Key points
- Book, change and cancel your car test yourself through the official GOV.UK service. Your instructor is not allowed to do it for you.
- You can make 2 changes to a car test booking. To change or cancel without losing the fee, you need to give 10 full working days' notice.
- DVSA releases a new week of appointments at 6am every Monday, 24 weeks ahead. Earlier slots can turn up at any time, and there is no cancellation list at most centres.
- Booking a car test for someone else is against the law, and cancellation finder apps are not allowed. Do not pay a third party to book for you.
You book, change and cancel a car driving test yourself, online, through the official GOV.UK service. Your driving instructor is not allowed to do it for you, and it is against the law for anyone else to book a car test on your behalf.[1] You can change a booking twice. To change or cancel without losing your fee, you need to give 10 full working days' notice.[2] This guide takes you through each step and explains how DVSA releases new and earlier appointments.
Before you book
You usually need to have passed your theory test before you can book a car practical test.[1] You must also have lived in England, Wales or Scotland for at least 185 days in the 12 months before the day of your test.[1]
When you book, have these ready:
- your UK driving licence number
- a credit or debit card
- your driving instructor's personal reference number, if you want the system to check they are available[1]
DVSA advises that you agree with your instructor that you are ready before you book. It also suggests booking at a centre you intend to use and choosing a date you realistically expect to be ready by.[5]
How to book your test
- Go to Book your driving test on GOV.UK and select "Start now". The service runs from 6am to 11:40pm.[1]
- You may be put in a queue. You will be told how long the wait is once you start.[1]
- Choose your test centre, date and time. Once you pick an appointment and accept the timing warning, you have 15 minutes to finish booking.[4]
- Confirm that you are the learner taking the test and that you agree to the terms and conditions.[5] You pay by card as part of booking.[1]
The official fee is £62 on weekdays and £75 for evenings, weekends and bank holidays.[9] Unofficial websites usually charge more.[9] See driving test and licence costs for the full fee table.
How appointments are released
DVSA releases a new week of appointments at 6am every Monday, including bank holidays. Those appointments are 24 weeks in the future.[4] DVSA's guidance page shows the upcoming release dates and how far ahead you can currently book. When we checked on 14 October 2026, appointments were available until 28 March 2027.[4]
Earlier appointments do not come out at 6am on Mondays. They can appear at any time, when someone cancels or changes a test or when DVSA adds examiner time. DVSA says there is no best time to look for an earlier appointment.[4] If you only want a sooner test, joining the 6am Monday queue does not help you, and it makes the queue longer for people who want the slots 24 weeks away.[4]
Looking for an earlier test the official way
- If you already have a booking, keep checking the official "change your driving test" service.[4]
- Do not search over and over in a short time, and do not use more than one device at once. If you do, you may see a "search limit reached" or "Error 15" message and be blocked from searching for a while.[4]
- There is no waiting list or cancellation list at most test centres. At some centres that do not open every day, you may be offered the option to put your test "on hold".[4]
- DVSA cannot notify you when earlier appointments become available. Phoning DVSA will not get you an earlier slot either, because its staff see the same appointments you do.[4]
Changing your test
You can change the date, time or test centre of a car test 2 times. Changing more than one thing at once still counts as one change. After that, you have to cancel and book a new test.[2]
Since 9 June 2026, you can only move to one of the 3 test centres nearest your current booking, or back to the centre you first booked at.[5] To change your test you need your driving licence number, plus either your driving test reference number or your theory test pass certificate number.[2]
Money when you change:
- To change a car test for free, give at least 10 full working days' notice. Monday to Saturday count as working days. Sundays and public holidays do not.[2]
- Moving to a more expensive slot (evening, weekend or bank holiday) means paying the difference. Moving to a cheaper weekday slot gets you the difference back.[2]
- Your confirmation email, or your booking in the service, shows the latest date you can change or cancel by.[2]
Swapping with another learner
You can swap your own test with another learner who wants your exact date, time and centre. A swap counts as one of your 2 changes and can only be done by phone. Both learners have to call DVSA separately on the same day.[6] Never give the other learner your licence number, theory certificate number, address or payment details.[6]
Cancelling your test
You must cancel your car test yourself.[3] Give 10 full working days' notice and you will be refunded automatically.[3] If you cannot get a refund, you can still cancel right up to the start of your test, and that frees the slot for someone else.[3]
If you have to change or cancel at short notice, you can apply for a refund in some situations: illness or injury, a bereavement, an exam at school or college, or your licence being stolen. You email DVSA with proof.[3]
Warning: resellers and cancellation finders
It is against the law for anyone other than the learner to book a car driving test.[7] People, websites and apps are also not allowed to sell test appointments, search the booking service with bots, or book on other people's behalf.[7] Learners must not use unofficial services that scan the booking system, including cancellation finder websites and apps. If you do, DVSA can suspend your online access and cancel your booking.[5]
DVSA says learners should only ever pay the official fee.[8] We do not recommend any third-party booking, alert or swap service, and you should not use one. If you come across one, you can report it to DVSA using its online form. You do not have to give your name.[7]
For the background to these rules and the dates each one started, see driving test booking rule changes in 2026. For published waiting-time statistics (historical figures, not live availability), see driving test waiting times.
Sources
- Book your driving test
- Change your driving test appointment
- Cancel your driving test
- Driving test appointments: release dates and finding earlier tests
- Changes to driving test booking rules in 2026
- Swapping your driving test with another learner driver
- Report driving test resellers, cancellation finders or booking services
- End of the road for unofficial driving test booking services
- Driving test costs
Last checked against the cited sources on 14 October 2026. PassNav is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA, DVLA or TomTom. Our guides are prepared with AI assistance and checked against the official sources cited on each page. Rules and fees change — for current legal requirements and booking rules, always check GOV.UK. This is general guidance and does not replace professional driving instruction. Spotted something out of date? Email passnav@smartaisolution.co.uk — see our editorial policy.