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Original poster

Driving test

16 replies

Blubell46 · 06/04/2026 07:10

Morning- help please….

My dd has started a new job trying to juggle everything, bless her she is getting better! I offered to book her driving test thinking this would be an easy task but it is not- for me at least!

I woke up early to book her a test but no bookings come up- I check different dates and I was on at 6am. Does anyone know how I get a date? Just in case I am missing something.

thank you

OP posts:
CassandraCan · 06/04/2026 07:14

Oh come on! If she’s that bothered about learning to drive then she needs to do it herself. And I say that as a mum who is a big softie.

FlapperFlamingo · 06/04/2026 07:16

I understand it can be very difficult to get slots - they are often very far in advance. Try looking at other test centres close to you.

Original poster
Blubell46 · 06/04/2026 07:20

@FlapperFlamingothank you …I was trying too but I never realised how booked up it gets

OP posts:
Original poster
Blubell46 · 06/04/2026 07:22

@CassandraCan thank you - every bodies situation is different and I just want some advice if I missing a trick! Thank you

OP posts:
whowhatwerewhy · 06/04/2026 07:49

It’s a nightmare to book , just keep logging on and hope for the best.

incognito1991 · 06/04/2026 08:10

I was looking in December, the best way I found was to log in multiple times throughout the day, everyday. Instructors were telling me how hard it is to get a test and wanted £90 to book it for me, I managed to find loads

Hermanfromguesswho · 06/04/2026 08:24

Keep checking each week. Monday at 6am is when most slots get released. Take any slot you can. Will likely be for 6 months time, then buy an app called Testi for £12 that will notify you of cancellations in real time to get an earlier test

GloriaHeeler · 06/04/2026 08:37

You just have to keep looking. It’s a nightmare, really it is. Sometimes some pop up but realistically it’s six months ahead.

LightYearsAgo · 06/04/2026 08:49

Have a look at the similar threads box (for me it's at the bottom of the thread) and you'll see this question is asked a lot and there are loads of posts of suggestions

SheilaFentiman · 06/04/2026 08:52

The rules are changing over the next couple of months - one has already changed - limiting the number of changes that can be made to the test date and location and requiring drivers to be the bookers, not driving instructors. ETA Google it for the dates and you may be best waiting
until the changes have come through

LightYearsAgo · 06/04/2026 08:53

CassandraCan · 06/04/2026 07:14

Oh come on! If she’s that bothered about learning to drive then she needs to do it herself. And I say that as a mum who is a big softie.

Where is the line for your softness, how do you decide what things are a step too far? I have older than 17 year olds and they often ask me to help with things they haven't done before or timing doesnt work for them, it would never occur to me to be so churlish as to refuse

Stade197 · 06/04/2026 08:57

Its really hard to get a slot, from the start of 2025 I was online at 6am every Monday looking for slots, by July I managed to book a slot for 30th December 🙃

It's annoying to do but keep looking throughout the day/evenings because cancellations and extra slots get added but you never know when they are being added so its just luck if you spot them and they go fast!

ConfusedSoShutUp · 06/04/2026 08:59

As above, we booked any test. This means you get throught the payment process and are "done". Then the following 2 Mondays we logged in at about 5.57 and saw the newly released ones for our area (6 months time) and clicked on one of those. As we were a "swap" rather than having to go through the payment we were quicker ,we secured it.

Original poster
Blubell46 · 06/04/2026 09:16

Thank you for all being so supportive and helpful. Were you all in the same position as putting in one date and nothing available and then going back and putting in another dates- I eventually got error which was frustrating!

i would prefer it if they said these are the days available rather than me guessing which day and then finding no slots!

thank you all for all responses.

OP posts:
SheilaFentiman · 06/04/2026 09:18

New rules

www.gov.uk/guidance/changes-to-driving-test-booking-rules-in-2026

rocketscienceitisnot · 08/04/2026 08:03

Blubell46 · 06/04/2026 09:16

Thank you for all being so supportive and helpful. Were you all in the same position as putting in one date and nothing available and then going back and putting in another dates- I eventually got error which was frustrating!

i would prefer it if they said these are the days available rather than me guessing which day and then finding no slots!

thank you all for all responses.

@Blubell46 as others have said, you need to be online at 6am Monday morning and put in a date 6 months ahead - you can check during the week before to see which dates haven't been opened yet so you know which week will be released next.

Be prepared to look at different centres near your home, but don't follow out of date advice to book anywhere in the country with the intention of swapping later, because the DVSA is cracking down on that, and on the apps that facilitate swapping.

You get an error when you try too many times because the website assumes you're a bot.

Ignore anyone who says you shouldn't help your DC with this. It is complex, and young people need support to navigate it.

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