The withdrawal of more than 400 MOT authorisations during 2025/26 demonstrates the importance of MOT management for workshops, according to Autotech Training.
The company cites recently published DVSA data, which shows that 145 authorised examiners (AEs) and 288 MOT testers had their authorisations withdrawn during the period, with a further 247 AEs and 176 testers being given warnings.
Autotech argues that rather than demonstrating widespread non-compliance, the figures instead show the level of the challenge facing workshops in maintaining oversight of MOT operations.
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Rob Walsh, head of MOT at Autotech, said: “The vast majority of MOT businesses and testers take their responsibilities extremely seriously.
“These are busy businesses, often operating under considerable pressure, and compliance is just one of many things a workshop manager may be dealing with on any given day.
“That’s why I don’t think these figures should be used to scare garages. They should prompt a conversation about whether the people responsible for an MOT operation have the time, knowledge and processes they need to manage it effectively.”
Figures show increase in number of testers
The DVSA data shows that the number of nominated MOT testers has increased from here are now 781 more nominated MOT testers than there were two years ago, with numbers rising from 66,144 in 2023/24 to 66,925 in 2025/26, while the number of private MOT testing stations has remained broadly static.
Walsh said: “As the number of testers increases, making sure there is clear and effective oversight at site level becomes even more important.
“An MOT operation isn’t simply about making sure individual testers know how to conduct a test correctly. Someone has to maintain oversight of the whole operation – from annual training and QC checks through to equipment, test logs, tester performance and keeping up with changes from DVSA.
“Most MOT businesses already have a lot of the information they need. Test logs, testing times, pass and fail rates, advisories and individual tester performance can all help identify when something looks unusual.
“But data on its own doesn’t manage an MOT station. Somebody needs to understand what they’re looking at, know what normal looks like for their site and testers, and have the confidence to ask questions when something doesn’t add up.”
Walsh said that effective MOT management was about supporting testers to maintain standards, rather than adding levels of admin.
He said: “Good MOT management shouldn’t be about adding another burden to an already busy workshop. It’s about making sure responsibility is clear, the right checks are happening, and managers know what to look for.
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“Most importantly, don’t wait until there’s a DVSA visit or a problem has already surfaced before looking closely at your MOT operation. Giving it regular attention protects the business, supports your testers and helps maintain the standards the MOT scheme is there to deliver.”