Learner drivers are cheating on their driving tests, with individuals using creative methods in a desperate bid to pass. According to data from the Press Association, a whopping 2,844 attempts were made to cheat DVSA driving exams in the past year to September 2025.
Figures suggest cheating was up a staggering 47% on the previous year, with the majority of learners turning to technology to make their life easier. More than a third of cases, a total of 1,113, involved using tech to try and get through the DVSA theory test.
One method was using an earpiece connected via Bluetooth to a concealed phone, allowing road users to search for the answers to the test in seconds. According to the data, a ridiculous 1,084 cases were recorded of individuals trying to take theory tests while impersonating the registered candidate.
Even more concerning was that there were 647 incidents of people pretending to be the registered candidate for a practical driving exam. Carly Brookfield, chief executive of the Driving Instructors Association, warned that the scarcity of tests meant that cheating had become almost "inevitable".
She explained that learner drivers didn’t want to "risk going on the torturous merry-go-round and trying to get another slot.” Labour has said it would work to bring down the driving test backlog, but motorists are still waiting months to secure an assessment.
In some cases, road users are often waiting between three to six months, with many centres hitting the maximum 24-week wait. The issue could be here to stay, with the National Audit Office previously predicting that the driving test backlog would not be fully cleared until November 2027.
Those who are involved in faking driving tests could face legal consequences with driving bans likely to be handed out. Data shows that 96 people were prosecuted for attempting to cheat on driving tests or impersonate candidates over the same 12 month time period to September 2025.
Leading instructors driveJohnson’s were stunned by the news, admitting that cheating on a test could have serious “safety consequences”.
They said: “We see how test pressure can make learners anxious. Cheating might seem like a shortcut, but it can have serious legal and safety consequences. The best way to pass and feel confident is to prepare and practice properly.”
