It wouldn't have done so today.
The test wasn't due to expire until April 8th. It's a good job I always put it in early because the rules changed yesterday.
Thanks for warning us about that, Ministry of Transport!!
There has been bugger-all publicity about this from what I have seen and heard. A letter with the road-tax reminder wouldn't have gone amiss.
Even the press haven't been that bothered - The Telegraph were the only one I spotted who had a story on it. They quote the AA's patrolman of the year who tells us, “If you’ve been happily ignoring a warning light because it’s not part of the MOT, these changes mean your car could now be on the MOT scrap heap or you’ll need to fork out on expensive repairs.”
Basically, the test is a lot tougher now including airbags, onboard sensors and other items that reflect how cars themselves have advanced technologically over the years.
On a personal note, I found out last Autumn that the rules were going to change although I didn't know when that change was going to happen.
Like Penny from The Big Bang Theory, my wife has been driving around for ages with this sight in front of her:
When Penny's car broke down and Sheldon pointed out that he'd warned her about the check engine light months before, her reply was quite logical:
"The light was just fine, it is still blinking away. It's the stupid engine that stopped working."
My car has the opposite problem - a light that doesn't come on when it should. The interior courtesy lights don't come on when you open the front, passenger door.
Doesn't sound like a big deal does it?
But it also means that the dashboard warning light that the door is open also doesn't come on.
Still, I have a year to get it sorted.