for practical tests to restart north of the border won’t be confirmed until an announcement on 30 July. 

In Wales, theory tests restart on 3 August and car driving tests will resume from 17 August. 

Across the country, tests have still be going ahead as scheduled for those deemed to be critical workers and have in recent months become more reliant on using a car to commute with the public being urged to avoid public transport if at all possible. 

With all learners in England set to be allowed to sit their tests again from Wednesday, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has urged them to speak to their instructor to make sure they are still well prepared and up to test standard before rebooking their driving test. 

Driving lessons in England were given the green light on 4 July, suggesting many learners have already taken refresher sessions ahead of the test restart on Wednesday. 

DVSA chief driving Examiner Mark Winn said: ‘I know many learners are keen to take their driving test but it is vital they have the right skills and knowledge to help them through a lifetime of safe driving before attempting it.

‘Anyone who is rebooking or taking a test should make sure they’ve had enough practice with a professional driving instructor and are ready.

‘Learners should practice driving on a variety of roads and in different driving conditions so they are well prepared for driving independently.’ 

Those learners whose tests were cancelled due to the pandemic are being invited to rebook a test first. 

Once this has been completed and we have tested critical workers DVSA will open the booking service to the general public.

Safety measures have been put in place to protect learners and examiners from Covid-19 and DVSA has published information and guidelines so candidates know what to expect.

Analysis of accident rates over a motorist’s lifetime against the number of times a driving test has been taken suggests that those that pass with the fewer attempts have fewer crashes on average. 

The report found that drivers who pass their test on the first attempt, on average, have 1.6 prangs in their lifetime while those who take six attempts to get their licence average 6.6 shunts in their driving career.