Driving Test Cancellations - Keeping Up To Date With Driving Tests And COVID-19
Currently in the UK, drastic measures are being put in place to help stop the spread of coronavirus. After the The World Health Organization declared the virus a pandemic on the 11th March 2020, the government has proceeded to put in place rules and regulations with the aim of keeping people safe and saving lifes. All businesses in the UK have now been deemed either essential or non-essential and people are being asked to work from home if possible.
Due to social distancing rules, like the majority of other things here in the UK, both theory and practical driving tests have been affected by COVID-19. Lots of people are having their tests cancelled, postponed or rearranged due to test centres having to close. If you had a test booked then you may be wondering when you’ll be able to rebook for, whilst this is still unclear at this moment in time, to help anyone wanting to keep up to date with the driving test situation, we have put together a guide to the current situation during COVID-19.
Up to date information on driving tests
Currently, the information you are greeted with when you look on the GOV website after searching for driving tests is “Theory tests are suspended for one month, and driving tests are suspended for up to 3 months due to coronavirus - but tests are available for critical workers.”. This information applies to all types of theory tests, driving tests and also approved driving instructor standards checks too.
Theory tests
When looking at each test individually, theory tests work slightly differently to practical driving tests. At this moment in time, all theory tests have been suspended up to and including the 20th April 2020. If you had a test booked then you should receive an email to say that your booked test has been cancelled and you will also automatically get a refund too.
If your test has been cancelled then it is down to you to book a new theory test. You can choose any date after the 20th April 2020. You can currently also book, change or cancel any tests that you have booked for the 21st April 2020 onwards, so don’t worry if you need to make any amendments in this regard.
Car practical tests
As far as practical tests are concerned, the information is slightly different. These have been suspended for up to 3 months and will automatically be rebooked for you. You will receive an email around 2 weeks before your original test date, this email will tell you the time and date of your new test. You can expect these dates to be around 3 months after your original test date.
If you want to cancel your driving test then you can do so and you will get a full refund. All of you need to is email the DVSA including;
- Your full name
- Your driving licence number
- Your theory test pass certificate number
- Your driving test booking reference
Other practical tests
All other tests, such as motorcycle tests and lorry tests, will automatically be cancelled and you will receive a full refund for these. Similarly to the theory tests, it is then your responsibility to book another test when you’re able to do so.
Booking a future driving test
At this moment in time, no one is able to book a new practical driving test. When the test centres open again anyone whose test had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 will be given priority. You may find that this will mean you have to wait longer than usual to book a test and at this moment in time, the DVSA and the DVLA aren’t sure how much this will affect test times and what the wait will be.
Unfortunately, if your theory test certificate is going to expire soon and you’re unable to get a practical test in time, you will need to resit your theory. Legally, the date on these certificates can’t be extended no matter what the circumstances are. So, you may find yourself in a situation where you need to book and pay for another theory test in order to be able to take your practical test. Remember, you need to pass your new theory test before you can book your practical too.
Claiming expenses for cancelled tests
You may be surprised to hear that you can actually apply for a refund for any out-of-pocket expenses. Of course there are some conditions to this and the main thing to be aware of is that you can only claim if your theory test or driving test was cancelled with less than 3 working days’ notice. In this case, working days do not include Sundays or public holidays.
The amount that you’re able to claim for will differ depending on your circumstances. However, you can expect this application to cover things such as the amount you’ve had to pay to your instructor for the test, any travel arrangements and, also, any loss of earnings from taking time off to take the test. You will find this application on the GOV website.
Getting a driving test ASAP
It goes without saying that if you had a test planned and it has now been cancelled then you will want to get this re-booked as soon as possible. As mentioned above, when booking systems are back up and running you can expect long waiting times for practical tests and many people will be booking the first date they can get their hands on.
Of course, even if things are incredibly busy in this regard, you can still expect people to be cancelling their new dates and times so, it is beneficial to keep an eye out for cancellations. Especially if you need to get your driving test completed as soon as possible. You can expect a lot of people to be in the same boat as you though and you will need to be online at the right time in order to get a cancellation that works well for you.
Thankfully, here at Earlier Driving Test, we can help you to book an earlier driving test. We have an incredibly effective system that works well for all of our clients and we have successfully found thousands of practical test cancellations for clients in the past. Simply put, we will do all of the hard work for you, we will find a suitable driving test cancellation, reservse it for you and then notify you immediately. If this date and time works well for you then we will book it for you too.
If you have any questions at all about how our services work and how we can book a cancellation driving test for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today. You can call us directly on 0207 112 4870 or 07707 045982 and we will happily assist you further. Our experienced team will talk you through exactly how we work as a company.
You can trust that our team is constantly keeping updated with any new developments regarding COVID-19 and driving tests so, we are able to start helping our clients again as soon as possible. Whilst our services as a ‘driving test finder’ will not be able to offer anyone any earlier tests until further notice, you can trust that as soon as we are able to we will do all we can to get you a driving test cancellation. Rest assured that if you’re an existing customer with us, then the service we provide you is currently paused and will restart automatically once driving tests are available again.