Learner drivers whose tests were cancelled due to Covid must pay to retake ‘expired’ theory exam

Frustrated learner drivers are calling on the Department of Transport to extend the period that theory test certificates are valid for after thousands of practical tests were cancelled due to the pandemic.

A public petition has more than 57,700 signatures, but it requires 100,000 before it will be considered for debate in Parliament. 

A theory test in the UK costs £23 for cars and the certificate is valid for two years when you pass. A practical driving test costs £62 on a weekday and £75 at the weekend.

Between April and September last year, 118,000 theory test certificates expired – an increase of 34,000 compared to the same period in 2019. 

Data obtained via multiple Freedom of Information requests to the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) by car insurance provider Marmalade found that 49,543 theory test certificates expired specifically during the the two national lockdowns in 2020, amounting to a loss of £1,139,489.

Rosalina Rashidi, a learner driver from Bristol, said she believes the DVSA should consider the extension

Assuming all learners pay to retake the test, a cost of £46 for two theory tests means this set of lockdown learners would have spent almost £2.3million on theory exams. If just half retake the test, the cost is still eye watering at £1.7million. 

There are now calls to extend the two-year theory test certificate window by 12 months to accommodate learners whose practical examinations were unable to go ahead.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast this morning, Rosalina Rashidi, a learner driver from Bristol, said she believes the DVSA should consider the extension.

‘We’re doing lessons during the period of having a theory test before we take our driving test, so it’s not like we’ve forgotten all the theory stuff,’ she told hosts Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty. 

A public petition now has more than 57,430 signatures, but it requires 100,000 before it will be considered for debate in Parliament

A public petition now has more than 57,430 signatures, but it requires 100,000 before it will be considered for debate in Parliament

‘You don’t ask a driver that has a licence to take a theory test every two years. So I just feel like extending it is something they should consider during this situation that we’re in just now.’

Rosalina was meant to take her driving test on January 7, a week before her theory test expired on Janaury 14.

‘We went into lockdown on the 5th so I missed it by a couple of days,’ she explained. ‘I emailed the DVSA on gov.uk and asked if my theory could be extended because it expired, I couldn’t take my test due to the pandemic, and they said no.

‘So I have to pay everything again and redo the theory test again before I get to book my driving test. So I don’t know how long that’s going to take.’

Dozens of learners in a similar situation to Rosalina have expressed their frustration on social media

Dozens of learners in a similar situation to Rosalina have expressed their frustration on social media

Rosalina said not being able to take her driving test is having an impact on her career.

‘I work in TV production in documentaries and factory entertainment,’ she explained.

‘To work in pre-production in TV, having a driving license, especially in the early stages of your career, gives you the edge on whether you get the job or not.

‘Initially when I had to do my driving test I did it for a job, but after the pandemic everything has been postponed or delayed so I had to do a bit of a diversion, so I’ve diverted myself into post-production now, I’m an edit assistant. 

‘I’m so grateful that I have a job in the pandemic, but then you have to do a bit of forward thinking – when everything goes back to normal, you want to have the fastest possible way to get back into the field you were in before the pandemic happened.’ 

Dozens of learners in a similar situation have expressed their frustration on social media. 

The DVSA has an enormous backlog of learner drivers waiting to sit their practical tests

The DVSA has an enormous backlog of learner drivers waiting to sit their practical tests 

Twitter user CJ wrote: ‘How is it fair that people who get a driving ban can start driving again as soon as it’s up without having to do theory or practical again. But I’m here having to pay and resit my theory that I have already passed because Covid has cancelled my driving test and theory has expired because of Covid. 

‘It’s literally not my fault. Whereas people caught drink or drug driving are just allowed to drive after after their ban is up?? They have done something wrong I have not, surely it should be then having to resit the tests?’

Another user tweeted: ‘@DVSAgovuk please extend theory test expiry as most people have had practical tests cancelled many times due to Covid and in this uncertainty it is a bit unfair to have to retake theory.’

And Alice fumed: ‘F*** DVLA, can’t believe I have to pay and retake my f****** theory test because it runs out soon because all driving tests have been cancelled because of Covid. Tell me how “legally theory tests cannot be extended under any circumstances” – what the f***?!’

A statement from the Department of Transport issued in response to the live petition read: ‘The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure that a candidate’s knowledge is current. This validity period is set in legislation and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.

‘We realise this will affect and disappoint some learners, especially young people, but it is important that road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point that new drivers drive unsupervised for the first time. 

‘Those with theory test certificates expiring will have taken their test in early 2019. Since then, their lessons and practice sessions will have been significantly curtailed during recent lockdowns and it is likely that their knowledge base will have diminished. Research suggests that this would be particularly harmful for hazard perception skills, a key factor in road safety.

‘Ensuring new drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the training of new drivers, who are disproportionality represented in casualty statistics. Taking all this into consideration, the decision has been made not to extend theory test certificates and learners will need to pass another theory test if their certificate expires.

‘The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is rescheduling affected practical driving tests by moving them to the next available test dates and is informing candidates as it does so. The Agency is also working hard to increase test availability when it is safe to resume services.

‘The fee for a practical test booking will be refunded to a candidate as soon as their theory test certificate expires. The Road Traffic Act 1988 does not allow for theory test fees to be refunded and learners will already have received the service for which they paid. 

‘The Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to exempt those affected from having to pay a fee for retaking the theory test.’