- The number of candidates caught cheating on driving tests has risen sharply in the UK
- Examples include some caught using Bluetooth headphones connected to hidden phones.
- It comes as students face a huge backlog of driving tests resulting in long waiting times.
The number of learner drivers caught cheating on their driving tests has soared in the UK, increasing by almost 50% last year and many of them relying on the use of hidden phones and Bluetooth headsets.
The data comes from a freedom of information request by PA Media (via the BBC) and reveals that 2,844 attempts to cheat during driving tests were discovered in the year to September 2025. This represents a substantial 47% increase compared to the previous twelve months, with more than a third of cases using some form of technology.
This included candidates who were caught with a Bluetooth headset connected to hidden phones during the multiple-choice theory test, while there were also more than 1,000 attempts by impersonators who attempted to take the theory test instead of someone.
Fortunately, cheating on the practical test (which actually puts you behind the wheel rather than sitting in front of a computer screen) seems less common, although there were still more than 640 cases where impersonators were caught trying to take a test on a candidate’s behalf.
desperate times
The government warns that it is illegal to cheat on a theory or practical driving test by using an impersonator or impersonating a candidate. Those arrested risk being sent to prison, banned from driving, forced to do unpaid work or forced to pay legal costs.
Those who suspect someone has used a copycat can make a report via the gov.uk website.
Why do candidates resort to clandestine criminal methods if the potential consequences are so serious? Experts blame the current backlog of driving tests, with the government itself estimating that candidates have to wait almost 21 weeks for a test in England, compared to 15 weeks in Scotland and 13 weeks in Wales.
“It seems almost inevitable in an era of high demand, but very little consistent supply, that people will engage in risky behaviour, such as using a cheating service to try to pass,” the head of the Association of Driving Instructors, Carly Brookfield, told the BBC.
my personal experience
While I would of course never resort to crime, I understand the frustration that new drivers face like someone who passed away just a few months ago. Those delay estimates seem quite low compared to my experience in a busy area of London, where it took me almost half a year of waiting (with thousands of pounds spent on refresher lessons) to secure a place on the exam.
The rise of automated robots taking over places and problems with the government’s driving test booking website make it an incredibly frustrating experience that forces you to compete against hundreds of other students to secure a small handful of spaces that are released weekly.
I purchased a third-party booking app out of sheer desperation, which alerted me to trial slots being released at short notice by cancellations, and I finally managed to book a trial.
The UK government has put in place measures aimed at tackling the shortage, including hiring military driving examiners to conduct tests and preventing students from taking up empty spaces at far-flung test centres, but the National Audit Office suggests things are unlikely to be resolved before November 2027.
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