Thirteen years after the last major reform, Poland’s Ministry of Infrastructure has announced significant changes to the system used to test driver licence candidates. The most important proposals include scrapping the practical category B driving test on the manoeuvring yard, reducing the number of theory exam questions, and creating a new Examination Centre. The ministry says the aim of the reform is to build a modern, more user-friendly and consistent system for assessing the skills of future drivers.
As Deputy Infrastructure Minister Stanisław Bukowiec announced, the draft assumptions behind the changes are expected to be submitted in the coming days to the Register of Legislative and Programme Work of the Council of Ministers. According to the ministry, the current testing model requires a thorough overhaul so that it better reflects today’s road traffic realities and the experience of other European countries.
The most noticeable changes are expected to concern the practical category B test. According to the announcement, the part conducted on the manoeuvring yard will be removed. The ministry argues that most European countries no longer use such a solution and that the key factor should be the assessment of a driver’s skills in real road traffic. It is there, in everyday conditions, that examiners are expected to evaluate not only overall behaviour behind the wheel, but also the performance of specific manoeuvres.
At the same time, the manoeuvring yard will not disappear entirely from the driver training process. It will still be used during instruction, especially at the initial stage of learning to drive. The ministry points out that this is where beginners can safely become familiar with the basic principles of operating a car and master the first elements of driving technique.
The changes will also cover the theoretical exam. The ministry has announced a comprehensive reform, one of the main elements of which will be a reduction in the number of questions. At present, the catalogue contains more than 3,500 items and, according to the ministry, does not always reflect the situations young drivers actually encounter on the road. After the reform, the questions are expected to be not only fewer in number, but also clearer and better suited to modern traffic conditions.
Another important change will be the transparency of questions and answers. The new catalogue is to be made available in a clear format, which, according to the ministry, should improve the transparency of the examination system. The ministry wants the questions not to rely solely on memorising an extensive database, but instead to genuinely test readiness for safe participation in road traffic.
The new exam questions are to be developed with factors affecting road safety, current accident data, and technological progress in mind. Their content is intended to reflect real traffic situations more closely, in which a future driver must demonstrate caution, the ability to anticipate risks, and the capacity to make the right decisions under specific conditions.
The reform also предусматриes organisational changes. Instead of the current Commission for the Verification and Recommendation of Exam Questions, a new Examination Centre is to be established. It will operate within one of the institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Infrastructure. Its role will be not only to prepare and supervise exam questions, but also to set the direction for the education of future drivers.
The new unit is to be supported by a Consultative Council, a public advisory body made up of representatives of driving instructors, examiners, Provincial Road Traffic Centres, the Police, the National Road Safety Council, and other people connected with the field of road safety. This model is intended to ensure greater participation by practitioners and different professional communities in shaping the rules of the examination system.
The Examination Centre, in cooperation with the Consultative Council, is also expected to define the educational objectives for driver candidates, creating a kind of curriculum framework. Both the theoretical and practical exams are to be aligned with these guidelines. In principle, the reform is therefore meant to cover not only the exam itself, but the entire way of thinking about preparation for driving.
The proposed changes mark a departure from a model that has for years been criticised for placing too much emphasis on routine patterns and tasks performed in artificial conditions. The ministry wants to shift the focus to practical skills needed in everyday road traffic and to better prepare new drivers for real-life hazards. The final shape of the reform will depend on further legislative work, but it is already clear that the planned changes could significantly affect the way driving licences are obtained in Poland.
