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New rules take effect 12 May
From next Tuesday, learner drivers in the UK must book, change or swap their own practical driving tests, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) announced. The move aims to shrink waiting lists of up to six months and stop automated software and middlemen from bulk-buying slots and reselling them at inflated prices.
Instructors barred from booking
Under the previous system, driving instructors could reserve tests on behalf of pupils. That practice is now prohibited. Tests already booked by instructors before 12 May remain valid.
An investigation by the Anti-Bot Booking Coalition (ABBC) in December revealed that some instructors received monthly payments of up to £250 to hand over their official booking credentials to touts. Those touts then snapped up large numbers of tests and sold them on social media for as much as £500 each.
Fees and booking steps
Standard weekday tests cost £62; evenings, weekends and bank holidays are priced at £75. Learners are advised to confirm their readiness with their instructor, obtain the instructor's reference number, and enter it during the booking process to ensure the instructor is available on the chosen date.
Helping others and change limits
Friends or family may assist a learner with booking and managing a test, but the learner must be present and all confirmations must be sent to the learner's email or phone. If the learner has no email, an account can be set up for them.
Since 31 March, each learner is limited to two changes per booking. Previously, six changes were allowed; anyone who had exhausted those six can make two additional changes from 31 March.
Changing the date, time, test centre or swapping a slot with another learner each count as one change. Altering multiple details at once-such as date and centre-still counts as a single change. Changes made by the DVSA do not count against the limit.
Learners needing more than two changes must cancel the test and rebook, receiving a refund if cancellation occurs at least ten working days before the test date.
Test centre restrictions from 9 June
Starting 9 June, learners wishing to move their test can only transfer it to one of the three test centres closest to the originally booked location. The DVSA advises booking only at centres the learner intends to use and selecting a realistic date based on their readiness.
Further guidance
Detailed instructions on where and how to book, along with full explanations of the new rules, are available on the official DVSA website.
