Test booking system reopens tomorrow - advice on using the updated system issued by DVSA

DVSA will reopen the driving test booking service tomorrow, Wednesday 26 August, at 8am.

Driving Tests will be available to book in England and Wales but will be limited, with only 35,675 tests available to book for the next six weeks. This is until the next set of tests are released on 1 September, so a rolling 6-week period is available.

Changes to the booking service

Due to high demand, and to stop the booking platform falling over again, the agency has introduced a queuing system to control the flow of bookings, meaning when you or a pupil logs in, you will not have access to the system straight away.

You will be held in a queue and given a queue number. DVSA will then update gov.uk and their social media with information on driving test availability.

It is possible that you will be held in the queue for some time and users are advised not to try to access the system using multiple devices.

Making sure your pupils are prepared

On reopening the booking system tomorrow, only 35,675 driving tests will be available, until the next set of tests are released on 1 September.

When you or your pupils arrange a test, they will be able to see available appointments only within the next 6 weeks. Bookings any further in advance will not be available at this point so the agency can react quickly to any changes in government guidance about coronavirus.

Due to the limited availability of test slots at this time, and high demand, the agency have advised It is vital that your pupils are test ready if they want to book now, as tests could be at short notice. There could also be long waiting times for a re-test, so you or your pupils should only book when they are confident they can pass.

Be prepared to travel further than usual for a test

DVSA have also advised that due to limited test slot availability, if your pupil can’t book a test at their local centre, they should check for other nearby centres where slots may be available and be prepared to travel to test centres outside their usual area if they want a test slot sooner.

After 26 August, new test slots will be made available on Tuesday 1 September and every Monday after that. You and your pupils will need to check again when we add new tests if you cannot find one immediately.

The customer service centre is still receiving an extremely high number of calls and emails and this is resulting in long delays in getting through. DVSA advises that you will not be able to book or secure an earlier date for your driving test if you call and asked users to help ease the pressure only calling if absolutely necessary; new slots and cancellations are only available online.

DVSA have sent a communication to all trainers, via email, with more detail. If you are not receiving such emails and updates from DVSA you should check they have the correct contact details registered for you.