Been a tester since 1989

An MOT runs for a 12 month period

If ANY fault or failure of any component occurs within that 12 month period - IT STILL HAS AN MOT

If car sets on fire and is wrecked - IT STILL HAS AN MOT

If car is smashed to pieces - IT STILL HAS AN MOT

If car is stolen - IT STILL HAS AN MOT

If I pass a car and print off an MOT Certificate then instantly decide I have cocked up and missed a failable item I can instantly do another MOT fail it yet the car - STILL HAS AN MOT

Do not confuse a car having a valid MOT and a car needing a repair of any kind

A car owner if they so desire can have 1 (or 10 for that matter) MOT tests on their car every day of the year and the 1st MOT carried out on day 1 will remain valid for the period of 12 months from date of issue.

Should the owner then get a failure on a test he will be issued with a Refusal of an MOT certificate to which he can throw the fail notice away if he so wishes and his car STILL HAS AN MOT as the test carried out on day 1 is still valid.

Other way to look at it is for example I test and pass a car tomorrow morning with no advisories and on the way home 50 yards away from the MOT centre the customer has a puncture and he then fits his spare wheel that is fitted with a tyre that has less than 1.6mm tread etc (spare wheel is NOT a car MOT test item) and then carries on his way home/shopping/work etc etc

He then gets pulled over by the Police who find the defective tyre and he gets 3 points and a fine (yes I know he may get a 7 day notice to repair but just bear with me - lol)

The offence committed is NOT for having no MOT it is for having a defective tyre

Those who have been instructed on seminars that "the latest test results are the only results that counts and they supercede any previous test" You have been advised wrong !