Booking your practical test

The rules for booking car driving tests changed in 2026. You now have to book and manage your test yourself, you get only 2 changes, and you can only move to nearby test centres. Here’s how it all works.

Before you book

You can book once you’ve passed your theory test. There’s no minimum number of lessons, but you should only take your test when you can drive safely without any instruction.

Before booking, speak to your driving instructor to:

• agree that you’re ready
• get their driving instructor reference number. Add it to your booking so the system checks they’re free to take you.

The 2026 rules

Rule	Now	Since
Changes allowed	Only 2	31 March 2026
Who can book your test	Only you	12 May 2026
Who can change, swap or cancel it	Only you	12 May 2026
Unofficial apps that search for tests	Not allowed	12 May 2026
Where you can move your test	Only the 3 nearest centres	9 June 2026

It’s against the law for anyone else, including your instructor, to book a car driving test for you.

A friend or family member can still help you book and manage your test, but you must be with them while they help, and you should do as many of the steps as you can yourself.

How booking works

Book on gov.uk’s booking service, which is open from 6am to 11:40pm. You may be put in a queue when it’s busy.

• New tests are released at 6am every Monday, 24 weeks in advance.
• Earlier tests appear at any time when someone changes or cancels, or when DVSA adds more examiner time. There’s no best time to look.
• There’s no waiting list or cancellation list at most test centres, and DVSA can’t notify you about new slots.
• Once you pick a slot, you have 15 minutes to finish booking.

Don’t search over and over in a short time or use several devices at once. You may see a “search limit reached” message and be blocked from searching for a while.

When you book, choose a test centre you really intend to use, and a date you realistically expect to be ready by.

Changing your test

You can make only 2 changes to a booking. These count as a change:

• changing the date or time
• changing the test centre
• swapping your appointment with another learner who has a test booked

Changing several things at once, like the date and centre together, counts as one change.

These don’t count: updating your address or contact details, adding or removing your instructor’s reference number, and any changes DVSA makes (for example, for bad weather). If DVSA changes your test, you get 2 changes again.

If you need more changes after using both, you have to cancel and book a new test.

Where you can move it

You can only move your test to:

• one of the 3 test centres nearest to where it’s currently booked, or
• the centre you first booked at on that booking

gov.uk’s London example: from Watford, the 3 nearest centres are Borehamwood, Pinner and Mill Hill. Check the official list of nearest centres before you book, and compare London centres on our test centres map.

Notice and refunds

To change for free, or cancel and get a refund, give 10 full working days’ notice. Monday to Saturday are working days, and Sundays and public holidays aren’t. You can find your deadline in your booking confirmation email, or by signing in to the booking service.

Avoiding resellers and scams

People, websites and apps are not allowed to:

• sell driving test appointments (called “reselling”)
• search the booking service using bots
• book car driving tests for other people

You’re not allowed to use cancellation finder websites or apps that scan the booking service for you.

Also remember:

• the official fee is £62 or £75, and unofficial websites usually charge more
• contacting DVSA won’t get you an earlier test, because their staff see the same appointments you do

You can report resellers, cancellation finders or booking services to DVSA. Only report what you already know, and don’t contact them to gather evidence.

How long you might wait

DVSA says half of learners who took a test in August 2026 waited no more than 11.1 weeks. DVSA updates this monthly. Waits vary a lot between centres, so check each London centre’s typical wait on our test centres page.