Car driving tests will restart in England on 22 July 2020 with safety precautions in place - other types of tests will restart before then.
Arrange your driving test appointment
If your car driving test was cancelled due to coronavirus, you were sent an email with a new date and time for your test.
The new date you were given will not go ahead. This includes if the new date you were given was from 22 July. Do not go for your test on that date.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will email you again soon to ask you to go online and choose your preferred date and time for your test.
When you arrange your test, you’ll need to say if there’s a good reason you cannot wear a face covering when you take your test.
Booking a new driving test
You cannot currently book a new driving test if you did not have a test booked before lockdown.
Driving tests will be carried out for people who had their test cancelled because of coronavirus as a priority.
When you come for your driving test
Do not arrive for your driving test more than 5 minutes before your appointment time.
You will not be able to use the driving test centre waiting room or the toilets. These have to stay closed to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Keeping you safe when you take your test
DVSA has introduced social distancing measures and safety precautions.
These include:
driving examiners wearing face coverings - they might also choose to wear gloves and use disposable seat covers
limiting the number of people arriving for a driving test at the same time
not allowing your driving instructor or supervising driver to sit in the back during your test
Wearing a face covering
You must bring and wear a face covering when you come for your test, unless you have a good reason not to. This includes if:
you have a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability that means you cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering
putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause you severe distress
you need to remove it during your test to avoid harm or injury or the risk of harm or injury to yourself or others
You need to say if you have a good reason not to wear a face covering when you arrange your test.
Your test will be cancelled if come for your test without a face covering and you did not declare you could not wear one when you arranged your test.
You will need to remove your face covering briefly so your driving examiner can check your ID.
During your driving test
If you have a problem with your face covering during the test, your driving examiner will ask you to stop so you can adjust it. Your driving examiner will end the test early if it becomes a safety issue.
If you make a mistake
You can carry on if you make a mistake during your driving test.
If you make a serious or dangerous fault, which means you’ve failed, your driving examiner will direct you back to the driving test centre, where the test will end. This is to minimise the amount of time you need to spend in the vehicle.
At the end of the test
Your driving examiner will:
ask you to get out of your vehicle before they give you your test result feedback
ask if you want your instructor to come over to listen to the feedback if it’s safe to do so
This is to minimise the amount of time you need to spend in the vehicle.
When you must not come for your test
You must not come for your driving test if:
you’ve been told by the NHS Test and Trace service that you’ve been in contact with a person who has coronavirus
you have entered or returned to the UK in the last 14 days, except in very limited situations
You have to stay at home (self-isolate).
Change your driving test appointment if you need to self-isolate on the day of your driving test.
You can do this free of charge if you’re self-isolating, including if you do it at short notice (within 3 clear working days of the test).
If you're classed as clinically extremely vulnerable from coronavirus
If you’re clinically extremely vulnerable, you should have received a letter telling you that you’re in this group or have been told by your GP.
DVSA recommends that you take your driving test after 1 August 2020, when shielding will be paused.
Apply for an emergency driving test if you're a critical worker
You can apply for an emergency test if you urgently need a test because you’re classed as a critical worker. This includes if you work in:
health and social care
education and childcare
key public services
local and national government
food and other necessary goods
public safety and national security
transport
utilities, communication and financial services