{"id":9118,"date":"2026-10-23T19:28:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T19:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/?p=9118"},"modified":"2026-10-26T19:35:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T19:35:09","slug":"three-changes-some-progress-and-questions-still-open-at-dvsa-what-the-new-ceo-said","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/three-changes-some-progress-and-questions-still-open-at-dvsa-what-the-new-ceo-said\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Changes, Some Progress, and Questions Still Open at DVSA: What the New CEO Said"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More appointments sound promising. Finding one that fits your lessons, work and instructor\u2019s diary is another matter. For learners dealing with driving test booking, the useful question is simple: what has actually improved?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DVSA\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/despatch.blog.gov.uk\/2026\/09\/24\/driving-test-booking-changes-3-months-on\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">24 September update<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reports around 50,000 more available tests on 1 September 2026 than a year earlier. It follows chief executive Beverley Warmington\u2019s August message and her announcement of three service improvements.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Were the CEO\u2019s Three Changes?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In her <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/despatch.blog.gov.uk\/2026\/08\/28\/listening-learning-changing-my-first-update-to-driving-instructors\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first update to instructors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Warmington outlined:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clearer guidance explaining when appointments become available, including throughout the week.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A planned process allowing eligible learners needing additional support to nominate someone to speak to DVSA about their booking.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Published copies of Ready to Pass? emails, so instructors can see the advice learners receive.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The support process was still being developed. These announcements should not be confused with the separate restrictions on booking changes and moving appointments between centres.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Progress Does September\u2019s Update Show?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DVSA conducted 165,449 car tests in August, its highest August total since records began in 2007. Examiner capacity reached 1,605 full-time equivalents, up 160 from August 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those figures suggest more opportunities for a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/fast-track-booking\"><b>practical test booking<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, DVSA acknowledges that extra availability cannot be credited entirely to booking reforms. Increased test delivery also contributes, and local experiences remain uneven.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Which Questions Remain Open?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When will improvements reach the busiest centres? How much difference have the booking restrictions made independently of extra examiners?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">September\u2019s update does not settle either question. DVSA says it needs longer-term evidence before drawing firm conclusions about changed booking behaviour.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For someone checking dates between shifts, a national improvement offers limited comfort if their local search still comes up empty.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/theory-tests\"><b>book your driving test<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, discuss readiness and car availability with your instructor. Keep a realistic shortlist of locations you can reach and prepare for. An appointment miles away may create more problems than it solves.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Conclusion: Planning Your Next Step With LIDT<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If \u201cwhere can I book my driving test?\u201d has become a daily frustration, organise the preparation alongside the search. Ask what skills need work and how lessons can fit your likely timescale.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/\"><b>LIDT<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offers tuition and booking guidance, while learners complete their own car test booking. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/contact\"><b>Contact our team<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to discuss your experience and lesson plans.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>FAQs<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>1. Did the CEO write September\u2019s update?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No. Christian Oreschnick wrote it, following Warmington\u2019s August post.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Are appointments available only on Mondays?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No. DVSA explains that appointments can become available throughout the week.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Have waiting times improved everywhere?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No. Progress varies between locations.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Can learners make unlimited booking changes?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No. The September update describes a limit of two changes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>5. Should I take any available appointment?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose a date you can realistically prepare for, with a suitable car available.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More appointments sound promising. Finding one that fits your lessons, work and instructor\u2019s diary is another matter. For learners dealing with driving test booking, the useful question is simple: what has actually improved? DVSA\u2019s 24 September update reports around 50,000 more available tests on 1 September 2026 than a year earlier. It follows chief executive&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[279,203,208,287,239,277,285,280,132,283,207,128,276,131,228,278,282,254,110,180,149,281,286,284],"class_list":["post-9118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-beverley-warmington","tag-book-a-driving-test-uk","tag-driving-lessons-uk","tag-driving-test-appointment-availability","tag-driving-test-availability-uk","tag-driving-test-booking-changes-2026","tag-driving-test-booking-guidance","tag-driving-test-booking-restrictions","tag-driving-test-cancellations","tag-driving-test-centre-availability","tag-driving-test-preparation","tag-driving-test-waiting-times","tag-dvsa-ceo-update","tag-dvsa-driving-test-booking","tag-dvsa-examiner-recruitment","tag-dvsa-september-2026-update","tag-dvsa-service-improvements","tag-dvsa-updates-2026","tag-lidt","tag-new-driving-test-rules-2026","tag-practical-driving-test-booking","tag-two-booking-changes-rule","tag-uk-driving-test-news","tag-where-can-i-book-my-driving-test"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9118"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9118\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9120,"href":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9118\/revisions\/9120"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lidt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}