Form

Theory test trainer booking facility: terms of agreement

Updated 30 August 2022

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

1. Introduction

The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 as amended makes provision for theory test trainer bookers once registered and approved by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to book and pay for theory test slots, prior to the submission of candidate details for:

• car
• motorcycle
• large goods vehicle (LGV) or passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) multiple-choice questions test (Driver CPC part 1a)
• LGV or PCV hazard perception test (Driver CPC part 1b)
• LGV or PCV Driver CPC case studies test (Driver CPC part 2)
• LGV or PCV Driver CPC conversion test

This allows you to arrange training programmes for your pupils ending with a theory test appointment and access to all the available slots on DVSA’s system.

DVSA’s online theory test trainer booker facility enables you to book, pay and manage your theory test appointments, while giving you access to all the available slots.

1.1 Training organisations

You must register as a business with DVSA and have a business ID before you can apply to be a theory test trainer booker.

Training organisations are only allowed one business registration for each facility, that is:

• one arrangement for theory test facility
• one arrangement for practical test facility

If DVSA has reason to believe that you’ve more than one registration or arrangement for either the theory or practical test, all but one will be withdrawn.

2. Registration

2.1 Application and declaration

FIll in the form to apply to book theory tests as a trainer and sign the declaration to confirm that you’ve read and understood these terms of agreement.

Electronic signatures are accepted as long as they are sent from the training organisation’s email address.

Send your application form and declaration to the DVSA National Operations team.

DVSA National Operations team
[email protected]

DVSA will review your application and will email you to tell you its decision.

When accepted, you will receive confirmation that you have been set up on the trainer booker system. All users will receive an email containing a link to set up their personal sign in details and to register a unique phone number to which that user has access. This will be used for multi-factor authentication.

2.2 Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

As part of DVSA’s improved security measures as a trainer booker you will need to multi-factor authenticate once a day to access the trainer booker portal.

This requires a user at each sign in to first enter their username and password (the first factor) and, following this, to respond to instructions contained within either a phone call or phone text message (the second factor). The user can select whether the second factor is a phone call or phone text message at each sign in. This second factor will typically be invoked only once per working day, at the first sign in.

Sign in details are for that user’s exclusive use, must be held securely by them and not exposed to any other persons.

2.3 Reporting an issue with MFA

If a user is temporarily unable to receive second-factor phone calls or phone text messages, they should contact the DVSA customer service centre and explain the situation. Users are reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure continued access to the registered phone number.

DVSA customer services
Telephone: 0300 200 1122
Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
Find out about call charges

3. Using the facility

3.1 Allocation of test appointments

When DVSA confirms that you have been set up on the trainer booker system you will be notified of the maximum number of unassigned slots which your organisation can have at any one time. These are slots which you have paid for, but not yet assigned a named candidate to.

This number is usually set at 50, but you may apply to the DVSA National Operations team for the number to be increased. You should state what number you wish to have in your allocation and explain why this is required by your business.

DVSA National Operations team
[email protected]

There is no limit to the number of assigned appointments which you can have at any one time.

3.2 Reserving slots

Theory test slots can be reserved up to six months in advance and must be paid for at the time of reservation. Once payment has been made for your theory test slots DVSA will email you a payment receipt.

All slots will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. No guarantee can be given about the availability of tests required.

3.3 Assigning candidates to reserved slots.

Candidates can be assigned to reserved appointments no later than one clear working day before the appointment.

If a candidate is not assigned to an appointment by this time, you will lose your fee.

One clear working day does not include:

• a Sunday
• bank holidays (English and Welsh)
• the day that you allocate the candidate
• the day of the appointment

For example, an appointment reserved for a Friday would have to be assigned on the previous Wednesday.

Saturday is counted as a working day.

3.4 Who can cancel a booking.

All of your users that have been registered with DVSA can cancel a booking on the trainer booker system.

The candidate named on the booking will not be able to cancel the booking.

3.5 Cancelling a booking.

Test appointments must be cancelled no later than 3 clear working days before the date of the test.

If the test is cancelled later than this, you will lose their fee.

Three clear working days does not include:

• a Sunday
• bank holidays (English and Welsh)
• the day that you make the cancellation
• the day of the appointment

For example, a seat booked for a Friday would have to be cancelled on the previous Monday.

Saturday is counted as a working day.

3.6 Changing the booking to a different candidate.

If a candidate has been allocated to a test slot and you wish to change the allocation to another candidate, you should unassign the original candidate and replace with the new candidate.

If the change is made later than 3 clear working days before the test the training organisation will lose their fee.

3.7 Cancellation of trainer booking facility

Email the DVSA National Operations team If you no longer wish to use the trainer booking facility.

DVSA National Operations team
[email protected]

3.8 Withdrawal or removal of the trainer booker facility

Regulations make provision for the Secretary of State to refuse applications from trainers where in the opinion of the Secretary of State it is reasonably necessary to do so in the general interests of applicants (regulation 32(2)) of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999).

Failure to comply with these terms of agreement could result in a training organisation having their slot allocation reduced or being removed from using the trainer booker facility.

The usage of the trainer booker system is continually monitored, and any suspicious activity that suggests that a training organisation is not complying with these terms of agreement will be investigated.

Suspicious activity includes:

• continually cancelling reserved slots
• failing to name a high number of slots
• cancelling and rebooking a high number of slots
• users who consistently present candidates to test who do not have the appropriate entitlement for the theory test

If following the investigation, should your access be withdrawn, you will be able to appeal the decision. Details of how to appeal will be in the letter sent to you.

3.9 Changes or cancellations made by DVSA

DVSA will make every effort to avoid cancelling tests.

When unavoidable DVSA will contact you to arrange another appointment. It is your responsibility to contact the candidate and reschedule the test.

4. Your responsibilities

4.1 Changes to registered organisations/trainer bookers

It is your responsibility to notify DVSA of any changes to the following:

• business name
• business address
• business telephone number
• staff who require trainer booker administration
• staff who no longer require trainer booker administration
• staff individual work email addresses
• changes to the categories you wish to be able to trainer book

Fill in the theory test trainer booker change of details form and send it to the DVSA National Operations team.

DVSA National Operations team
[email protected]

DVSA will make every effort to action your request within 5 working days.

4.2 Checking the details and confirmation of your test bookings.

Please ensure that you check the details of your bookings on the trainer booking facility when the tests have been named. It is your responsibility to tell the candidate the date and time of their test, and to make sure they have the appropriate documentation for their test.

All test bookings made, can be seen in the ‘manage bookings’ section in the trainer booker facility.

4.3 Attendance at appointments

Please refer candidates to the links below, regarding Identification/what to take to your test:

• theory test: cars
• theory test: motorcycles and mopeds
• Driver CPC part 1 test: theory (lorry and bus)

4.4 Rebooking tests and costs incurred by candidates.

DVSA will not rebook the test or accept responsibility for costs incurred by candidates who:

• attend the wrong location
• turn up on the wrong date
• arrive at the wrong time

DVSA will not rebook the test or accept responsibility for costs incurred by candidates who are refused to test due to being booked under the wrong driving licence number, or for any other error made by the training organisation.

5. Contact us

Contact the DVSA customer service centre if you have any questions.

DVSA customer services
Telephone: 0300 200 1122
Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
Find out about call charges

Contact the DVSA National Operations team for registration and notification of changes.

DVSA National Operations team
[email protected]

6. Amendments to terms of agreement

DVSA reserves the right to amend these terms of agreement, or to withdraw the trainer booker facility at any time.