These go fastest of all
A short notice test is a date somebody gave up days before they were due to take it.
They're the hardest dates to catch and the easiest to lose, because the learners who get them are the ones ready to say yes on the spot. This page is about being that learner.
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Could you take a test next week?
Before chasing a last minute date, run through this. If you can't tick all five, a short notice test may cost you a fee rather than a licence.
- You're driving at test standard now, not "nearly there". The test doesn't get easier because the date came free.
- You have a car for the day. Your instructor's car, or one that's insured for the test and roadworthy.
- Your instructor can cover it, or you know you're going without them.
- Your licence is with you and valid. No licence, no test, no refund.
- You can drop what you're doing. Work or college may need a day's notice.
If it goes wrong, the wait restarts. After a failed test you have to choose a date at least 10 working days away, and at a busy centre the next free one can be months out.
How last minute dates appear
Nobody plans to give up a test date. People fall ill, cars fail, nerves get the better of them, and life gets in the way. When that happens the date goes straight back on the booking service, often only a few days before it was due to be taken.
There's no list to join and no warning. They surface at any hour and vanish quickly, because the learners waiting months for a date are all looking at once.
Where short notice dates turn up most
Two things make a last minute date more likely: a busy centre, because more tests mean more people dropping out, and a centre where the wait is already short. At the moment the quickest centres in the country are Monmouth, Aberfeldy, Dumfries, and all 316 are listed on our waiting times table.
It's also worth telling us about more than one centre you could reach. Two centres roughly doubles what we can watch for you.
How we handle short notice dates
- You tell us the months you can do, and any dates that are no good.
- We watch for dates at your centre, including the ones that come free days before.
- We message you the moment we find one, by SMS and WhatsApp, and ring you if it's only days away.
- You reply YES or NO. No is fine, we keep looking, and you only pay once you've taken one.
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Questions about short notice tests
What counts as a short notice driving test?
Anything that comes free at the last minute, usually inside the next week or two, and sometimes for the following day. They appear when somebody cancels close to their test date.
Can I get a driving test tomorrow?
Occasionally, yes, but only if a date happens to come free and you're ready to take it. The learners who get them are the ones who can say yes immediately and already have a car sorted.
Do I need to be test ready to take one?
Yes, and it's worth being honest with yourself. A date that arrives before you're ready is a wasted fee and another 10 working day wait before you can retake.
Will my instructor's car be free at short notice?
That's the usual sticking point. Ask your instructor now what notice they need and which days they could cover, so you know what you can accept before a date turns up.
How will I know when one comes up?
We send an SMS and a WhatsApp message, and for a date only days away we ring you as well, because those go quickest of all. You reply YES to take it or NO to keep looking.
Is a short notice test the same as a fast track test?
No. There's no fast track queue and no way to jump ahead. It's the same test on a date somebody else gave up.
Related pages
- Driving test cancellations: how they work
- Cancellation checkers and apps
- Rebook or reschedule your test
- Waiting times at every test centre