Dvsa Avis 

What the difference between a driving examiner and a tory politician? Nothing they're both corrupt.

I had my driving test on the 24th of July 2025 at 8:10 AM, but when I arrived, I was told my booking couldn’t be found. It was incredibly stressful and confusing, especially on such an important day. My examiner — who had no fault in the situation — went above and beyond to help me. He called the office, tried to sort things out, and when his original 8:10 appointment didn’t show up, he asked his manager if he could take me instead.

Thanks to his kindness and effort, I was able to do my test as planned. During the test, he remained professional but also very human — calm, reassuring, and warm. He made light conversation at the right moments and helped me feel grounded when I was clearly in my head. It’s obvious he has years of experience and genuinely cares. I feel so sad I was overjoyed I forgot to ask for his name. But he is based in Kettering - I tested in Wellingborough.

I believe he played a huge role in helping me pass, and I’ll always be grateful. If it were someone else, I might’ve been turned away. Instead, I got the chance I had prepared so hard for — and I passed on my first try. Thank you so much.

Had a ar go for an mot and failed. Examiner gave failed sheet with all brake test readings saying needs front discs and pads, ok so replacing new parts at so called fault booked a retest car passed strangely showing the same readings on the brake test that the last examiner failed the car on failed?. Is the test center in Belfast have faulty equipment or do they have an inexperienced examiner ?. Or do they pass who they want to?.

NO TEST AVAILABILITY

Mark and Chris took me for my tests MOD 1 and 2.
Mark your amazing , funny and able to put anyone at ease. Continue doing a great job

Chris - such kindness and gently spoken and even thou I failed first time let me cry and then told me where to improve and next time I had it - great news

Professional approach by the examiner Mr. Joe made my driving test today at the Greenham test center a memorable experience. Right from the beginning Mr. Joe was able to make me comfortable and steady despite the nervousness that any candidate gets on the test date. And Mr. Joe took extra time to brief me on the mistakes and how such mistakes can be avoided to make sure other road users are not affected at all. The test started and ended on the dot and all together it was a good experience. I wish to register my gratitude to the center management and to Mr. Joe for the services rendered.

Absolutely useless. No chance of booking a test. Advised to 'keep calling and hope someone cancels as I call'.

I was taking my lorry driving test when the examiner began shouting at me and even swearing in Polish. This caused me a great deal of stress, and I failed the test as a result. I reported the incident to the DVSA and requested a different examiner for my next attempt, as I no longer felt comfortable with the same individual. Unfortunately, they refused and told me that changing examiners was not an option.

During the second test, the same examiner remained calm and I did eventually pass. However, the stress caused by the first experience affected me so deeply that I’ve never felt able to drive a lorry since.

I submitted a formal complaint to the DVSA, which they initially dismissed, insisting their staff are professional and would never raise their voice. I wasn’t satisfied and escalated the complaint multiple times. Eventually, the examiner admitted, “OK, maybe I did raise my voice slightly” — a far cry from what actually happened. Sadly, it became clear the DVSA would back their staff no matter what, even at the cost of honesty and public trust.

This has been a deeply frustrating and disheartening experience. I’m relieved I no longer have to deal with them and would strongly advise others to avoid the DVSA if possible.g

A Call for Urgent Reform: Systemic Failures and Exploitation Within the DVSA

It should not take between 3 to 7 business years to book a practical driving test in the United Kingdom. This isn’t just a backlog, this is a systematic failure and, at worst, bordering on a fraudulent exploitation of learner drivers under the guise of a government service.

In my case, after a 5-year wait, I finally secured a test at the Colwick test centre, not because it was convenient, but because it was the only option available, even though I do not live in Nottingham. I had to spend £900 on local driving lessons in Nottingham in addition to the £4,989 already spent since 2020 due to the complete lack of test availability across London and the South East.

During my test, the examiner Ed instructed me to perform a reverse park on a dipped curb in front of someone’s driveway, an arguably inappropriate and confusing location. The result? A failure marked by what I believe was subjective, inconsistent judgment a power examiners can wield without accountability, often at the expense of candidates’ futures.

My driving tests rusts are below:

Your serious faults
-Reverse park (road) – Control
Your driving faults

Your driving faults
-Control – Steering, 1
-Following distance, 1
-Reverse park (road) – Observation, 1

This issue is far bigger than one examiner or one test. This is a deep-rooted, systemic problem within the DVSA. For the past five years, the DVSA has knowingly allowed instructors and third-party brokers to bulk-book tests, only to resell them at extortionate rates to desperate learners sometimes at three or four times the official cost. The fact that the DVSA has done nothing meaningful to stop this practice raises serious concerns about whether the agency is indirectly profiting from this black market.

Let’s be clear: if this was a university, and only 40-50% of students consistently passed while the rest failed regardless of preparation it would trigger a full investigation into academic malpractice or institutional failure. Yet the DVSA continues with impunity, protected by bureaucracy and devoid of oversight.

This is not just poor service this is systemic abuse of power that punishes ordinary citizens. It disrupts lives, delays careers, and, in my case, prevents me from supporting a disabled family member who relies on me for transportation to critical medical appointments.

The DVSA has allowed a toxic, profit-driven culture to take root within a public service, and thousands are paying the price emotionally, financially, and professionally.

This isn’t about failing a test. It’s about a rigged, failing system. And until serious reform takes place starting with banning bulk bookings, increasing test availability, and investigating pass rate manipulation I have no choice but to rate this system a 1 star. Frankly, it deserves far less

I gave my practical driving test at Wellingborough. The examiner was called Baz. He was a thorough professional. He made me feel completely comfortable. Also had light conversations to make me feel comfortable. He had over 20 years of experience as an examiner. He understands our tensions and ensures us to just follow the rules and have proper awareness rest should be fine. A very pleasant person.

So hard to get a test, doesn’t help when people are booking for test centres no where near where they live, you should have to put your postcode in and only be able to book at centres near where you live, not fair on those trying to book a test at their nearest test centre when people from miles away are just booking at any test centre, I also feel that only the student should be able to book their tests? Not the instructor, especially when some instructors are buying loads of tests up and selling them on for more money and people selling tests by third party, Covid was 5 years ago, you should have cleared the backlogs by now surely. It’s a joke, especially when I am test ready like some others and we can’t get the tests

MSVA online application system. The process now requires you to pay first. Why? because they reject most applications. I have tried 3times to upload one MSVA application form, paid £85 each time. 3 rejections. They write me rejection emails addressed to a name I didn't even enter on the form.

The telephone support line is just as bad. it is just call centre staff who have no clue about rejections or applications. Waited ages then she gave me no credible answer and just said would've should've. Totally rubbish system.

The practical driving test is notoriously unfair and harsh. I’ve had my driver’s license for 13 years in another country and needed to get the UK license so I could drive myself to and from work. It’s been a year since I’ve taken my theory test and it’s been an unpleasant cycle of waiting long periods for a test and going broke spending money on lessons and tests just to fail on a single fault that’s made out to be worse than it is. I hate it here.

I went to the DVSA theory test centre on Duke Street Liverpool. Phil, the security man ,was an absolute legend. He made me feel more relaxed and I passed my test👍🏼

I had a driving test today in Ipswich at 1.35pm and my examiners name was Claire. I just want everyone to know how amazing she was today. She really made me feel comfortable and calmed my nerves I couldn’t have asked for anyone better. I think she done a great job today and I just want to say thank you and I hope she gets appreciated as much as she deserves.

If I could only book a driving test... Why do you let people resell slots?

it is 1 month exactly now from 23 march i am looking from 6 am till 10:45 pm looking a booking in London can not find any all the time no test available . DVSA should feel shame about that , they have done noting to improve their website , still you can book through 3rd party , but this will cost a lot of money extra( I don not want to pay , hopefully ) but what I see I have to pay in the end if I can not book via DVSA . really I feel disappointed , frustrated , angry

Had a test with John today at Yeading test centre. He made me feel so calm and at ease throughout my whole driving experience, although my anxiety was sky high! Such a lovely guy with a great personality. Would highly recommend.

No practical tests. Tooks ages to get inside the website just to say no more slots. They even blocked me from website.

Set my alarm for 5.45. Only 9000 people ahead of me. In a queue. Finally got in after 30m wait. Needed to change my daughters test. Entered correct details, screen stuck on loading. Go back, try again, same thing. Then get an error message, error 15, access denied and I am now blocked. An absolute disgraceful system that does not work. Didn't work three years ago for my other daughter and doesn't work now. Nothing in this country ever works, especially if you're a law abiding,hard working member of society. All I want is to book a test for my child. It's already costing a fortune, so now what are my options? Pay out even more to use the companies that buy all the slots. DVSA, you should be ashamed.