The Driving Test Chaos Learners Are Facing Right Now
What’s happening with driving tests in the UK right now honestly sounds like something out of a drama series — except it’s real, and it’s affecting thousands of people. One of those people is 26-year-old Mohammed Armaan from Bolton, who says he’s been trying to book a driving test since June. And every single week, the moment new slots are released, they’re gone. Not just quickly — instantly. It was later discovered that bots were snapping them up and reselling them at sky-high prices, creating what he describes as a “black market inside the system.”
Imagine checking the DVSA website every week, only to watch every date vanish before you can even click. That’s exactly what Mohammed has been facing, and after months of frustration, he says he’s reached a point where he just wants to give up driving altogether. He explained that these test slots are being sold for “crazy amounts,” sometimes £150 just to find a test — and up to £400 or £500 if someone wants a test within days. He even got messages on Facebook offering him tests for inflated prices, and he says his inbox is filled with 16 to 18 such offers at any given moment. Some of them are completely fake too, with scammers playing on the desperation of learners who just need a date.
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This isn’t just an inconvenience for Mohammed — it’s affecting his whole family. His mum has severe arthritis and can’t walk long distances, so being able to drive would make their lives much easier. Instead, they’re relying on slow public transport and expensive taxi trips, all while waiting endlessly for a test that keeps getting snatched away by bots.
Driving instructors are saying the same thing: learners are stuck waiting five months or more, and many have had to pause lessons because there’s no point continuing when no test is available. Some instructors blame backlog issues left over from Covid, which pushed everything back by months — and into that gap stepped bots, resellers, and opportunists who realised they could profit.
Authorities are now stepping in. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has announced plans to limit third-party resellers and prevent instructors from booking tests on behalf of learners. Only learners themselves will be allowed to book, and the DVSA says the system is being rebuilt to make it “fair for everyone.” There’s also a push to change the structure of the practical test itself — reducing certain manoeuvres, shifting focus to rural and higher-speed roads, and giving examiners more flexibility with independent driving time.
On top of that, military driving examiners are being brought in to help clear the massive backlog — a move expected to add up to 6,500 extra tests over the next year.
It’s clear there’s still a long way to go. But for learners like Mohammed, who feel locked out of the system by bots and black-market resellers, the hope is that these changes finally give genuine candidates a fair chance to book a test — without being forced into paying ridiculous, exploitative prices.
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