Cheating during driving tests has surged to record levels.

New figures reveal a sharp rise in the number of candidates using technology and impersonators in an effort to secure a licence.

It comes amid record waiting times, difficulties booking tests and mounting pressure on a creaking system.

Pay to pass

Freedom of information data released by the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) shows there were 2,844 attempts to cheat during practical and theory tests in England, Scotland and Wales in the year to September 2025.

This represents a 47% increase on the previous 12 months.

Nearly 100 people were prosecuted over the period, but experts warn that many more fraudsters are likely to have slipped through undetected.

That’s me

The most common methods involved technology and impersonation.

More than a third of all cases – 1,113 incidents – involved the use of hidden Bluetooth earpieces connected to concealed mobile phones to relay answers during theory tests.

In 1,084 cases, people attempted to sit theory tests while pretending to be the registered candidate, while 647 incidents involved impersonation during practical driving tests.

Industry leaders and academics say the true scale of the problem is likely to be far greater than the official figures suggest.

With only 96 prosecutions recorded over the year, specialists estimate that hundreds, and potentially thousands, of candidates may succeed in cheating without being caught, going on to drive legally without ever proving they have the skills to do so safely.

Dr Rasha Kassem, who leads the Fraud Research Group at Aston University, said the implications are deeply worrying: “It means there will be more accidents, collisions, insurance issues, damage to vehicles and injuries, and in some cases death,” she said. “This is a serious crime, not just against the system but against public safety.”

 

Can’t wait to drive

The rise in fraud has coincided with persistently long waiting times for practical test slots.

In December, the National Audit Office warned that the backlog would not be cleared until November 2027, blaming poor recruitment and retention of examiners and the use of automated “bot” software by third-party websites to hoard appointments.

Beverley Warmington was appointed as the new Chief Executive of the DVSA in November, following Loveday Ryder’s resignation.

This has been seen by many as an attempt to kick-start improvements in the agency’s service delivery and to cut test waiting times.

Although the DVSA said it had no direct evidence that cheating was linked to waiting times, driving instructors and researchers believe desperation is playing a significant role.

Carly Brookfield, chief executive of the Driving Instructors Association, said the surge was “almost inevitable” in a system where demand vastly outstrips supply.

“People who don’t want to risk going on the torturous merry-go-round of trying to get another slot might take the risk of cheating,” she said, adding that some candidates need a licence quickly for work or family reasons.

Dr Kassem agreed, saying long delays were likely pushing some learners towards fraud as a last resort.

Deterrents

Courts have begun handing down increasingly severe penalties in an attempt to deter offenders.

Last year, 23-year-old Qounain Khan was jailed for eight months after impersonating learners at theory test centres on 12 occasions.

The court heard impersonators can earn up to £2,000 per pass.

In another case, Sorina-Ana Turcitu, 42, received a suspended prison sentence for attempting to sit a practical test on someone else’s behalf.

At the same time, Ali Rasul, 22, was jailed for two years after repeatedly using hidden earpieces and impersonators over an eight-month period.

Those caught face driving bans, prison sentences and heavy court costs.

 

 

Taking action

The DVSA says it has stepped up efforts to tackle the problem.

Measures now include facial matching between candidates and photo ID for practical tests, and stricter checks at theory centres, with candidates asked to roll up sleeves and empty pockets before entering exam rooms.

Marian Kitson, the agency’s director of enforcement services, said detection capabilities had been significantly improved.

“People who attempt to cheat driving tests put all road users at risk,” she said. “Our counter-fraud team works closely with police to bring fraudsters to justice and keep Britain’s roads safe.”

The Department for Transport has also announced plans to recruit military driving examiners and, from this spring, restrict who can book and manage test slots to candidates only in a bid to ease the backlog.

However, with demand still high and waits stretching into months, low morale and retention of driving examiners, safety campaigners warn that unless access to tests improves, the temptation to cheat – and the number who get away with it – is likely to grow.