How to book a driving test when there are no slots available?

[SherlockJones]

We have been trying to book a test for a few weeks and the test centre near us never ever ever has any slots available. We've tried 6am Monday morning and throughout the day. Do the app things work? Which one to try? We are in the south east, outside London and want the test to be at a certain test centre so the learner can practice in that area. I have seen tests in other parts of the country, is it a problem everywhere or just in our area? Suggestions? Do you have to go through all this again if you fail? It's ridiculous.

It’s a big problem and has been for several years. I haven’t yet had to do it as DS1 still has to do his theory test but it’s a nightmare.

There was a good thread on this recently with app recommendations: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5416227-so-frustrated-with-booking-driving-test

Book one anywhere you can get one and then get the app - my son has just successfully booked one miles away for March but has just got a cancellation for our test centre for December when we think he will be ready.

Why the system doesn't just give you the next available date at the centre nearest to your postcode is beyond me, so that it stops people having to just book random centres and no tests being available.....

And yes, you have to go through it as many times as it takes...DS1 took 4 tries.....in and around COVID time.....I had no hair left....!

I didn't bother with the app, we just kept checking regularly. Booked the first one we could at any location, then changed it about 3 times.

We can't swap them to our area at all. Dd is now trying at her university town where there are tests available. She doesn't know the area yet so will need yet more lessons there with no car to practice on. It has been impossible to get a test here in 2 years. We are SE.

My DS has recently booked a test in a town 120 miles away for February. Fortunately it's close to where his grandparents live so if he does have to do it there he'll be able to get a bit of practice in. He is checking for cancellations all the time and is hoping to get one sooner and at least in our county but he's not holding his breath for our actual local test centre. It's only 2 years since my other son did his test and he booked our local test centre with no difficulty. He failed first time and then only had to wait about another 2 weeks to do it again but it's absolutely ridiculous now. And it's nigh on impossible to get a driving instructor too because people can't get tests so aren't stopping their lessons.

Chat around my way is that you do the test anywhere at all that you can get. My friends dd had hers 5 hours drive away!

this reminded me to sit down and book my daughters. Just done so on the government website. First availability March!!! Booked one, but there is no way she’s having lessons until then- can’t afford it!

You don't actually wait until then, now you start looking for a swap to an earlier date

There may be a waiting list for lessons, but also, unless you're planning on teaching her, then she may need that length to practice in.

The new slots are released at 6am on a Monday - I thought it was every Monday, but perhaps it isn't having read the post (first Mon in the month?). You have to be up before 6am, check when the last booked test it and refresh at 6am for the week after that.

Unfortunately, focusing on just one test centre, esp in a popular area like SE London is unlikely to be successful at the moment.

I would be trying for several in the same area - and even then, you may have to wait a while (and when I say a while - a lot of the test wait times are around 6 months atm). If you book one reasonably locally for a much later date, you could try one of the apps like Testshift - you generally have to pay with no guarantee - and get it to look up several different centres in the area and try and move it forward once you've booked one. But the DVSA is trying to cut out the use of apps at the moment, so you'll find they don't always work either.

It is a frustrating waiting game right now, I'm afraid. They don't have enough examiners since covid AND the DVSA system is still total crap.

I’ve been looking for one in my area for over a year (same as you, SE commuter belt). I’ve ended up booking in a city three hours away, and will go and stay a few nights before to do some lessons in the local area. I have two young children and a full time job (previously lived in London so no real need to drive) - it’s such a ridiculous system!

Hope you have more luck than me!

There are no slots anywhere at any time within 50 miles. It is crazy. I would book a slot 6 months ahead if there were any.

She has a driving instructor and has passed her theory test. It’s costing us £80 per week for 2hr lessons!!

It is an absolute joke. I can't believe how much of an absolute farce it is. The government should be utterly ashamed of themselves.

We had to book one about 50 miles away and then we managed to get it changed to our local centre by going on the website at 6am on a Monday morning. We're now going to attempt to find one at an earlier date. I dread a failed test and going through this again.

The gov need to change the rule about theory tests expiring in 2 years when it is fairly simple for that to happen purely because their system is such a pile of absolute shit.

So, it seems we should book one anywhere in the country and then login at 6am on a Monday and try to change it to a nearer test centre. If that fails, buy an app and try that. I am not sure how booking a test anywhere and trying to change it will actually work if there are no tests...

We used one of the third party websites, really didn't want to as obviously it's feeding a corrupt system but after DS failed a test, we didn't want him to wait 6 months.
It was Test Ultimate, you get a test anywhere in the country then use the website, put in the reference for the test you've booked, select the test centres you want and pay. We got a test through the next morning for a test 2 and a half weeks later which he passed. We paid £134 plus the cost of the test for the premium service. However it's now gone up to £175 which is loads!
It did work brilliantly though so if you have the money it is worth it. Word of warning, make sure auto book is not selected so you can make sure you can do the test they find. Also, make sure the confirmation email from the DVSA comes through once you've accepted the test from test ultimate.

Tbf, the government can't force people to become driving test instructors. IIRC that is a big part of the backlog.
Although they could improve their pay so more people apply to become one, except then people complain about civil servants earning too much...

£175! That is 😲. I can understand why you would do that though

I know, so expensive. £134 plus the £60 was more than enough! £175 plus £60 is so much, I'm very glad DS did pass when the cheaper rate was an option!

I would recommend logging in to the gov website well before 6am on Monday to avoid being at the back of a long online queue. (Not sure if this is what happened to you). I did this at about 5.35am. A message will come up saying something like “this service is not available until 6am”. You then just have to refresh the page the second it turns 6 and you should be straight in and able to book something.

Hope this helps, it’s such a nightmare at the moment!

Book a test anywhere in the country, then pay for an app to alert you to cancellations in your area- it’s much quicker to jump on and change an existing slot than it is to start from scratch each time. They go within seconds.

We used Testi and got a test at our local centre through it a couple of weeks later. I became OBSESSED with refreshing it in those couple of weeks but it did pay off.

We booked a test miles away then paid for the apps.