Changes to the driving test in 2026

Are you aware of the changes that are coming to the practical driving test in 2026? 

Some have already been confirmed whilst others are proposed and out for consultation at present. So what do we know is definitely happening?

1. only you as the learner driver will be able to book and manage your car driving test

2. you will be limited to making up to 2 changes to your test in total (currently up to 6 are allowed)

3. tests will only be able to be moved to driving test centres within a certain geographical area of the original booking  

What we still don’t know is the actual date these changes will start from! 

Booking driving tests

The current wait for driving tests is around 24 weeks. At the time of writing this blog post (February 1st 2026) there are no tests available at all up until July 12th! Tests are in such demand that the tests that become available at 6am tomorrow will very quickly be booked up. So you will need to be online very early to get a test – leave it for just 10 minutes and you are likely to find yourself about 20000th in the queue! 

If your driving instructor is signed up for the online booking system he or she is able to by-pass this queue. This means he or she can  get a test booked relatively easily. This option will be gone under the new scheme.

Road Safety Strategy

The current government has published its Road Safety Strategy in January 2026. It has a very laudable but also extremely ambitious target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035. We will look at the whole strategy in another blog post. Here is part of this that relates to learner drivers. Remember these proposals are currently out for consultation and are not yet definite.

1. A minimum learning period, likely to be 3-6 months after passing the theory test before taking the practical test.
2. A mandatory number of lessons/hours. The DVSA is asking for views on this.  It includes a number of supervised driving hours and a driving syllabus to be delivered only by an approved driving instructor. No actual number has been suggested. It is proposed that a learner would need to record the number of hours, probably in a digital log book.
3. Private practice will be encouraged (as it is already) and these hours can also be ‘signed off’ by a registered driving instructor to ensure the syllabus is being followed correctly.

How will all of this impact on us as driving instructors?

• we are very likely to be in higher demand
• intensive courses, fast tracking or cramming for a test will no longer be possible. We don’t actually offer these anyway.
• whilst private practice will still be encouraged, learners will need us as instructors to help them through the driving syllabus and to sign off their progress. This inevitably will result in greater demand for us. 

What effect will this have?

• learner drivers should be better prepared for their test and it should eliminate those who take a chance on passing their test with minimal experience
• likely greater demand for instructors as our professional judgment and guidance will be essential for each learner
• hopefully this will promote a greater level of professionalism within the driver training industry. It would be good to think there will be a greater engagement of continued professional development (CPD) by driving instructors. Sadly a large number currently engage in no further career development after qualifying. At Training Wheelz we insist on our instructors seeking further development and we actively provide some ourselves.

If you wish to make your opinions known you can engage with the consultation by clicking on this link.

 

The deadline for submission is March 31st 2026.