Taking your driving test post-coronavirus
What’s it like to take a driving test in a world that has been transformed by the coronavirus pandemic? We find out...
Around 1.6 million practical tests are normally taken in the UK each year. Because none took place for four months during lockdown, there’s likely to be a long waiting list now that they’ve resumed.
The test experience will be different, too. You won’t be allowed inside the test centre, other than to use the toilets. When you get to the test centre, your instructor will sanitise the car inside and out. The examiner will check the car over and can refuse to get into it and cancel the test if he or she isn’t satisfied. Your instructor is no longer allowed to sit in the back of the car during your test, either.
If you make a serious mistake that means you’ve failed, you’ll no longer be allowed to complete the test. Instead, you’ll be directed straight back to the centre, to minimise the time spent in the car.
You’ll be asked to step out of the car to be told whether you’ve passed. And if you do pass, you can’t high five or hug your instructor.
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