Driving Test Allocations For Sale

[Glassman]

My son is fast approaching the time to take his driving test. The trouble is, he cannot get an allocation until September. Earlier tests are being sold for for up to £500; the average 'fee' is about 200 and mates rates will get you one for about £140.

I'm hearing there are bots at play for these test allocation fixers and there are a few WhatsApp groups whereby jumping into them will increase your chances of an allocation, provided you pay matey his fee.

Trying to get my head around how this can go on?

[LooneyTunes]

If you choose a less popular test centre you can often get them quicker, and without paying the touts.

By quicker, you can be looking at as little as a couple of weeks.

[Alex Z]

This just seems insane and trivially easy to fix.

Require the drivers license number to book a test. Only allow that driver to take the test.

Job done.

[williamp]

Alex Z said:

This just seems insane and trivially easy to fix.

Require the drivers license number to book a test. Only allow that driver to take the test.

Job done.

...but will they have licence number without a licence??

Yes its now a thing: Ticketmaster of the driving test world, buying slots and selling them for a profit.

[LooneyTunes]

williamp said:

...but will they have licence number without a licence??

Yes its now a thing: Ticketmaster of the driving test world, buying slots and selling them for a profit.

Yes, a provisional license still has a number.

There are changes afoot later this year iirc to make it harder for the touts. Also vaguely a minimum period between theory test and practical being introduced?

[sherman]

I heard recently that the test centres have spaces available that only the local instructors can book. Try getting your instructor to phone the centre on your behalf.

[ben5575]

Their provisional license number...

Download and pay for the Testi app.

[Caddyshack]

Earlier this year My daughter booked a test for 6 months away then went on the app for cancellations and she got a cancellation for 2 weeks after joining the app.

[Pizzaeatingking]

This was in the news recently, they're bringing some rules in to stop this. I don't know when though.

[Cold]

My youngest goddaughter used this site for her test late last year. Book a test anywhere in the country initially via the dot gov site, then use this website to grab a cancelled slot nearer home and at a suitable date when you're ready to sit the exam.

https://www.driving-test-cancellations-4all.co.uk/

[Josemartinez]

Alex Z said:

This just seems insane and trivially easy to fix.

Require the drivers license number to book a test. Only allow that driver to take the test.

Job done.

Exactly, why was this not a requirement when they first implemented online booking?

[b19rak]

My lad used an app to move his test from the end of May(booked mid Oct) to first week of Feb and he passed. App is about £20 called Testshift.

[LooneyTunes]

Seriously, if you just go onto the DVLA site and are flexible about test centres there are tests available without long waits if you keep looking.

One of my kids got one within 2-3 weeks of birthday, sadly failed, but then got another in a similar period. Very short notice tests appear regularly too. Could have shortened the time for the retest considerably by flipping to a difference centre but, as we were away for a week of the wait anyway, didn t seem to be much point.

We used a test centre about 30 mins drive from home that has a reputation for being harder , but all harder means is lower pass rate which can occur for reasons other than the test routes or examiners.

Not being local we went up and took a drive round the area a few days before the test. It s easy enough to figure out the sorts of roads they d drive for the test / where there could be issues, but there are also test routes driven on YouTube videos. We also found some routes detailed in note form online, presumably by a local instructor.

Appreciate it may be harder if you ve got to coordinate with a driving instructor.

Edited by LooneyTunes on Wednesday 15th April 06:23

[Mabbs9]

sherman said:

I heard recently that the test centres have spaces available that only the local instructors can book. Try getting your instructor to phone the centre on your behalf.

Instructors have been selling their allocations to touts.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0k2858jj1o

[snuffy]

Josemartinez said:

Alex Z said:

This just seems insane and trivially easy to fix.

Require the drivers license number to book a test. Only allow that driver to take the test.

Job done.

Exactly, why was this not a requirement when they first implemented online booking?

I'd imagine because it never occurred to anyone that this type of thing would be an issue. It never entered anyone's head that slots would be sold on.

Years ago, this never happened, so when an online booking came in, it just replicated what was already there.

And then, I think, when covid came along, lots of examiners retired (like people did in lots of professions) and that caused a huge shortage. And hence the selling of slots.

[DFNorfolk]

Sale of tests has been going on for quite a while so DVSA are putting in place these changes:

“The new rules for booking and managing car driving tests will be introduced from spring 2026:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/changes-to-driving-tes... “

A driving instructor did use to be able to do test swaps but soon it will only be the candidate and there will be a limit on the number of changes and how far away the test centre is to the change.

Bit of a PITA as we used to be able to source a swap, call DVSA with both sets of details and sort it but now it’ll be reliant on the candidates to do it.

[Caddyshack]

Cold said:

My youngest goddaughter used this site for her test late last year. Book a test anywhere in the country initially via the dot gov site, then use this website to grab a cancelled slot nearer home and at a suitable date when you're ready to sit the exam.

https://www.driving-test-cancellations-4all.co.uk/

The new rules will mean you have to justify why you are having a test hours away and you will then have to take the test at that location.

[Another project]

I went on to the dvsa site at 6am this morning to try and get an test date for my son.

This is a joke.

[vikingaero]

snuffy said:

Josemartinez said:

Alex Z said:

This just seems insane and trivially easy to fix.

Require the drivers license number to book a test. Only allow that driver to take the test.

Job done.

Exactly, why was this not a requirement when they first implemented online booking?

I'd imagine because it never occurred to anyone that this type of thing would be an issue. It never entered anyone's head that slots would be sold on.

Years ago, this never happened, so when an online booking came in, it just replicated what was already there.

And then, I think, when covid came along, lots of examiners retired (like people did in lots of professions) and that caused a huge shortage. And hence the selling of slots.

It's the same crazy scenario with gig tickets. Print name and address on them. Only admit those with photo ID? Don't have photo ID? That's a you problem.

So why not allow each person/email address/cardholder to book a max of say 3 tests at £62 (weekday daytime). That gives flexibility. Any more than 3 are charged at a premium, say £312 for the 4th one, £562 for the 5th one, so if you really must have 4, 5 or more bookings then you pay a premium for it.

[Another project]

After a hour waiting to get into the site I finally managed to get a driving test booked but the earliest available is in October, although there weren't any in test centres local to me. I've had to go a little bit further than I wanted.