Changing a test
How to Change Your Driving Test Date
Change the date through gov.uk/change-driving-test. It is free if your current test is more than 10 full working days away, and it uses one of the two changes allowed per booking. The steps are in our online change walkthrough; this page covers the decisions specific to picking a new date.
Work out your free-change deadline first
Before browsing dates, work out the last day you can change for free. Start from the day before your test and count back 10 working days, skipping Sundays and public holidays — Saturdays do count. If today is on or before that day, the change costs nothing. If not, changing means losing the original fee, so compare that against the cost of sitting a test you might not pass. Worked examples of the counting are in our refund guide, which uses the same deadline.
Choosing a new date wisely
Because you only get two changes per booking, treat the new date as close to final:
- Confirm your instructor and car first. Agree two or three workable dates with your instructor before you open the service, then book one of them.
- Leave margin for readiness. If you are moving the test because you are not ready, ask your instructor how many more lessons you realistically need and add a buffer, rather than nudging the date by a week and facing the same problem again.
- Check your theory certificate expiry. The pass certificate lasts exactly two years. If it expires before your new date, the practical booking is cancelled automatically, so pick a date safely inside the certificate's life.
- Watch the fee band. Weekday daytime dates cost £62; evening, weekend and bank holiday slots cost £75. Moving between bands adjusts what you pay.
Moving the date earlier rather than later
The same change service is used to bring a test forward. Earlier dates appear as other learners cancel or move, so availability changes through the day. If your goal is specifically an earlier date, read our dedicated guide to finding an earlier driving test date, including what third-party alert services are and are not allowed to do since May 2026.
If you have no changes left
After two changes the date is fixed. Your options are to keep the booking, or to cancel and book a new test — a full refund still applies if you cancel with 10+ full working days' notice, and the new booking has a fresh allowance of two changes.
Frequently asked questions
How late can I change my driving test date for free?
Up to 10 full working days before the test (Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and public holidays). Any later and the original fee is lost.
Can I change the date to any day I like?
Only to dates the service shows as available at your centre. Availability moves constantly, so check at different times of day if nothing suits.
Does moving my test date affect the fee I paid?
Only if you move between fee bands: weekday daytime tests are £62 and evening, weekend or bank holiday tests are £75. The service settles any difference when you confirm.
Official sources
Related guides
Change your test online
The complete step-by-step walkthrough of the GOV.UK change service.
Find an earlier date
How cancellation slots work and how to catch one within the rules.
Change the test time
Switching slots on the same day, and how time affects the fee.