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Original poster

Anyone booked driving test recently

22 replies

pippa789 · 16/07/2023 16:25

And how long did you have to wait.

The website is not letting me log on so I can't check on there but I was wondering if anyone has any idea how long the wait is and if you can get cancellations

OP posts:

Babyroobs · 16/07/2023 16:30

My dd is trying to but earliest was December, so she's just going for cancellations now. Failed again this week ! Now waiting for another cancellation as she is available at short notice as just finished school.

Original poster

pippa789 · 16/07/2023 16:32

Oh no is it really that long I was hoping to get something in the next couple of weeks. With the cancellations do you check each week

OP posts:

Bluevelvetsofa · 16/07/2023 16:33

My granddaughter hasn’t found anything before next year.

Interested in this thread?

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Driving & parking

Crochetpenguin · 16/07/2023 16:33

Earliest for dd when she booked early June was October.

VikingLady · 16/07/2023 16:39

I booked in January for February just gone. But I was very flexible with times and days - I was prepared to take any slot available and lucked out with one at a perfect time for me.

Partly it'll be down to how busy your area is though. I live in a deprived, half empty armpit of a town.

VikingLady · 16/07/2023 16:40

pippa789 · 16/07/2023 16:32

Oh no is it really that long I was hoping to get something in the next couple of weeks. With the cancellations do you check each week

Check daily, at least.

Babyroobs · 16/07/2023 16:43

pippa789 · 16/07/2023 16:32

Oh no is it really that long I was hoping to get something in the next couple of weeks. With the cancellations do you check each week

DD checks hourly or more !

countdown64 · 16/07/2023 17:30

Some test centres are easier to get tests at than others - for me, the closest is 10 miles away and virtually impossible to get a test, but within a 30 mile radius there are 3 or 4 others that are larger and easier to get a test at. When I was looking, cancellations were often coming up at short notice, so if you have the flexibility to do the test in your own car you could pick up a test possibly within days. You do need to keep looking though, and I did pay (£10) for an app that did searching for tests. Not sure if dvla has clamped down on that!

Laiste · 16/07/2023 17:41

DD had hers cancelled/moved 3 times in the last 12 months.

The last date she had was during last month - she'd waited for it for 4 months and it seemed to be holding steady - so in May she tried to book a refresher lesson and an 'on the day' lesson for her June test, but then found that all the local instructors were booked solid till Aug 🙄😳 So she had to cancel the test.

It's fucking ridiculous. At this rate she'll need to do another theory!

EversoDetermined · 16/07/2023 17:46

We are not quite at this stage yet but will be soon. If you have a suitable car can you go with eg a parent if your instructor is not available?

Laiste · 16/07/2023 17:51

EversoDetermined · 16/07/2023 17:46

We are not quite at this stage yet but will be soon. If you have a suitable car can you go with eg a parent if your instructor is not available?

Good question.

We've got 2 cars in the family which DD could use, but

insurance. She's not insured on either of them.
She's not familiar with either of the cars because we thought it best not to have her doing tons of driving with family because of getting into bad habits.
it's been so long (because of all the cancelled bloody tests) that she really needs at least one refresher lesson before the test and It's like a chicken and egg situation! Book the lessons but wait months for the test (££££) - book the test and can't get lessons.

EversoDetermined · 16/07/2023 18:06

DS has been driving mine regularly for the last month, it is a Toyota Yaris and obviously insured for a learner but if he passed with me there I'd presumably have to drive him home till we got the ongoing insurance started.

He had lessons in his uni town till the end of May and is starting with an instructor here next week for the rest of the summer as well as practice in mine but not sure whether he will try to take the test here or in his uni town yet, its so complicated.

LobsterCrab · 16/07/2023 18:09

DS passed recently. Test was initially booked 5 months after date of booking and not in our closest test centre. I used an app (Testi) which alerted us to cancellations and he eventually got one in our local town. He did the test in our car so he was flexible and didn't have to check for instructor availability.

Ohmylovejune · 16/07/2023 18:12

When I passed (in the era of the dinosaur) my instructor drove me home when I passed in his tuition car

greyhairnomore · 16/07/2023 22:01

Booked February for November.
It's a nightmare.

greyhairnomore · 16/07/2023 22:02

EversoDetermined · 16/07/2023 17:46

We are not quite at this stage yet but will be soon. If you have a suitable car can you go with eg a parent if your instructor is not available?

Yes , there are details on the DVSA site.
You need an extra mirror for example

MiniEggsAllYear · 16/07/2023 22:05

Oh god I'm having lessons at the min and didnt know there were these kind of waits! Does anyone know why this is happening?

CoreyTaylorsSoggyTshirt · 16/07/2023 22:07

My ds just passed, he booked the closest one, which was 3 months away, but checked at 6am every morning for cancellations, and got one within 2 weeks.

Fiddlersgreen · 16/07/2023 22:12

It’s such a headache.
My son took his theory August 2021, booked a test for April 2022 which he failed, couldn’t get another test until October 2022 which he had to move due to not being able to get back from uni. It was moved to April but we couldn’t get any of the instructors in the area to give him some top up lessons and also to use their car for the test so he cancelled it.
Then we have not been able to book another test as his theory will expire next month and the system doesn’t let you book a test for after your theory has expired despite the face that any test we could potentially book will be 6+ months away, giving him plenty of time to take the theory again!
Anyway we have the theory booked this week and hopefully he’ll pass again although he’s done no practice this time around.
Then to try and book the practical again

EversoDetermined · 16/07/2023 22:58

greyhairnomore · 16/07/2023 22:02

Yes , there are details on the DVSA site.
You need an extra mirror for example

Show quote history

Thanks, I know I'd have to disable various driving aids (it beeps at you if you are speeding for example) so a comprehensive list would be essential for us.

Chikoletta · 16/07/2023 23:01

@MiniEggsAllYear All this started during the cocid lockdowns, people couldn't teach lessons and test centres were closed, and there has been a huge ans growing backlog since then.

Awrite · 16/07/2023 23:02

My dd passed in May. Originally she was going to have to wait about 3/4 months but she signed up for the cancellations app and kept bringing it forward. Think this shaved off 6 weeks.

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