Driving examiner strike dates 2023: when are DVSA staff striking in June, where are tests cancelled?

What to do if your test is cancelled as DVSA issues list of dates and locations affected by latest strike action over pay and conditions

Driving examiners will stage five days of strike action this month, leaving thousands of learners facing delays or cancellations to their tests.

Members of the PCS union in several government departments are taking strike action in June, including more than 1,000 DVSA driving examiners in England, Scotland and Wales who will stage a series of walkouts in different parts of the country between 15 and 23 June.

The strikes are the latest in a series of walkouts by civil servants in an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. The PCS is currently examining a new offer from the government which it says includes "significant concessions" but warned that planned and targetted strikes, including at the DVSA, would go ahead while it considers its response.

The latest action follows strikes at test centres in December, January, March and April that saw thousands of tests cancelled. The PCS says the December and January's action cost the DVSA more than £2.8 million in lost driving test revenue, with thousands more learners set to be affected by the lastest strikes.

The strikes do not affect theory tests but do affect candidates sitting car, motorcycle, lorry, bus, coach and tractor tests in April, as well as trainee driving instructors sitting their ADI part two or three tests.

The action leaves learners who have already endured two years of disruption, cancellations and long waiting lists facing even further issues and the possibility of having their scheduled test cancelled again. Recent figures revealed that candidates in some areas face a wait of up to six months to get a test appointment as almost half a million learners try to secure a slot.

When are driving examiners on strike?

DVSA staff are striking on a region-by-region basis, taking two days of action in each area on the following dates:

What if my test is affected?

Learners due to sit their driving test at one of the affected centres on a strike day can try to reschedule it themselves using the DVSA’s online service. To do so, you have to give three working days’ notice or you will be charged the full fee to rebook. You can check the last date you can change your test without having to pay again here.

Photo credit: Self Drive Vehicle Hire

If you choose not to reschedule, the DVSA says you should still attend your test appointment as scheduled on a strike day unless it has contacted you and told you not to go. If your test is cancelled due to the strikes, it will automatically be rebooked by the DVSA and you will receive details of your new test date within 10 days. You will also be able to claim out of pocket expenses if you travel to sit a test and it is cancelled.

Which test centres are affected?

The PCS has given the DVSA a list of test centres where examiners will go on strike. The agency has also warned that other centres could be affected but it will not know this until the day of the action. Not all examiners are members of the PCS union, so tests at other centres could go ahead.

So far the full list of affected centres confirmed by the DVSA is as follows:

Thursday 15 , Friday 16 and Monday 19 June - London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales

Thursday 22 and Friday 23 June - North-east England, north-west England, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, and parts of London