New driving test rules coming in 2025 – including new booking system & longer wait to re-take your failed exam

NEW driving test rules are coming in 2025 - including a new booking system and longer wait to re-take your failed exam.

The DVSA is changing the rules to slash waiting times and help new drivers get on the road.

At the moment, the average waiting time for a driving test in England is just under five months.

The system which driving instructors use to book tests will be changed to free up more slots.

The period for cancelling a test without losing money will also be extended from three days to 10.

And the wait to rebook a test after failing will rise from 10 working days to 28.

Officials are also mulling how to stop touts ripping off learners by buying up slots.

The DVSA is hiring an extra 450 driving examiners to boost the number of slots.

Roads minister Lilian Greenwood said: "Passing your driving test is a life changing opportunity for millions.

"But sky-high waiting times for tests in recent years have denied that opportunity to too many people.

"No one should have to wait six months when they’re ready to pass, travel to the other side of the country to take a driving test.

"Nor should they be ripped off by unscrupulous websites just because they can’t afford to wait.

"The scale of the backlog we have inherited is huge, but today’s measures are a crucial step to tackle the long driving test wait times.

"They will protect learner drivers from being exploited, and support more people to hit the road."