Questions about CPR and defibrillators to be included on driving theory tests for the first time
Woman driving a car / Credit: pxfuel
Driving theory tests will soon include new CPR questions and questions about defibrillators in a bid to boost cardiac arrest survival.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed that, from autumn 2025, driving theory tests will start to build on the existing content that’s been part of driver education for years by adding enhanced first aid questions on CPR, and for the first time, questions on automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
The Government says the move aims to address the UK’s low cardiac arrest survival rates by making sure more people ‘know how to respond’ in emergencies.
Around 2.4 million theory tests are taken each year, so this means that hundreds of thousands of people annually will gain knowledge of life-saving skills through the enhanced questions.
At present, the driving theory test – which has to be taken by learner drivers before they can book their driving test – has two parts, and it’s in the first part where the enhanced first aid questions are expected to be added.
DVSA is proud to introduce CPR and defibrillator questions to theory tests ❤️
— Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (@DVSAgovuk) August 13, 2025
There are over 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests yearly – would you know how to help? https://t.co/DI0ZWNnQdZ@SaveALifeCymru@ResusCouncilUK@SaveALifeScot@NIRPC_NIAS pic.twitter.com/R1PjHyxL4C
The first part of the test involves 50 multiple-choice questions drawn from a bank of over 700 questions, covering topics from road signs and traffic laws, to vehicle safety, hazard awareness, and crucially in this case, first aid.
Learners must get at least 43 out of 50 right to pass this section of the test.
The DVSA assures that the upcoming changes involve no additional cost, test time, or difficulty, and that they ‘simply update’ existing first aid content with current best practice.
From autumn 2025, car and motorcycle theory test candidates will need to familiarise themselves with CPR techniques, including proper hand placement and compression rates, and how to use automated external defibrillators.
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“Part of being a safe and responsible driver is knowing what to do in an emergency – how to step in and make a real, life-saving difference,” commented Mark Winn, who is a DVSA Chief Driving Examiner.
“Learning CPR and how to use an AED is a very simple skill and adding this into the official learning resource is a great way for DVSA to support the drive to raise awareness.”
Featured Image – pxfuel