The Central Bureau for Driving Licences (CBR) in the Netherlands has announced that the interim driving test will be unavailable from April 1, 2025. The test which acts as a trial exam for the driving practical exam will be scrapped for a maximum of one year to relieve pressure on the limited staff and reduce the backlog of applicants waiting to take their driving tests. 

Dutch interim driving test removed to reduce waiting times

An interim driving test serves as a mock exam for those working towards getting their driving licence. It lasts as long as the driving practical exam and allows applicants to practice everything they will do in the exam with a CBR examiner present. The driving student can then get tips on improvement from the examiner and if they perform special manoeuvres well enough, for example parking, then they can get an exemption for this during the actual exam.

However, due to backlogs that started building during the COVID-19 pandemic, the waiting time for students to take a driving test can be as long as 15 to 20 weeks. According to NOS, the House of Representatives determined that by scrapping the interim test for up to a year, 75.000 more practical exams can take place reducing the waiting period substantially. 

Staff shortages at Dutch driving licence test centres

While the CBR has already slowly lessened the backlog, it is still a struggle to get a booking for a practical exam within seven weeks. According to the general manager of CBR, Alexander Pechtold, this is partly due to the staff shortages across the country. “Practical exams have to be caught up on one-on-one and the CBR has to recruit and train many new examiners to meet the high demand,” said Pechtold in a press release.

“Despite the difficult labour market, this is going well, but not enough to reduce the reservation periods more quickly. We see a shortage of employees in many sectors, such as prisons, healthcare, education, childcare and courts.”

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