Cheating On UK Driving Tests Hits Record Highs

Cheating on driving tests is reaching new heights across Britain, with the number of recorded attempts soaring by 47% in just a single year. Data obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and reported by multiple outlets including Sky News, BBC, and the Press Association, reveals that 2,844 cases were logged in the year up to September 2025, compared to 1,940 the previous year and just 1,274 in 2018/19. This sharp uptick has authorities, motoring groups, and driving instructors deeply concerned about the risks posed to road safety and the integrity of the licensing system.

The methods used by would-be cheats are as inventive as they are troubling. According to the BBC, more than a third of the cases (1,113) involved technology—a favorite trick being Bluetooth earpieces connected to hidden phones, allowing candidates to receive answers in real time during the theory test. Impersonation is another major avenue, with 1,084 attempts to take theory tests for others and 647 incidents of people pretending to be the registered candidate for a practical test. The financial incentives can be tempting: impersonators have been known to charge up to £2,000 to pass a test on someone else’s behalf.

The crackdown on this wave of fraud has been swift and severe. The DVSA reported that 96 people were prosecuted in the last year alone for cheating or impersonation. Some cases have made headlines for their audacity and scale. Qounain Khan, a 23-year-old from Birmingham, was sentenced to eight months in prison in June 2025 after being caught impersonating learners at theory test centers a staggering 12 times. Ali Rasul, 22, received a two-year sentence in November 2025 for repeatedly trying to cheat the theory test over an eight-month period, using both hidden earpieces and impersonators. Meanwhile, Sorina-Ana Turcitu, 42, was handed a 12-week suspended sentence for attempting to take a practical test for someone else.

But what’s driving this surge in cheating? The answer seems to lie in a combination of desperation and opportunity. The National Audit Office warned in December 2025 that the backlog for practical driving tests would not clear until November 2027. Learners currently face an average waiting time of 22 weeks—compared to just five weeks before the pandemic. As Carly Brookfield, chief executive of the Driving Instructors Association, told the BBC, "It almost seems inevitable in an era of lots of demand, but very little consistent supply, that you are going to get people engaging in risky behaviours, like using a cheat service to try and pass." Dr. Rasha Kassem, who leads the Fraud Research Group at Aston University, echoed these concerns, noting that some people resort to fraud because they need a license quickly for work or other pressing reasons. "There has to be public awareness, because this is a serious crime, from my perspective, and also in the eyes of the law. It is fraud," she told the BBC.

The risks aren’t just legal. The RAC Foundation warned that cheats are "putting other road users at risk" by trying to obtain a driving license without the proper skills or knowledge. Dr. Kassem spelled out the dangers in stark terms: "It means that there will be more accidents, collisions, insurance issues as well, damage to the car, and damage to human beings, injuries, and in some cases, death." The AA Driving School described the increase in cheating as "staggering," and suggested that some individuals may still be slipping through the net despite enhanced enforcement.

To combat the rise, the DVSA has ramped up its fraud detection capabilities. Marian Kitson, the agency’s director of enforcement services, explained, "It is essential that all drivers demonstrate they have the right skills, knowledge, and attitude to drive safely. Our counter-fraud team carries out robust investigations into suspected fraud, working with the police to bring fraudsters to justice and keep Britain's roads safe." Measures now include rigorous identity checks, requiring candidates to roll up their sleeves and show that their pockets are empty, pat-downs, and the use of metal detectors at test centers. Staff are trained to spot impersonators, and intelligence is used to identify people and vehicles linked to previous cheating attempts.

Still, the pressure on learners is intense. The Driving Instructors Association pointed out that many candidates, after finally securing a test slot, are so desperate not to lose it that they might risk everything by cheating. The association says, "Many learners have become so desperate to secure and keep a test slot that, once they finally get one, they are unwilling to risk failing and being forced back into what many describe as a tortuous booking system." The DIA believes that while penalties for impersonators and those offering cheat services are severe, stronger deterrents aimed directly at learners themselves could help reduce demand for such services.

Few candidates realise just how severe the consequences can be. Using an impersonator or bringing cheat devices into a theory test is a criminal offense. Learners caught can face fraud charges, a criminal record, license revocation, long-term driving bans, or even being barred from taking another test. The impact can extend far beyond the immediate penalty, affecting job prospects, travel, and future opportunities. As the Press Association noted, "There are no consequences-free routes to a driving licence, and no safe alternatives to proper training and readiness."

Authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant. The DVSA encourages anyone who suspects cheating or impersonation to report it, providing as much detail as possible. The agency promises to investigate every report, though outcomes may not always be shared for privacy reasons.

In response to the backlog, the Department for Transport has announced measures to expand testing capacity, such as employing military driving examiners and restricting booking to learner drivers themselves to block bots and third-party resellers. But with the backlog expected to persist for at least another year, the temptation for some to take shortcuts remains high.

The message from officials, instructors, and safety advocates is clear: cheating on a driving test isn’t just a minor infraction—it’s a serious crime with real-world consequences. As the number of cases continues to climb, Britain’s roads—and the integrity of its licensing system—hang in the balance.

For those tempted to take the risk, the reality is now inescapable: the odds of being caught are higher than ever, and the personal and public costs are simply too great to ignore.