The driving test changes coming in 2026

The driving test changes coming in 2026

Changes to the driving test that came into force on 24 November will see candidates have to spend longer on faster roads

Ellen Manning

Updated

Wed, December 31, 2025 at 4:52 PM UTC

5 min read

Driving male instructor taking notes while holding clipboard while sitting next to driving female teen student learning to drive during bright suuny day. — Changes to the driving test will come into force on 24 November. (Stock image: Getty)

Motorists taking their driving test in 2026 will have to spend longer on faster roads as part of changes that came into force in November, while learners tackling their theory test will also face extra questions.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said changes to the practical driving test, which also included fewer stops during the assessment and came into force on 24 November, would better represent conditions many motorists experience after passing their test, such as driving on rural roads.

In addition, from 2026, theory tests will include enhanced first aid questions from 2026 focusing on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillators.

This year will also see other alterations, set to be introduced from spring 2026, affecting the way driving tests are booked and managed.

They include only allowing learner drivers to book their test - not their instructor - and they will only be allowed to make a total of two changes to a driving test appointment, as well as only being allowed to move a test to centres near to where they originally booked.

What changes are being introduced?

From 24 November, candidates taking their driving test in Britain have had to spend longer on faster roads.

They now make fewer stops during the test - three instead of four - and the frequency of emergency stops across tests has been decreased, from one in three to one in seven.

All of this means examiners have the power to "increase the length of independent driving", "which can involve following a satnav, traffic signs, or both – to between 20 minutes and the full duration of the test".

Changes to the assessment, which also include fewer stops during the test, came into force in November after a trial earlier in 2025 and are aimed at improving safety and help produce competent drivers, as well as improving the flow of the driving test.

According to a House of Commons Library briefing document, nearly half (48%) of crashes involving car drivers aged between 17 and 24 where someone was killed or seriously injured between 2019 and 2023 took place on rural roads, compared with 42% for drivers outside that age range.

From 2026, changes to the theory test means they will include new CPR questions and, for the first time, questions about defibrillators to boost cardiac arrest survival.

The DVSA said the move aimed to address the UK’s low cardiac arrest survival rates by making sure more people know how to respond in emergencies.

Mark Winn, DVSA chief driving examiner, said: "Part of being a safe and responsible driver is knowing what to do in an emergency – how to step in and make a real, life-saving difference.

"Learning CPR and how to use an AED is a very simple skill and adding this into the official learning resource is a great way for DVSA to support the drive to raise awareness."

Why has the driving test been changed?

The changes to the practical test came after a five-month trial conducted at 20 test centres across Britain earlier in 2025.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said it meant the driving test would better represent the conditions many motorists experience after passing their test, such as driving on rural roads.

It said the need to find slower speed areas to perform stops during a test limits the distance and number of roads that can be covered, so decreasing them would mean greater flexibility when planning test routes.

A government blog post said: "These changes were designed to improve the overall flow of the test and better reflect real-world driving conditions.

"By putting them into place and allowing for more meaningful route planning, examiners have been able to observe learner drivers in a more natural and realistic driving environment."

A3 suburban dual carriageway road at dusk — The changes will make test candidates spend more time on faster roads. (Stock image: Getty)

It said: "Making the above adjustments has helped create test routes that venture into more high-speed and high-risk areas – where location allows – and has given learners the opportunity to face a broader range of driving scenarios. The extension of independent driving has also given learners more time to demonstrate their ability to follow directions independently, just like they would after passing their test.

"As well as this, by reducing the number of stops and emergency stop exercises, the test feels more like a genuine drive, helping learners stay focused and relaxed during what we know can, understandably, be a nerve-wracking experience."

Amanda Lane, DVSA head of driver testing and driver training policy, said: “High speed roads, particularly those in rural areas, are among the most treacherous for novice drivers. To keep all road users safe, it’s crucial that the practical driving test assesses learners on the skills required to drive in the real world.”

How much of a test backlog is there?

The DVSA said the changes would have no impact on the timing of tests or the number available - an ongoing concern given a major backlog of driving tests, which saw the Department for Transport announce that it had mobilised military driving examiners in a bid to reduce it.

Last year saw a major backlog of driving tests, which the DVSA attributed to an increase in demand and people booking tests much earlier than before.

The number of learner drivers in Britain with a future test booking as of the end of October was 642,000.

Some 182,000 tests were conducted in October - up 9% on 168,000 in October 2024.

The changes to tests were not expected to affect the number of tests available.

They came after Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced that military driving examiners will be mobilised to test civilians in a bid to tackle the backlog, making up to 6,500 more tests available over the next year at locations with the highest demand.

The backlog is part of the motivation to the changes in the way tests are booked - in order to combat the issue of people reselling tests for profit.

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