Candidates for drivers will be examined only in centres of Executive Agency "Road Transport Administration"

The theoretical exams of applicants for driving license will be held only in the centres of Executive Agency "Road Transport Administration". This requirement shall take effect from tomorrow and is one of the amendments to Regulation 38. The amendments are part of the measures taken by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Ivaylo Moskovski to stop malpractices in driving exams.

Verifications of Executive Agency "Road Transport Administration" and the Specialized Prosecutor's Office revealed that so far the results of the exams have been manipulated with cameras mounted over the working places in part of the examination centres. One of the methods was the use of headphones, mobile phones and other devices by which the correct answers have been dictated to the candidates from persons outside the examination centres. Other methods of fraud are sitting the exam by a person, differing from the person listed in the protocol, exchange of tablets and cueing of the correct answers. For such violations from April 1 this year up to now have been canceled the test results of about 144 candidates. The new requirements will establish full control over the video surveillance system and the technical means during the exams. At the time this was not possible as they were held mainly in private offices of training centers nationwide.

The amendments to Regulation 38 prohibits candidates to use other electronic devices unless the provided exam tablets. It is envisaged that until March 1, 2017 all working places in the centres of Executive Agency "Road Transport Administration" shall be isolated from each other so that the candidates could not have any physical or visual contact with each other. Before taking their seats in the examination rooms, the candidates will be checked by technical means for the presence of electronic devices in them. For this purpose, on August 9, 2016 was announced a tender procedure for the provision of technical support. It is envisaged that the working places of the candidates be partitioned from one another in order to elude opportunities for exchange of tablets and other fraud attempts. Each working place will be equipped with a workstation, camera and microphone. In the rooms will be installed control systems for the exam process, apparatus for recording signals from electronic devices and automatic notification and recording of detected signals. There will also be provided specialized mobile equipment with which the examiner will check for broadcast of signals from electronic devices during the exam.