Guidance reviewed: 25 September 2026
Book and manage a car driving test through the official GOV.UK service. Since 12 May 2026, only the learner may book, change, cancel or swap their own car test in England, Scotland and Wales. A trusted person may help while the learner is present, but they must not take over the booking or hold the account details.
These rules cover car tests in Great Britain. Northern Ireland and other types of driving test have separate arrangements.
Plan before you book
- Discuss your readiness with your instructor.
- Ask for the instructor’s personal reference number if you intend to use their car.
- Choose the test centre where you genuinely plan to take the test.
- Choose a date that gives you enough time to become ready.
You may change the booking twice
You can make up to two changes after booking. Changing the date or time, changing the test centre, or swapping appointments with another learner counts as a change. Altering more than one of those details in the same transaction counts as one change.
Updating contact details or your instructor’s reference number does not count. A change made by DVSA also does not count and resets your allowance to two changes.
After using both changes, you must cancel and book a new test if the appointment no longer suits you. You normally receive a full refund when you cancel at least 10 full working days before the test.
Limits on changing test centre
When changing an appointment, you may select the original centre or one of its three nearest test centres. This is intended to reduce the resale and movement of tests to areas where the learner did not originally intend to take one.
Avoid cancellation apps and booking services
DVSA says services that scan its system for test slots break the booking terms, including services that only notify you of a cancellation. A booking obtained through a prohibited service may be removed. Bot activity can also lead to online access being restricted, leaving you able to manage a test only by telephone.
Be particularly careful with offers made through social media. A scammer may ask for your driving-licence number, theory-test certificate number, booking reference, email address or payment details and then change or cancel the booking. Do not pay an individual to find, reserve or transfer a test.
If you need a test, use the official service yourself. GOV.UK does not charge an extra booking fee.