Any tips for booking a practical driving test slot as none available?

[OkieDokieLemonSmokie]

My DC has just started having driving lessons and passed the theory. The instructor told us to go online and book a test as they are at a good stage already (we make them drive us everywhere).

We went online and there was nothing available, not one slot to even book in and change except for one slot next week which obviously is no good. It’s completely booked up till end of Jan.

Any tips or advice for getting a slot?

Having an existing booking isn’t an advantage for getting a cancellation anymore. The apps that alert you to cancellations have been banned now. You still have to keep manually checking and then pounce on any opening. But you do at least have a “latest date” for your test which may take the pressure off.

the whole system needs a shake up. It’s ridiculous

It’s ever so slightly easier as you don’t have to put in all your details for a change. I suppose it depends how fast you can type because my dd was swooping in like a hawk with texting fingers whereas I was all ‘right, so email…’

It has already had its shake up. It will just take a while for the shake up to reduce the backlog.

If you check too often, the website thinks you're a bot and locks you out. 🙂

If you can be flexible on centres it is worth looking a bit further away, I asked ChatGPT where the best availability generally was within 30 miles of our postcode and DS got somewhere we hadn’t thought of based on that. But you do have to go there a few times for route familiarisation. There is a driving test practice routes app which is very helpful for that.

That is what has happened in the last few months with the restrictions about the learner booking, not someone else; only two changes and changes only to the three nearest centres to your first booking. But plenty of people in the system will still have booked under the “old regime” - give it another few months and it may have shaken out.

Also - we wouldn’t think it particularly unusual to have to wait for an NHS non-emergency procedure for a few months. It’s just that parents of current learners had a very different experience and so think the current waits are out of whack.

I’ll chill for a few weeks. He won’t be fully ready till at least the beginning of November so we can leave it for a bit.

At the end of the day, Feb is not too bad.

OK, so we are back.

As said below, we have a test booked for Feb for my son. However, he was told 3 weeks ago to book in for a cancellation. He has got his head down and been driving literally everywhere. We have not been able to find a cancellation.

Are there any legal apps I can use, or any tips please to find a cancellation?

I don't know of any legal apps. My son's driving instructor said recently one of her students was turned away at the test itself because of suspected fraud so it is not one I would mess with personally.

No further tips other than what I said last time round. Good luck.

Because it’s still quite hard to book new appointments, I think cancellations will be rare, unfortunately. Especially ones a week or two out, that would likely only be for a broken arm
or something. Even if not quite ready, people will probably take the test and hope to pass rather than try to rearrange.

If he's only been driving six weeks then January isn't that far away.

@OkieDokieLemonSmokie are you still looking to take the test at the one centre, or are you able to also look at the three nearest centres?

the thread was started in August

Have you looked at Testi? It was down for a while but its back working now.

They alert you to availability and then you book/ change via the dvla.

Our area randomly dropped 2 weeks ago for availability nearly every day in November. Previously it had been Feb/ March.

I would hesitate about using apps at the moment - lots of stories locally about people being turned away at the test centre. You just have to constantly be checking the website for cancellations, be flexible about last minute bookings and your test centre. But easier in the knowledge that you have a firm end date of Feb.

I know but it's still not that far away. Round about a year to pass your test on average?

DCs driving instructor suggested Facebook for test swapping, rather than trying to look for a cancellation. I joined ‘local test centre town’ driving test swaps group and we found closer dates quite quickly.

@OkieDokieLemonSmokie it's worth reading the swapping guidance here before going down this path: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/swapping-your-driving-test-with-another-learner-driver

We went to Wales. Dd passed in Cardiff! That’s over 100 miles from us.

The rules changed earlier this year so that you can only switch your booking to the three nearest centres to your original booking. This may be different for a short notice cancellation but is definitely true for the 6am scrum on Mondays.