When can I take my driving test?

Can I book my driving test again yet?

With lock-down easing after the Covid-19 outbreak, driving lessons are resuming again. The big unanswered question is when can I take my driving test? Back in March, myself and thousands of other driving instructors across the country had numerous driving tests booked in. The DVSA then tortured test candidates with lack of information, rescheduling, numerous cancellations and finally suspension of all tests over a 4 month period. Some students not knowing their tests weren't going ahead with as little as 24 hours notice. 

Even theory tests with manageable office environments were postponed multiple times until July 6th, even though office workers had been back for weeks.

Currently no one is able to book a test. Not even those who had their tests cancelled and suspended since March 23rd. After a series of bumbling messages to candidates, some telling readers to ignore information not just from previous days, but from previous sentences in the same message! To say the DVSA has handled this poorly is the understatement of the year. 

Re-booking of Covid affected driving tests first

On July 22nd, tests will apparently re-start. Or at least we hope. I've a student who had a test rescheduled for July 30th and his was then cancelled due to Covid. He's still awaiting a new test date. So too are all my other students who were supposed to be tested before lock-down.  So who's getting these July 22nd test slots?

What I think is happening is that on the 22nd the calendar for booking tests will reopen for all those who had a driving test affected by Corona. It'll be first come, first served. A huge bum fight of tens of thousands for the best test slots. What are the odds the system will crash due to high demand? It's almost a certainty. 

Once the rush is over, perhaps a week or so later after the DVSA have sent out all the messages to those suspended test candidates, they'll then open the books up to the rest.

Headache for driving schools

This mad rush for test slots of going to be extremely difficult for driving instructors. We're wanting of course to help students, but have diaries with others wishing to learn. Suddenly hearing that 5 or 6 old students have booked their tests all within a few days of one another starting from tomorrow, needing 4/5 lessons to get up to speed is going to be hard to manage. I can see quite a few upset people on the horizon missing out in one way or another. Please be understanding if your lesson needs to be cancelled to accommodate someone with a test happening immanently.

So, to answer the question of when can I book my driving test? It depends. Covid affected rescheduling tests will be from July 22nd. New applications probably from the end of the month is my guess.