Test Centre: Wood Green
Date: 22nd August 2025
Test Centre: Pinner
Date: 29th August 2025
Test Centre: Croydon
Date: 14th August 2025
Test Centre: Barking (Tanner Street)
Date: 9th August 2025
Test Centre: Erith
Date: 7th August 2025
Test Centre: Isleworth
Date: 18th August 2025
Test Centre: Hendon
Date: 4th August 2025
Test Centre: Hither Green
Date: 27th October 2025
Test Centre: Tolworth (London)
Date: 1st August 2025
Test Centre: Tolworth (London)
Date: 1st September 2025
Test Centre: Wood Green
Date: 22nd August 2025
Test Centre: Pinner
Date: 29th August 2025
Test Centre: Croydon
Date: 14th August 2025
Test Centre: Barking (Tanner Street)
Date: 9th August 2025
Test Centre: Erith
Date: 7th August 2025
Test Centre: Isleworth
Date: 18th August 2025
Test Centre: Hendon
Date: 4th August 2025
Test Centre: Hither Green
Date: 27th October 2025
Test Centre: Tolworth (London)
Date: 1st August 2025
Test Centre: Tolworth (London)
Date: 1st September 2025
Road-test disappointment stings, but the good news is that a failed practical doesn’t keep you off the road forever. This guide explains exactly how long you must wait, why the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) sets that limit, and the quickest legal routes to a new test date.
The DVSA’s primary goal is road safety. A gap between attempts:
• Gives candidates time to fix the faults that caused the fail.
• Allows examiners to process paperwork and scheduling without overload.
• Reduces “test churn”, ensuring appointment slots aren’t clogged by immediate retakes, which would lengthen queues for first-time applicants.
After any failed category B (car) practical test in England, Scotland or Wales you must wait at least 10 clear working days before sitting another. “Working days” equal Monday–Friday, excluding bank holidays. Day 0 is the day of failure; the count starts on the next working day. You can, however, book the new test immediately—the system will simply not let you select a date earlier than the 10-day threshold.
• England, Scotland and Wales share the same DVSA 10-working-day rule.
• Northern Ireland tests are run by the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) and impose a shorter period—just 6 working days. All other guidance here applies, but NI candidates must use the DVA booking portal.
Only Monday–Friday count, and statutory UK holidays such as Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, early May bank holiday and the late August bank holiday stop the clock. Scotland’s New Year bank holidays or St Andrew’s Day affect Scottish test centres only.
• Fail on Monday 1 July (no bank holidays): earliest retest Tuesday 16 July.
• Fail on Wednesday 3 April 2024: Good Friday (5 Apr) and Easter Monday (8 Apr) are skipped, so earliest date is Thursday 18 April.
• Fail on Friday 23 August 2024: Monday 26 August is a bank holiday; earliest retest is Monday 9 September.
Tip: Use a free “working days calculator UK” or simply count forward on a calendar, crossing out weekends and holidays.
The same portal handles a fresh booking if you cancelled or let the original slot lapse; just click ‘Book a new test’.
• Standard weekday car test: £62; evening/weekend test: £75.
• If you pay £75 for a Saturday slot then move to a weekday, the £13 difference is refunded automatically to the original card.
• No extra “retest fee” exists—the charge is identical for every attempt.
Call DVSA on 0300 200 1122 (Mon–Fri, 8 am–4 pm) if:
• You need reasonable adjustments for a disability.
• The online system shows no local slots but an examiner has told you to ring for a short-notice cancellation.
• Your payment card keeps failing online.
Expect longer wait times near 8 am on Mondays.
Third-party apps and services scan the DVSA database and alert you when someone cancels. Choose one that:
• Uses your own GOV.UK login (never share your password).
• Has explicit DVSA confirmation that its bot traffic abides by terms of service.
• Lets you pause or cancel easily once you’ve passed.
Reputable examples include ‘Testi’ and ‘Driving Test Cancellations 4 All’. These can help you “change practical test” dates without manual hourly refreshing.
Urban centres like Croydon, Wood Green or Birmingham Garretts Green can have 3-month queues, while rural sites 30 miles away might have availability next week. Always balance convenience with unfamiliar roads—budget a couple of lessons around the new centre.
• June–August: post-exams student surge.
• December: weather cancellations and fewer daylight slots.
If your 10-day window lands in one of these periods, act quickly or accept a slightly longer delay.
DVSA data (2023) shows top major faults:
1. Junction observation
2. Mirrors before changing direction
3. Control when steering
4. Speed choice
5. Response to traffic lights
Target these areas with your instructor; ask for feedback against the official marking sheet.
• Book 2–3 additional 1-hour sessions.
• Run at least one full mock with a different instructor to mimic examiner unfamiliarity.
• Practise the centre’s known test routes, especially tricky roundabouts or dual-carriageway merges.
• Use structured breathing (4-7-8 technique).
• Rehearse the “show me, tell me” questions aloud.
• Do a 15-minute warm-up drive before the appointment; muscle memory calms anxiety.
A theory pass certificate lasts 2 years from the test date. Your practical must be PASSED within that window; the actual booking date is irrelevant. If it expires the day before your retest, the attempt is cancelled and the fee lost.
• Book another theory as soon as possible—2024 average wait: 3–4 weeks.
• Use your 10-day gap to study, then sit the theory, and aim for a practical the following fortnight.
• If both tests are delayed, you may need to start entirely from scratch, including any CBT for motorcycles or medicals for lorries.
There is no legal cap on retakes in the UK. Some insurers, however, raise premiums after four or more fails, viewing it as higher risk. Keep a clean provisional licence (no points) to minimise any extra cost.
A provisional lasts 10 years (or until age 70), so renewal isn’t usually required. Change only if:
• Your address changes (free update).
• Your photo is over 10 years old (£14 online).
• You upgrade from automatic to manual—no licence change needed, only a manual pass result.
Motorcycle (category A/A1/A2) and vocational (C, C+E, D) tests have the same 10-day DVSA rule, except in Northern Ireland where the DVA applies 6 working days.
You can complain if you believe the examiner behaved improperly, but you cannot overturn a result. Even a successful complaint won’t waive the 10-day waiting period.
Yes. If DVSA cancels for staff illness or vehicle breakdown at the centre, you may claim out-of-pocket expenses and rebook without charge.
No. The DVSA system blocks multiple active bookings under one licence number. You must cancel an existing slot before securing another.
Currently, no concessions exist. All candidates pay the standard £62 weekday or £75 evening/weekend fee per attempt.