The DVSA changed the booking rules in 2026 to tackle the resale of test slots. If you booked before the changes, or you are about to book, these apply to you.

What changed

You can only make 2 changes to your test after booking. Previously you could move it repeatedly. Now you get two, and then the date is fixed.

Only you can book, change, swap or cancel your own test. Not a parent, not your instructor, not a third-party app. This is the change that catches people out most.

You can only move your test to one of the 3 nearest test centres. No more hunting nationwide for an earlier slot.

Changing is free if you give at least 10 full working days’ notice — Monday to Saturday counts, Sundays and bank holidays do not. Less notice than that and you lose the fee.

Why it changed

Slots were being bought in bulk by bots and resold at a markup, sometimes for hundreds of pounds. Learners who could pay got tests; learners who could not, waited. Restricting who can book and how often it can be changed removes the resale market’s oxygen.

What this means practically

Book only on GOV.UK. Unofficial cancellation-finder apps now sit on the wrong side of these rules. At best they stop working. At worst your test gets cancelled and you lose both the slot and the fee.

Be more certain before you book. Two changes is not many. Book when you are close to ready, not the day you start lessons.

Do not book a test as a deadline to work towards. It used to be a common tactic — book far ahead, then move it if you were not ready. That option has largely gone.

How we work with it

We assess where you are honestly, tell you the realistic number of hours, and advise on when to book rather than booking for you. We cannot book on your behalf and neither can anyone else — that is now the law of the land, not a policy choice.

If you are unsure whether you are ready, the DVSA’s Ready to Pass? checklist is the standard we use, and a mock test on live routes will settle it.