Driving tests are set to change later this month in a bid to boost accessibility.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) announced earlier this year that future drivers will sit a new UK driving theory test.
This change was due to happen on April 14, 2020 but was postponed due to coronavirus.
It will instead be implemented in England, Scotland and Wales will from Monday September 28.
Currently, those taking the test have to read a case study and then answer 5 questions about it.
But, from latest this month, learners will be asked three multiple-choice questions after watching a driving clip of up to 30 seconds.
They will be able to watch the clip as many times as they need before answering the multiple-choice questions.
Video clips may include a car being driven through a town centre or on a country road while questions may be asked around safe overtaking or why motorcyclists are considered vulnerable road users.
They say that the change is being implemented after research found learners with reading difficulties and disabilities felt more comfortable with video scenarios than written ones.
They said that the change will make the theory test more accessible, especially to people with a:
- Reading difficulty (such as dyslexia)
- Learning disability
- Developmental condition (such as autism)
The change will affect all car theory tests from September 28 2020.
This includes if:
- You fail a test before then and retake if from September 28, 2020
- Your test is cancelled or moved for any reason, and your new test date is from September 28, 2020
Other aspects of the test are not changing. You'll still need to:
- Answer 50 multiple-choice questions within 57 minutes
- Get 43 out of the 50 questions right to pass the multiple-choice part of the test
The hazard perception part of the test, here you watch video clips to spot developing hazards, is also not changing.
