How to Book Your Theory Test in British Sign Language: The Signly Tool Explained

For deaf learners and first-language BSL users, booking a UK theory test has historically meant relying on written English or asking a hearing friend to help. The DVSA has changed that. The booking page on GOV.UK now includes a Signly British Sign Language translation tool, and the agency has confirmed it is the first government service in the UK to integrate live BSL video translation directly into an online journey.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can now book your theory test yourself, in your own language, without leaving the page. Here is what the tool does, what it does not do, and how to use it confidently.

What the Signly tool actually does

Signly translates the written English on the theory test booking page into BSL videos delivered by a real human interpreter. You do not see a robot or an avatar. You see a deaf or hearing BSL interpreter, recorded in a small video window that sits on top of the page.

On a computer, you move your cursor over the section of text you want translated and press the play icon. On a mobile, you swipe the text instead. The video pops up and signs that section for you. You can play it again, pause it, or move on to the next section. The tool is designed so you read the page in BSL the way a hearing user reads it in English.

How to turn it on and book your test

Go to GOV.UK and search for "book your theory test", or open the page directly. Near the top of the booking journey you will see an option to turn BSL on. Once you switch it on, every section of text becomes a tap-to-sign region.

You will be asked for your provisional driving licence number, your contact details, and a debit or credit card. You will choose your test centre and a date. The fee is £23. At each step Signly can sign the instructions, the rules, and the small print to you. There is no extra cost to use the tool.

BSL support during the test itself

The booking tool is one part of the journey. The test itself is the other. When you book, you can request BSL support for the actual theory test, which comes in two forms.

The first is on-screen BSL: an interpreter appears in a window next to the test questions and signs each question and each answer for you. The second is a face-to-face BSL interpreter who sits with you at the test centre and signs the questions in person. For learners whose first language is BSL rather than English, the DVSA can also arrange a deaf relay interpreter, who works alongside the hearing BSL interpreter to translate concepts into a sign you understand more naturally.

What you still need to do yourself

From 12 May 2026, only the learner taking the test can legally book a car practical driving test. The same direction of travel applies to the theory test booking journey: you should book your own theory test, in your own name, using your own details. A friend or family member can sit with you while you book, but they cannot book on your behalf. The Signly tool is there precisely so you can do it yourself.

If you change your mind about a date, you can amend your booking once you are logged in. Any reasonable adjustment you have requested, BSL support included, follows the booking across changes.

What this means for deaf learners revising at home

Booking is one barrier removed. Revision is the other. The DVSA's learning materials are available in BSL through their app and through their wider learning resources, and there are no rules against using your usual BSL-friendly study apps in the run-up to the test.

Theory Test Passed is part of that ecosystem. Our practice tests use clear, plain English and our hazard perception clips are visual by nature, so they suit BSL users who prefer to revise in their own time. If you are about to book through GOV.UK using Signly, come and try a free practice round first so you know what to expect when you arrive at the test centre.