Booking a driving test should be the simplest part of learning to drive — a ten-minute job on GOV.UK. But the rules changed in 2026, waiting times remain long, and third-party sites charge far more than the official fee. Here is how to book a UK driving test, what it costs and what you need before you start.

What you need before you can book

Three things, and all three are non-negotiable. First, a valid provisional driving licence — the booking service asks for your licence number. A first provisional licence costs £34 online or £43 by post. Second, a theory test pass certificate. You cannot book a practical test until you have passed the theory test, and your pass is valid for two years — your practical test date must fall inside that window or the booking will not stand. Third, a debit or credit card, because the DVSA takes card payment only at the point of booking.

The theory test itself costs £23 and has two parts taken in one sitting: 50 multiple-choice questions, of which you need 43 to pass, and a hazard perception section of video clips, where you need 44 out of 75.

How to book on GOV.UK

The only official place to book is the DVSA booking service on GOV.UK, at gov.uk/book-driving-test. Enter your provisional licence number and your theory test pass certificate number, search for a test centre, pick a date and time from the available slots and pay.

The fee is £62 for a weekday daytime test and £75 for an evening, weekend or bank holiday test — the test itself is identical, and the £13 difference is just the cost of the slot. The service is usually available from 6am to 11.40pm, and new test dates are released up to 24 weeks ahead, at 6am every Monday.

Northern Ireland uses a separate service, and there a car practical test costs £65 on weekdays and £95 for evenings and weekends.

The 2026 rule changes

Three rules changed in 2026. Since 31 March 2026 you can only make two changes to a car test booking, down from six. Since 12 May 2026, only the person taking the test can book, change, cancel or swap a practical driving test — your instructor or a third party can no longer do it for you. And since 9 June 2026, a booking can only be moved to a nearby centre or back to the original centre, so your first choice of test centre matters more than it used to.

To change or cancel for free, or to get a full refund, give at least 10 full working days' notice. Monday to Saturday count as working days; Sundays and bank holidays do not.

Waiting times and third-party sites

Waiting times are still long. The National Audit Office reported that the average wait for a car practical test was 22 weeks as of September 2025, compared with just over five weeks before the pandemic, and 70 per cent of test centres were operating at the maximum 24-week wait. The DVSA expects its seven-week target to be met around the end of 2027.

That backlog has fed a market in third-party booking sites. The National Audit Office found that nearly a third of learners now book through third-party websites, sometimes paying up to £500 for a test that costs £62. The official service charges exactly the DVSA fee — nothing more. If a site is asking for more than £62, or £75 for an out-of-hours slot, close the tab and use GOV.UK instead.