From 16 July in England, DVSA will send emails to practical car test candidates whose tests were put on hold due to coronavirus to invite them to choose a new date and time for their test.
Critical workers will receive an email to invite them to rebook their tests today (15 July).
Both emails will include a link to book a new test date as the candidate booking system remains closed. This link will only work for people who have been invited to rebook their test.
When DVSA emails candidates whose tests were put on hold due to lockdown, it will initially invite around 10,000 each day, split in batches to spread out demand on the service. All available appointments will be shown on the online service. Do not contact DVSA customer service centre as they will not be able to book any alternative test slots.
It’s important that you speak to your pupils before they rebook their tests to make sure:
- They are ready to take their test
- You are available to take them
As examiners will only be at test centres when they have a test booked, DVSA has increased the minimum notice period for booking a test from 60 minutes to 10 hours.
All candidates must wear a face covering when taking their driving test, unless they have a good reason not to. This includes if:
- They have a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability that means they cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering
- Putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause them severe distress
When they arrange their test, they’ll need to say if there’s a good reason they cannot wear a face covering. The email will tell them how to do this.
12 thoughts on “Rebooking of practical car tests opens 16 July in England”
If a student has applied for an emergency test some time ago, having had their test date postponed, will they receive an emergency test e mail AND an e mail for their postponed test?
I have 2 students in this situation, who do not want to take an emergency test unless it’s at the local test centre.
Please advise
If they booked a key worker test after their test was postponed, the postponed test will be cancelled because it is not possible to book two tests on the same driver number.
I have tests cancelled on 17th and 19th March which have not had links sent yet but have had links sent for tests cancelled the following week. They are not being sent out in date order or only tests cancelled from the beginning of lock down i.e. 23rd March are being dealt with in this manner.
I also have not heard about re-arranged tests for 17 & 18 March whereas a colleague has a re-arranged test from 20/3. The re-arrangement cannot just be from lockdown date.
Same here, two pupils with tests booked on 18th March cancelled because of examiner Illness that haven’t heard anything? I was expecting them to be the first candidates contacted?
Yes, and I received my first email today. unfortunately it was for someone that I have never heard of. I wonder how many other people are going to be sent the booking details of someone they do not teach. A cock up on a huge scale is about to unfold I think.
My local test centre has no availability (Banbury). But other test centres 20 Miles away have! Surely DVSA arent now going to expect candidates to travel to unfamiliar test centres after having been messed about so badly by the DVSA who have been on full.pay all this time!
I had a pupil who was due to take his test on the Friday of lockdown. He received another test date for end of June and this was also postponed. I was expecting him to receive an email link to rebook his test either on the 16th or 17th because he was one of the earliest candidates effected but he still has not received a link and we have no one to contact For reassurance? Some feedback on how rebooking of tests is progressing would be good.
I too had a cancellation on Thursday 19th March and thought this was the first day of cancellations so expect to be one of the first emails sent. Told the pupil to look out for email from 13th July (as per DVSA’s originally statement!). To date, nothing received!
I’m the same as most of these frustrated instructors, ie test cancelled 19th March.You would think this pupil would be high on the list of people getting a email to re- book, but they like the rest of my pupils have not got any emails yet. The frustrating thing is we carnt do anything about.? Just makes us instructors look a bit foolish when we are trying to relay information from the DVSA.
I also had a pupil who’s test was cancelled on the 18th March ( test cancelled on the day) no notice and she has heard nothing, but 1 of my pupils booked a test yesterday 19th July at Nelson T C for the 21st August. What is going on! how am i going to explain this to her.
I had a pupil get a test which he attended yesterday, and he says he didnt tell them he was a critical worker,( although he does work for the utilities) none of my other on hold pupils including one whoose test has already been resheduled twice have yet to recieve emails. I also have one booked for 23rd july who hasnt heard, worried that hasnt been resheduled.