Digital marking of the driving test

By mid-October, 20 test examiners (doing 7 tests a day) were using the custom-written app on dedicated iPads.

Candidates need to ensure their DVLA address is up to date when booking the test, though they can change it when they first meet the examiner.

The iPad is set to a lock-down mode before examiners go to the waiting room.  The iPads autosave so will revert to the last user action if a frozen screen necessitates re-boot.  Examiners will have paper copies of the digital test form as back-up.  The app keeps a running total of faults.

Verbal debrief at end of test remains the same.  A paper pass certificate is (currently) still issued.  An email sent to the candidate, in place of the paper form [DL25], now lists any faults in order of severity.  These have been reaching test candidates within a few minutes.

Benefits include being quicker to record faults than on paper, and the app requiring the examiner to record that legal requirements have been met before moving to the next screen.

Of the 2500 examiners in the UK, about 200 are moving to iPad use each week, so all will be using them by early 2020.