If you’re already a qualified MOT tester you’ll probably know that, in order to retain your MOT Tester status, you are required to complete at least three hours of training and pass an assessment by the 31st March every year.
If you’re a new tester, you do not need to record annual training or complete the annual assessment in the year that you pass your demonstration test.
So what happens if you miss the deadline?
Quite simply, failure to meet the deadline for the MOT Tester Annual Training and Assessment, will result in suspension of your MOT Tester status and you’ll not be able to carry out MOT Tests until you regain your testing privileges.
And whilst the deadline is 31st March, we strongly recommend that you don’t leave your MOT annual training and assessment to the last minute. If you fail to meet the pass mark (80% for training year 2024-2025), the MOT Guide states that you should leave 7 calendar days before attempting a re-sit, to allow time for you to study and review the areas that you failed on. This 7-day cycle should be repeated in the case of continued failures, so it’s essential to leave yourself ample time before the 31st March deadline. Remember to keep the MOT inspection manual handy!
Recording annual training evidence
In addition to completing the required 3-hours of training and passing the assessment, it’s your responsibility to ensure that you upload the evidence to your MOT Testing Service (MTS) profile by 31st March. It’s not enough to have just completed/passed the annual training and assessment, you need to prove it by ensuring your MTS profile is up to date. You also need to keep a record of all your training for the previous 5 years (you check the list of topics you should have records for here)
Steps to regain your MOT Tester status
If you don’t meet all of the steps listed above by 31st March, your MOT Tester status will automatically be switched to suspended and you will not be able to continue testing until you have:
- Completed the MOT Annual Training for the current year (so if you don’t meet the 31st March 2025 deadline, you will need to complete the training for the 25/26 training year)
- Passed the annual assessment for the current year
- Passed a basic DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check and have a copy of your DBS certificate ready
- Requested and passed an MOT demonstration test conducted by the DVSA
Only when you have successfully completed steps 1-4 will your account be unsuspended and you can return to MOT testing.
Responsibilities of Authorised Examiners
If you have the added responsibility of being an Authorised Examiner (AE), you are also responsible for ensuring that all of your MOT Testers comply with the annual training and assessment requirements, including:
- Checking that they have recorded their training on their MTS profile.
- Ensuring that they have kept a record of their training for the previous 5 years.
- Checking that they have taken and passed their annual assessment.
- Confirming that they have recorded the result of their annual assessment on their MTS profile.
Why compliance matters
Whilst it’s the MOT Tester’s responsibility to ensure they meet the annual training and assessment requirements, both the individual and your business can be suspended if they don’t, so it’s important that you have processes in place to check that status of each of your tester’ annual training and assessments on a regular basis.
Making sure testers complete training well before the deadline can help prevent last-minute issues and ensure continued compliance.
Where to find more information
You can find more information about the annual training and assessment requirements in Appendix 6: Tester training and demonstration tests of the MOT Guide or get in touch, we’re always happy to help.