Driving examiner strike dates April 2023: when are DVSA staff striking in April, 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

Thousands of driving tests have again been cancelled as driving examiners around Britain go on strike.

Learners in Scotland, north-east and north-west England, and Yorkshire and the Humber have already been affected by strikes this month, with tests in parts England and Wales due to be disrupted between Monday 24 April and Friday 28 April.

The examiners who oversee practical driving tests are striking over pay and conditions as part of wider industrial action by the PCS union. Around 1,600 are taking part in the strike - the latest in a series of walkouts affecting driving test centres around the country.

The latest action follows strikes at test centres in December, January and March 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.

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.

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.

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:

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. Friday's action - part of a nationwide strike involving 133,000 civil servants - is likely to affect most test centres, although the DVSA has not issued a full list of affected sites.

So far the full list of affected centres for Monday 24-Thursday 27 is as follows:

Monday 24 April and Tuesday 25 April - East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London

Thursday 27 April London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales