GOV.UK’s guide to the car theory test and its guide to the car driving test each carry a page for candidates with a reading difficulty, disability, health condition or learning difficulty. This article sets the two pages side by side as they stood on 31 October 2026. They describe tests run by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA); Northern Ireland arrangements are not covered here. For some of the theory test support, GOV.UK says DVSA decides what is needed.
When does the need have to be mentioned?
At booking. The theory test page says candidates should say when booking if they have a reading difficulty, a disability or a health condition. The driving test page gives the same instruction and adds learning difficulties to the list.
The driving test page also sets out what does not change: a candidate still has to drive to the same standard to pass, although the examiner can make adjustments for the candidate’s situation.
Reading difficulties: how the theory test can change
The first option needs no paperwork. A candidate can ask to hear the test through headphones when booking, in English or Welsh, and can listen to the questions and possible answers as many times as needed.
Other support needs proof of the reading difficulty. GOV.UK says candidates are told how to send it when booking, and that it can be an email, letter or report from:
- a teacher or other educational professional
- a doctor or medical professional
- an occupational therapist
- an online dyslexia screening product
The support on offer is extra time, someone to read what is on the screen and record answers, or someone to reword the questions. The page says that if DVSA agrees extra support is needed, it will select the best type for the candidate when the test is booked and say what to do next. Extra time applies to the multiple-choice part of the test. Rewording has limits: the member of staff cannot change the technical language, but can change the order of the sentence and other non-technical words and phrases, and the candidate still has to answer every question personally.
Reading difficulties and the practical test
The driving test page deals with reading in one respect. At the eyesight check at the start of the test, a candidate with reading difficulties can write down the number plate instead of reading it out loud. The page does not describe other changes for reading difficulties.
Deaf or hard of hearing: both tests
For the theory test, GOV.UK says a candidate who is deaf or hard of hearing can take it in British Sign Language (BSL), with a BSL video appearing on screen next to the questions and answers. A candidate can instead take a BSL interpreter, ask for a lip speaker or arrange a hearing loop. DVSA must be told when booking, and the page says there is no extra fee for the interpreter or the lip speaker.
For the driving test, the page says the examiner will use written notes at the start to explain what will happen, and will face a candidate who lip reads. Directions are usually given as hand signals, explained before the test starts. A candidate can bring a BSL interpreter aged at least 16, and the candidate’s driving instructor can fill that role. The candidate arranges the interpreter and pays any fees, and can claim the cost back after the test.
Other disabilities and health conditions
For anything not covered above, the theory test page says to contact DVSA to discuss the disability or health condition before booking. The driving test page says a candidate with a disability gets time with the examiner after the start to talk about the disability and any adaptations fitted to the car, and that the examiner might agree to more time for instructions and directions.
A related age rule appears on the theory test booking page. The theory test can be taken from a candidate’s 17th birthday, or from the 16th birthday for a candidate who gets, or has applied for, the higher weekly rate of the mobility part of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Learning difficulties and the independent driving section
The driving test page says the examiner will make adjustments for the independent driving part of the test if a candidate has learning difficulties. It gives one example: the examiner might ask whether the candidate would prefer to follow traffic signs instead of directions from a sat nav. The guide to the car driving test explains how that section normally works, and the theory test numbers guide covers the test format.
The bottom line
GOV.UK’s two pages agree on the key step: say so at booking. They offer headphones, extra time, a reader or rewording on the theory test for reading difficulties, BSL options on both tests, and adjustments by the examiner on the driving test, which is still marked to the same standard. The proof and support details can change, so the current GOV.UK pages and DVSA are the places to confirm them before booking.
Sources
- Theory test: cars, If you have a reading difficulty, disability or health condition, GOV.UK (DVSA), page undated, read 31 October 2026 (gov.uk)
- Theory test: cars, Booking your test, GOV.UK (DVSA), page undated, read 31 October 2026 (gov.uk)
- Driving test: cars, If you have a disability, health condition or learning difficulty, GOV.UK (DVSA), page undated, read 31 October 2026 (gov.uk)
Leave a Reply