From the DVSA:

To help keep you, your family, your pupils and our examiners safe, we’d encourage both you and your pupils to regularly take coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow device (LFD) tests. This includes while you’re teaching them to drive and within the 4 days before they take their driving test.

Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have symptoms and can spread the virus to others without knowing.

Regular testing using rapid LFDs helps to find positive cases in people who have no symptoms, but who are still infectious. If people who test positive self-isolate, we can break the chain of transmission and limit the spread of COVID-19.

A negative rapid LFD test result is not a guarantee that you do not have COVID-19. You must continue to follow coronavirus FACTS guidance and restrictions in place in your area.

If you live in Scotland you can get a coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow device test if you do not have symptoms. They’re free and you get a result 30 minutes after taking the test. You should take a rapid LFD test twice-weekly(every 3 or 4 days).

This applies even if you’ve had the first dose or both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to reduce the chance of you suffering from COVID-19 disease. You may still get COVID-19 despite having a vaccination, but this should be less severe.

The NHS does not yet know how much it will reduce the risk of you passing on the virus. You’re also more likely to be teaching pupils in the age groups where the data shows infection rates are some of the highest and where vaccination is still to be undertaken.

What this means for your pupils

Your pupils will not need to take a rapid LFD test to be able to take their driving test, but by doing one, they’ll help to stop the spread of COVID-19.

For the rapid LFD test to be valid, your pupil will need to take the test in the 4 days before their driving test.

If your pupil or anyone they live with tests positive from a rapid LFD test, everyone in the household must:

• self-isolate immediately
• get a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to confirm the result (a PCR test is a different type of COVID-19 test) within 48 hours

If a PCR test result is negative

If your pupil gets a negative PCR test result back before their driving test, they can stop self-isolating when the local health protection team tells them it’s safe to do so.

They can then take their test.

If a PCR test result is positive or they do not get a PCR test result in time

Your pupil must not go for their driving test if either:

• they or someone they live with has a positive PCR test result
• their PCR test result does not come back before their driving test

They will need to change their driving test appointment to a later date.

They can then email us if they’d like us to try and find an earlier appointment. They should email [email protected] with the email subject ‘Lateral flow rebooking’ and include 2 of these 3 pieces of information:

• their driving licence number
• their theory test pass certificate number
• their driving test reference number

We’ll then try to find theman earlier test appointment.

We’ll only do this if they changed their test appointment within 4 days of their test. This service cannot be used by anyone else to try to get an earlier appointment. We will refuse anyone who is not eligible and tries to use this service.

We’re contacting all driving test candidates to let them know how to get a rapid LFD test and encourage them to get them while they’re learning to drive and before they take their driving test.

If you have a booked a driving test for any of your pupils, you need to pass this information on to them.

More information

Check GOV.UK for the latest about:
• theory tests
• driving tests
• instructor guidance