On 26 February 2026, I was pleased to host a webinar for approved driving instructors (ADIs) to explain the upcoming changes to the driving test booking rules.
In this session, my colleagues and I talked about what is changing, why we’re making these changes and how we’ll support you and your learners through the transition.
I also wanted to take a moment to say a genuine, heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined. I know that giving up your evening isn't something any of us do lightly. You've already put in a full day's work and the fact that so many of you chose to spend that time with us means a great deal.
What struck me most was not just how many of you turned up – it was the quality of the conversation. The questions you asked were thoughtful, considered and showed just how deeply you care about the people you teach and the work you do. That kind of engagement is exactly what we need right now and it's what makes these sessions so valuable.
We've listened carefully to everything that was raised. Every question, every concern – none of it has been filed away and forgotten. We're committed to making sure we address these properly in our future communications and we'll be coming back to you with clear answers.
This matters more than ever at the moment. We're working hard, and at pace, to bring in changes to protect learners and the wider industry from exploitation. But we can only do that well if we're doing it with you – not to you. Your insight and experience are genuinely helping to shape how we move forward.
So thank you again. For your time, your questions and your commitment to getting this right. We're grateful to have you with us on this.
Watch the webinar recording and get the slides
If you couldn’t join us live, we’ve now made the recording of the webinar available and you can watch it below.
It includes an overview of why we’re making changes, what is changing, what this means for you and your pupils and how we’re communicating this. The recording also includes the question and answer session where we took your questions.
Some of the questions we answered during the session were about:
- what the 2-change limit means
- how learners will be able to swap tests
- what the geographical change restrictions are
- managing ADI availability
- accessibility for learners
- how DVSA will communicate the changes
To make navigation easier, we've added timestamps in the video description. You can select a relevant timestamp to jump to a particular section, or to go to the question and answer session.
Questions we could not get to during the webinar
We were not able to get to all of the questions within the session, so we’d like to give a quick overview of some important areas where you asked questions.
Will the 2‑change limit reset if DVSA changes or cancels a test?
If we need to change a test, for example, due to bad weather, this would not count towards the 2-change limit. However, in almost all cases where we need to change a test, we contact the learner to make sure they can make the new test and so the limit will not be reset. If we cancel the test and the learner needs to rebook, the limit will be reset.
If a learner has already made changes before the rules come into place, will they still have 2 changes?
If the learner has already used all changes allowed under the current rules, they will be able to make 2 more changes from 31 March 2026 as all car driving test bookings will be reset to zero changes on 31 March.
Will swapping require learners to share personal or licence details?
Learners should not share any personal details including their provisional licence number with another learner. Learners will need to call customer services whilst with the other learner to request the swap.
What action have you taken against resellers/bots who have misused the service?
In January 2023, we changed the terms and conditions for using our booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit. Between 9 January 2023 and 5 January 2025, we issued 350 warnings, 792 suspensions and closed 813 business accounts for misuse of our booking service.
On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Since this change, we have issued 376 warnings, 516 suspensions and closed 1,044 business accounts.
How will DVSA measure whether communications have been understood by learners?
We have thought carefully about how to communicate the changes, taking into account our target audience. We will monitor queries from learners following the changes, including those made on social media and will send follow-up communications if necessary.
Will ADIs be consulted again once changes are live?
We are not planning a further consultation, but we will continue to engage with representatives from across the industry through our car driver training and testing forum. We will also evaluate how the measures are working in practice and feedback from customers and stakeholders will be part of that evaluation.
Can I add the Ready to Pass campaign toolkit bar code to my website?
All content on the Ready to Pass? campaign website can be used on external websites. This is covered under the Open Government Policy: Open Government Licence.
Supporting your pupils through the changes
To support your pupils through these changes, you can:
- explain the 2‑change limit ahead of 31 March
- share booking references so learners can manage their tests later
- set up Availability Management
- use the updated Ready to Pass? toolkit to share messages
Working with the driver training industry
As we mentioned on the webinar, we are working with the industry to help shape our messages, guidance and support for ADIs and their pupils. At the end of January, we met with representatives from across the industry – including trade associations and driving schools – at our quarterly car driver training and testing forum in Bristol.
To find out more about the work of the forum, see the latest meeting report here.
Stay updated
You can stay updated on the changes to the booking rules here.
Thank you to everyone who joined the webinar, watched the recording or sent in questions.
Your feedback is important to us, so if you attended or watched the webinar, please take a few minutes to complete our short feedback survey to help us improve future events.
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