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California DMV orders 11,000 drivers to retake tests
Agency says irregularities in knowledge test results may indicate cheating attempts
| Updated:
Key Takeaways:
- California's DMV notified 11,000 driver's license holders they must retake written tests after a review found potential cheating-related irregularities.
- The DMV said the notices involve possible test-taker misconduct, not technical problems or artificial intelligence.
- Recipients have 30 days to pass a written retest or lose their licenses as investigators pursue potential legal action.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has informed 11,000 driver’s license holders that they must retake their written tests after discovering potential cheating.
The state “identified irregularities in certain driver knowledge test results that may indicate instances of cheating. Through our routine internal monitoring, we reviewed multiple data points and found patterns suggesting that some individuals may have attempted to circumvent the testing process using various cheating methods,” a DMV spokesperson told Transport Topics.
As part of its internal review, the DMV recently issued notices to thousands of driver’s license holders, giving them 30 days to retake the written portion of the test.
“Ensuring the integrity of the knowledge testing process is essential to public safety and to confirm that drivers understand California’s rules of the road,” the spokesperson noted.
The driver’s licenses of those who received notices but do not complete and pass the written retest will be canceled.
The DMV spokesperson stressed that receiving a notice to retake the written driver’s license test “alone does not indicate a final determination that cheating occurred in that instance,” since some test results have been identified as potentially problematic.
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“Nonetheless, these irregularities are test-taker related and not the result of an internal DMV technical issue, or involvement of artificial intelligence,” the spokesperson explained.
The DMV also has begun pursuing potential legal action against those suspected of engaging in fraudulent testing.
“Several cases have been referred to county district attorneys for further investigation, and we will continue sharing updates as more information becomes available,” the spokesperson explained. “DMV is not sharing additional information at this time, so as not to reveal investigative methods and protect the integrity of the investigative process.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that the retesting notices apply to driver’s licenses generally and are not strictly related to commercial driver licenses.
