The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is encouraging learner drivers to only use the official channels to book their driving test.
Learner drivers in some areas are reporting a wait of up to six months to book a driving test.
The long wait for tests has resulted in unofficial brokers charging hundreds of pounds for learner drivers to jump the queue.
The brokers use software bots to reserve driving test slots as soon as they become available, then sell them for a huge mark-up. These earlier appointments are known as cancellation appointments.
But the DVSA does not run, approve or endorse any cancellation finder apps or services. The only official driving test booking service is via Gov.uk.
The DVSA is warning drivers that when you use an unofficial website, you might not get important emails from DVSA about your test, including if the DVSA needs to change your test date.
Protect your data
A DVSA review of several unofficial cancellation finders and apps found that none of them had a privacy notice that complied with data protection law.
It is advising learners who have had their data misused by cancellation test finders to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Drivers who have found misleading claims about charges or service features on an unofficial website should complain to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Those who think they have been a victim of an online scam or fraud should contact Action Fraud.
Loveday Ryder, the DVSA’s chief executive, said: “Gov.uk is the only official way to book your practical driving test. Using Gov.uk will keep your data safe, help you stay informed and save money.
“You should always keep your driving licence number secure. It could be invaluable to those looking to steal your identity.
“DVSA does not run, approve or endorse any cancellation finder apps or services and we encourage learners only to book their driving test when their instructor agrees they are ready.”
Drivers travelling further for tests
The Government’s warning came as an insurance broker released figures about how far learner drivers are having to travel to take their driving test.
Marmalade found that the distance travelled for a driving test by learner drivers across the UK has increased by 48% between 2019 and 2023, as test centre locality and available test slots dwindle. The study found that 34,614 learners made a trip of more than 100 miles for a test.
One learner from Surrey, Kayla Van Dorsten, aged 18, had to travel 400 miles to a test centre in Cornwall due to a six-month waiting list at centres near her.
Kayla said: “I was already nervous about taking my driving test, but being in an unfamiliar area raised new obstacles to navigate. There were different speed limits from the local routes I had practised on and also other road users that I wasn’t familiar with, like tractors.
“Taking the test four hours away meant I had to take two days out of education and pay for overnight accommodation and petrol to get to the test centre. It was very inconvenient, but I needed to get my licence as soon as possible because I couldn’t rely on public transport anymore due to strikes to get to college.”
How to find a driving test
The DVSA has an online service that allows learner drivers to check for available tests in almost real time.
The DVSA’s online tool is updated every 30 minutes and is available from 6am to 11.40pm every day.
