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Understanding the role of the pass certificate number
Many candidates assume they’ll need to provide a theory test pass certificate number when booking a practical driving test. This is actually a common misconception. As the DVSA can perform an electronic check to verify your pass status at any time, you won’t need to prove that you hold a valid theory test certificate. This means that there is no need to produce your pass number during the booking process or take your certificate with you on the day of your practical test.
However, there may be some exceptional circumstances in which the DVSA requests you to provide this number. The DVSA might use this information to perform additional security or verification checks. They may also request this number when testing the integrity of their internal systems. Therefore, we would advise you to store your theory test certificate in a safe place as you may need to refer back to its contents at a later stage.
It may also be useful to make a separate note of your pass number and keep this in an accessible location. This will allow you to easily ascertain your pass number if you somehow manage to lose your test certificate. If you don’t know your pass number and have been asked to submit this information during the practical test booking process, report this issue to the DVSA and await further instructions.
The importance of your certificate’s expiry date
Your pass certificate will also contain an expiry date. This information will be located just underneath your pass number, at the top right-hand corner of the certificate. This is a key date to remember. You must book and pass your practical driving test before this date. If you don’t, your theory test certificate will automatically become invalid. You’ll notice that the expiry date is exactly two years in advance of when your certificate was issued. Therefore, you should have more than sufficient time to arrange and (hopefully!) pass your practical assessment.
If you unfortunately don’t manage to achieve this within the stipulated timeframe, you’ll need to re-sit the theory test. As per our earlier advice, keep your certificate in a secure location and note down this important information. If you need to find out the expiry date of your certificate, you can contact the DVSA for support.
No short cuts
As you won’t usually need to submit an individual pass number or present an official theory test certificate, some candidates wrongly assume they’ll be able to circumnavigate the system. If you book the practical assessment under the name of someone who already possesses a certificate number, you’ll be caught out when reporting to the test centre. Before taking your assessment, you’ll need to verify who you are by presenting a valid form of identification. Therefore, a DVSA staff member will know there is an issue after cross-referencing your ID with the information held on their database. For the same reason, you won’t be able to enrol a competent friend/family member to conduct the theory test on your behalf. Identification checks are also performed at theory test centres upon arrival, so the reception team will find out if any individual is not who they say they are.
DVSA contact details
If you need to report a lost certificate or speak to the DVSA about any other issue, you can contact them via one of the following methods:
Telephone: 0300 200 1122
Lines are open from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm, Monday to Friday.
E-mail: [email protected]
Please note that you’ll need to provide the following personal details to the DVSA team:
- Full name (as it appears on your photocard provisional licence)
- Address and postcode
- Date of Birth
- Driving licence number (the combination of numbers and letters referenced against line 5 of your photocard provisional licence).