How to Book Your UK Driving Test Step by Step

What You Need Before Booking

• A valid provisional driving licence (UK)
• A passed theory test (and your theory test pass certificate number)
• A debit or credit card to pay the test fee (£62 weekday / £75 weekend)
• Your UK Government Gateway login (or create one at gov.uk)

Step-by-Step Booking Process

1. Go to gov.uk/book-driving-test
2. Sign in or create a Government Gateway account
3. Enter your provisional licence number and theory test pass number
4. Enter your postcode to see available test centres near you
5. Select your preferred test centre from the list
6. Choose from available date and time slots
7. Pay the test fee by card
8. Receive your booking confirmation by email

The 2026 Rule Changes That Affect Booking

What If No Slots Are Available?

This is a very common problem in 2026. If your preferred centre shows no availability for months:

1. Book the earliest available slot regardless — you can try to change later
2. Check daily for cancellation slots (they appear and disappear quickly)
3. Use Swappy to find a peer swap — if another learner has your desired date and wants yours, both can change their bookings
4. Check if any adjacent centres within your permitted area have earlier availability

Changing or Cancelling Your Test

From 31 March 2026, you can only change your test booking up to twice. Each change uses one of your two permitted changes. If you cancel entirely (without rebooking), you lose your slot and must book from scratch — but it doesn't use one of your two changes.

Changes must be made at least 3 clear working days before the test to avoid forfeiting the fee.