Learner Drivers Face New Bookings Rules on 12 May — Change Driving Test
From 12 May, learner drivers will have to handle their own change driving test bookings, because only they will be able to book, change or swap a test. Driving instructors will no longer be allowed to do it for them, under rules aimed at cutting waiting lists of up to six months and stopping resale by bots and firms.
The standard test fee stays at £62 on weekdays and £75 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays. People can still help someone they know manage a booking, but the learner must be with them while they do it, and all confirmations must be sent to the learner’s email address or phone number.
12 May booking rules
The change takes effect on 12 May and ends the old practice of instructors booking tests on behalf of students. Tests already booked by instructors are not affected, so those appointments remain in place under the existing booking.
The move is part of a wider effort to make test slots harder to hoard and resell. The booking system has faced pressure from long waits of up to six months, while bots and firms have been used to bulk-buy slots and sell them on to learners at inflated prices.
31 March change limit
A separate rule took effect on 31 March limiting each booked test to two changes. If a learner had already used all six changes allowed under the old system, they were allowed to make two more changes from that date.
Changing the date or time counts as one change, changing the test centre counts as one change, and swapping a slot with another learner also counts as one change. If the DVSA changes the test, that does not count against the limit.
9 June test centre rule
From 9 June, anyone who wants to move a test will only be able to move it to the three test centres closest to where the test is booked. Learner drivers are being told to book only at a centre they intend to use and to choose a realistic date for when they will be ready to take the test.
If someone needs more than two changes, they will have to cancel the test and book again. A refund is available only if the cancellation happens at least 10 working days before the test date.
December login details probe
A investigation in December found that some driving instructors were offered kickbacks of up to £250 a month to sell their official booking login details to touts. Those touts then used the details to book driving tests in bulk and sell them to learners on WhatsApp and Facebook, with prices reaching as much as £500.
For learners, the practical change is simple: from 12 May, the person taking the test has to control the booking themselves. Instructors can still help in person, but they can no longer act as the booker, and the new limits on changes and test-centre moves reduce the room for chasing scarce slots.
