How to book your theory test and driving test

Booking the theory test

1. Get your provisional driving licence if you haven’t already. You can apply from 15 years and 9 months old.
2. Go to GOV.UK’s Book your theory test service.
3. Enter your licence number, then pick a test centre, date and time.
4. Tell DVSA now if you have a reading difficulty, disability or health condition, or need BSL, so they can set it up.
5. Pay the £23 fee. You’ll get a confirmation email with your booking reference.

Who can book

You need a provisional licence, and you must have lived in England, Wales or Scotland for at least 185 days in the 12 months before your test date. Northern Ireland has its own booking service on nidirect.

Changing or checking your booking

You can check or change your theory test online with your licence number. Give at least 3 full working days’ notice to change it, or you’ll have to pay again. Monday to Saturday count as working days, Sundays and public holidays don’t. The driving test has stricter rules, which are on our page about changing or cancelling a test.

When can you book your driving test?

You usually need to have passed the theory test first. Then book your driving test on GOV.UK. It costs £62 on weekdays and £75 in the evening, at weekends and on bank holidays. New dates are released 24 weeks ahead, at 6am every Monday, and earlier slots appear whenever someone changes or cancels.

The new rules for booking a driving test

DVSA changed the rules in 2026. As of October 2026, only you, the learner, can book, change or cancel your car driving test, not an instructor or a booking service. You get 2 changes, and you can only move it to one of the 3 test centres nearest to where it’s booked, or back to the one you first booked.