Driving test rebooking after failure

[HarveyLouis]

What joy, DD failed her test today. Now she will likely have to wait until SEPTEMBER!!!!! if she can even find a test near where we live. There are no test slots anywhere in the county currently. I thought she might get some sort of priority to rebook after a failure, how silly of me!

Potentially her theory test will run out before a test comes available too.

Makes my blood boil. She was so close to passing. If only there was not still such a bloody backlog.

You're probably aware of this, but I used the Driving Test Cancellation App very successfully recently...but this may of course depend on area.

What @Rockonteur said. Once she's booked she can get a cancellation as they arise.

Shs needs to book a test again first to use an app. They have changed the rules so that you can only re-book to a test centre which is one of the nearest 3 to where you originally booked it - or something. THERE ARE NO TESTS WITHIN 50 MILES.

I really feel like swearing and shouting. Not at anyone, just to let the frustration out.

So bloody expensive and a waste of time.

I know someone who got round it by using their own car for the test, if that's possible for her.

Once she has rebooked it is worth it as cancellation do come up, my eldest didnit early this year and managed to get one 3 months earlier than their original rebook and the new rules should make it easier

She needs to get online at 6am on Monday morning when the next slots are released. I know the rules have changed but my friend's DS managed to get 4 tests in 2 months by doing this then the cancellation apps to get closer dates. Check with ChatGPT which test centre in your county has best availability if you can use your own car rather than the instructor's.

Thanks for all the replies. She will get there in the end.

Can't use own car unfortunately and now needs to focus on exams.

Oh gosh I am so sorry @HarveyLouis How utterly frustrating! Life is so shit for young people right now isn't it (especially since covid!) Stupidly high house prices, (buying and renting!) huge tuition fees for Uni, soooo hard to pass your driving test, just so shit! My 2 adult DC learned to drive (and passed) in 2018 and 2019, before all this shite started ... I would be tearing my hair out with rage if this was happening with mine.

I really hope she can get a cancellation. All the best. Wishing and praying for her that she passes by mid summer.

My daughter logged on at 5am this Monday and got a test booked. That seems
to be the time to log onto the booking website

5am, even worse!? It used to be 6am. Our nearest test centre was NEVER on the normal boolkng site at 6am, she booked elsewhere and moved it a few times.

We have done all this to get the test that she took today. The thought of going through it all again is awful. Logging on at 6am on a Monday, queuing with 25,000 other people, panic clicking to book the first sort of ok date that appears, then having to try to change the date. Not a nice thought, such a bad system.

She only had 3 minor faults and failed on the parallel parking which was nothing dangerous but was not allowed another atrempt.

Same. We initially rebooked for a test at her uni but she couldn’t find an instructor to take her on. So moved it back to London but it will be three weeks before her theory runs out so if she fails it she’ll have to retake that! Plus she’s abroad in an internship this summer so only two and a bit weeks to refresh her skills with her instructor (at huge expense). Of course she blames me for encouraging her to get her theory done first.

@mondaytosunday I thought theories were valid for 2 years? Is the booking system really so bad that people are timing out of them waiting for their tests?

DH is learning to drive and the system has leeched our hopes of a car by Christmas. At this rate we probably won’t even have one by the time we (hopefully) move. (House isn’t even on the market for context.)

It's so stressful, the whole system is awful. DD will hopefully get another test in before she would have to re take her theory test. It makes me so mad thinking about it.

My DS failed his test last month. The following Monday I logged on for him, got in the queue about 5.45. Earliest test was very early on a morning in late August, so booked it. Then paid for one app and signed up for another that you pay for when they get you a date. Missed one date that came up as wasn't in front of my phone. Then out of the blue his instructor had someone looking to push their test back. So he's having another test soon, desperate for him to pass as A levels start imminently.

The system is shocking, it should be one booking per driving licence number instead of allowing instructors to block book slots. Unfortunately there are enough instructors who take bungs from driving test touts, who then sell the slots at inflated prices.

The new rules say driving instructors can't book tests on behalf of their pupils. Will that help?

that is frustrating for her

does she have her own car to get lots of practice in?

We had the same last year but she managed to get a cancellation 2weeks later and passed just before A levels started. Very stressful but glad it got sorted. Her friend had 3 attempts all within 3 months last year. Little choice here where to take as well plus a university town so lots of people wanting test dates. Hope it works out for your dd. She used an App to get the date moved.

DS failed his last month. We got a new test in September by doing the 6 am log in on a Monday morning. I have the testi app running and there have been cancellations but the captcha security thing so far has held me back so when I do manage to log in the tests have gone. It’s hard going. I have cleared some phone settings so will try again at the next cancellation in the hope the captcha thing has gone and I can get straight in.

I think you can pay for a test off one of these bot people but I don’t know if that wise to do or not. I want DS to have summer driving experience due to his work location.

It’s a nightmare. My dd failed twice. Once we were lucky and got days on a bank holiday that was about six weeks away. A day of tests just appeared. The other time we had to wait the full six months. It’s ludicrous because you end up having to keep some
lessons going throughout.

my dd keeps putting off her test, on the advice on her instructor, so i am sure she is not the only one, and in that case, extra tests will appear

You don’t need to wait until the Monday morning, they are undated throughout the day.

My child failed in March and has a new test in July, it was August but I kept checking every few hours and managed to get one a month earlier.

They are in placements now so don’t want an earlier one but there were some in April and May coming up but you have to be quick and check constantly or buy an App however they are being blocked soon.

Also now illegal to book via 3rd party apps but it hasn't made a difference so far as the system is as gridlocked as ever.

I'm an older learner (40s) who started during covid. Initially, I had to wait 5 months for theory test, then 6 months for an instructor in my area, then after a year of lessons had to wait 6 months for a test, failed, re-sat theory - another 6 months for a test in my area which I failed because I hadn't had a lesson in months due to cost. Took a break due to cost then restarted lessons. Failed test. Then got blocked from the booking site and my theory expired again, re- sat theory now rebooked for another test in six months time.

What should have taken me a year is still ongoing 5 years later!

I agree with you that the system is a mess.