Driving test cheating is on the rise, as learners battle the backlog and cost pressures

Learner driver insurer Veygo, has revealed that cheating on driving tests is on the rise, with more learners using technology or impersonations to pass their theory and practical exams. Impersonation-style cheating refers to learners having someone else fraudulently take a test in their name to increase the chance of passing. 

Analysis of official DVSA (Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency) data – obtained by Veygo from a Freedom of Information request – found that a record number of 2,012 impersonations happened in tests in 2022/23. Of these, four fifths (82%) were during theory tests. Latest figures for 2023/24 to-date show that 887 cases of impersonation cheating have been reported so far this year already.  

Impersonation cheating figures for 2022/23 are also nearly double that of pre-pandemic cheating in 2019/20, where there were 1,048 reported cases. And they are four times higher than six years ago in 2017/18, when there were just 513 incidences.  

Obtaining a full licence through cheating is considered fraud, and can result in revoked certificates, loss of licence, and further prosecution. But despite this, technology-assisted cheating during theory tests is on the rise too, with learners using mobile phones or technology aids on the sly during theory exams to get answers correct and pass. 2,147 cheating cases of this kind have been reported in the last six years since 2017/18, with a 150% increase in the last year alone. 

These six-year cheating figures have been announced at a time when Britain is still battling a backlog from the testing pause during the pandemic, coupled with a cost of living crisis, which both add pressure to the testing process for learners who are eager to pass. Many learners are having to wait months for tests and some are also going to extremes of travelling hundreds of miles to other test centres. 

James Armstrong, CEO of the learner driver insurance company Veygo says: “Young drivers are understandably very keen to pass their driving tests and get on the road.  And the backlog and waiting lists – with the added costs that come with tests and retakes – will be increasing the pressure to pass first time. However, cheating certainly isn’t the way to fast-track the process. It can hinder long-term driving freedom as being caught for having a friend sit a test, or using your phone during a theory exam, can result in loss of licence and prosecution. This will only push the driving dream further away. 

“We want to remind all motorists that driving on the road carries responsibilities and certain standards, and to fraudulently pass a test could cause danger to others, and yourself, when you haven’t properly obtained the qualification. Keeping the roads safe for learners, new drivers, and all road users is a priority. If you want to pass quickly, make sure you’re doing it legitimately by following our guidance on our blog.”