- The number of candidates caught cheating at driving tests has increased significantly in the UK
- Examples include some caught using Bluetooth headsets 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 skyrocketed in the UK, rising by almost 50% last year, with many 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 were detected during driving tests in the year to September 2025. This is a significant increase of 47% compared to the previous 12 months, with over a third of cases using some form of technology.
This included candidates being busted with a Bluetooth earpiece connected to hidden phones during the multiple-choice theory test, while there were also more than 1,000 attempts by impersonators trying to take the theory test in someone’s place.
Fortunately, cheating in the practical test (which actually has you behind the wheel instead of sitting at 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 either a theory or practical driving test by using an impersonator or impersonating a candidate yourself. Those caught risk being sent to prison, banned from driving, sentenced to do unpaid work or forced to pay court costs.
Those who suspect someone has used an impersonator can make a report via the gov.uk website.
Why do candidates turn to covert criminal methods when the potential consequences are so dire? Experts blame the ongoing backlog of driving tests, with the government itself estimating that candidates have to wait almost 21 weeks to secure a test in England, compared with 15 weeks in Scotland and 13 weeks in Wales.
“It seems almost inevitable in an era of lots of demand but very little consistent supply that you’re going to get people engaging in risky behaviour, like using a cheating service to try to pass,” Driving Instructors Association boss Carly Brookfield told the BBC.
My personal experience
While of course I would never resort to crime, as someone who passed myself a few months ago, I do understand the frustration that drivers experience. These backlog estimates seem pretty low compared to my experience in a busy area of London where it took nearly half a year waiting (with thousands of pounds spent on refresher hours) to secure a test slot.
The prevalence of automated bots capturing places and problems with the government’s driving test booking website make it an incredibly frustrating experience, forcing you to fight against hundreds of other students to secure a small handful of slots when they are released on a weekly basis.
I bought a third party booking app out of sheer desperation which alerted me to short notice test slots being released due to cancellations and eventually managed to get a test booked in.
The UK government has set out measures aimed at tackling the shortage, including drafting in military driving test experts to conduct tests and preventing learners from taking up empty seats at remote test centres, but the National Audit Office suggests things are unlikely to be resolved before November 2027.
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