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This chapter contains advice and guidance on a variety of associated operational matters and circumstances. Any enquiries should be made to the technical standards team:
Technical Standards
technicalstandards@dvsa.gov.uk
Test candidates are assigned to programmes electronically by TARS (Testing & Registration System). Each programme must be allocated to the examiner named on the journal. Examiners must have access to their LDTMs Outlook calendar and should make every effort to contact them for any test transfer approval.
Digital journals are visible a day prior to the test. If there is a Check marker against a booked test, the examiner should contact the examiner help line as soon as possible. Exceptionally, if the examiner cannot get through, for example, a late change journal received for an out of hours test, they should ask the candidate to produce the relevant theory test certificates in the waiting room. If the candidate cannot do this, the test should not go ahead.
For a check on a Digital Journal, the examiner must access the additional information page of the Digital Journal by selecting the candidates name. This may still require the examiner to contact the examiner helpline as soon as possible as above.
Customers dont need to bring their appointment notification to the test centre. Customers making a booking via the internet arent given the choice of a postal appointment confirmation. Their only choices will be an email confirmation or no confirmation required. This means theres a risk that not all candidates will have an appointment notification to take with them to the centre.
Previously, the appointment notification asked candidates to take it with them to the centre. This had been used as contingency, particularly for out-of-hours (OOH) tests where there is no admin support available. In these circumstances, if the candidates name doesnt appear on the journal, the examiner may use the e-mail confirmation as part of his decision-making around whether the test should be conducted or not.
During working hours, examiners can contact the contact centre for clarification of who should be taken on test. Currently, for OOH tests (weekends and evenings), if more than one candidate arrives for the same slot, and neither are on the journal, the one with the confirmation would be taken out. If neither has a confirmation, the examiner must decide who to take out and inform Support Services the next working day.
During working hours: In the event that more than one candidate arrives for the same slot, examiners should contact the examiner hotline for clarification about who should be taken out on the test.
During OOH Periods: In the event that more than one candidate arrives for the same slot, examiners should decide who to take out on the test and inform the Support Services team the next working day.
Test candidates are allocated to programmes electronically by the Testing & Registration System (TARS). Each programme is assigned to a specific examiner.
When informing Deployment of the test transfer, at least 10 minutes notice should be given when available, to allow for journals to be updated. If less than 10 minutes notice is given due to a very late swap then, for digital tests, a paper test report must be used and rekeyed upon completion against the correct candidate on the iPad. When any test transfer has been actioned, you must check that the correct candidate details are on the digital journal. If not then a paper test report must be used and rekeyed. If test transfers cannot be actioned in time for the digital journal to be updated then Deployment will inform the examiner / LDTM to complete the test on a paper test report and rekeyed.
A request for a test transfer must be made by using the electronic test transfer request form on SharePoint in the Driving Examiner Documents section. All information must be fully completed, clearly indicating who the donor and recipient examiners are in all instances. This will prepopulate the electronic DL91 Test Transfer Log.
Without exception, all test transfers must be authorised by an LDTM or above. Where a manager is not available to authorise the transfer of the test, a transfer can be instigated by the staff member in consultation with Deployment; however, it is the staff members responsibility to ensure the line manager is informed as soon as possible. For each transfer, please complete all fields; giving details