Euan's Brilliant Learners

21/10/2026

Massive thank you Nicola Niven for your fantastic gifts and your coffee and cakes this morning, also for your lovely words in my card. You have been amazing to sit beside on every drive we have had, what a journey it has been. I am so proud to have taken you through this last journey and for you to end it all with your full driving licence. Thanks Euan 😀

21/10/2026

Absolutely buzzing for this young lady who only went and passed her driving test, this morning in a very wet and dark Kirkcaldy. Well deserved Nicola Niven. Good luck with your car shopping and stay safe out there.

17/10/2026

13/10/2026

Congratulations to this lovely young lady Kayley Hughes who only went and passed her driving test today in Kirkcaldy. I can only imagine how this is going to change your life. Enjoy it and stay safe. Thanks Euan 😀

07/10/2026

“DRIVING LESSONS ARE EXPENSIVE.”

Funny how an hour with a driving instructor gets treated like we’ve quoted for a private jet, when plenty of other professional services cost similar money.

Every profession on a list deserves to earn a living. Hairdressers, nail technicians, riding instructors, trainers you’re paying for their skills, equipment, experience and business costs.
Driving instructors deserve that same understanding.
Except our workplace moves.
We sit beside someone who is still learning to control a vehicle, while sharing the road with people who passed years ago and apparently consider mirrors an optional accessory.

We’re watching the learner, the junction, the pedestrian, the cyclist and the driver behind who thinks an L plate is a personal insult.
We’re explaining, reassuring, anticipating and deciding whether to intervene, sometimes all within a few seconds.
We put our own safety on the line every working day.
“Yes, but you’re just sitting there.”

So is an airline pilot.
Presumably you’d prefer them to keep doing their job.

Your lesson fee pays for far more than our time.
There’s the tuition car, fuel, specialist insurance, servicing, tyres, repairs, training and the running costs of a business.
The amount you pay is not the amount we take home.

After 14 years, you’re also paying for the experience to spot a situation developing before you even realise there’s something to spot.
I teach people to drive for life.
To make safe decisions when my seat is empty and their family is in the car.

You’re allowed to have a budget. Of course you are.
But please stop confusing “more than I want to pay” with “not worth it”.

Just tell me you can’t afford me.
You don’t need to devalue my profession to explain your budget. 😉
Your welcome to share your thoughts 💭

30/09/2026

A welcome change i think from the DVSA.

Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency

From 1 October, the process for how learner drivers can swap their driving test is changing.

The change will remove the need for learners to coordinate their availability and will make the process smoother and less stressful.

What's changing
To request a swap, the first learner driver will still need to call DVSA. The second learner will then need to call DVSA on the same working day to confirm they're happy with the swap.

We can only process the swap if both learners call DVSA on the same working day.

Previously, both learners needed to be available at the same time to make the swap.

Please make your pupils aware of this change.

Thank you.

16/09/2026

21 September 2026 1 March 2027
28 September 2026 8 March 2027
5 October 2026 15 March 2027
12 October 2026 22 March 2027
19 October 2026 29 March 2027
26 October 2026 5 April 2027
2 November 2026 12 April 2027
9 November 2026 19 April 2027
Recent appointment releases

Release date Tests available for the week beginning
14 September 2026 22 February 2027
7 September 2026 15 February 2027
31 August 2026 8 February 2027
24 August 2026

31/08/2026

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Car driving tests
Guidance
Driving test appointments: release dates and finding earlier tests
Find out when driving test appointments are released, when to search for earlier tests, and how long people wait to take the test.

From:
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Published:
28 August 2026
Last updated:
31 August 2026 — See all updates
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Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Contents
Upcoming appointment releases
Recent appointment releases
Finding an earlier driving test appointment
What you need to know about booking driving tests
Service availability
Waiting times
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Appointments are currently available until 14 February 2027

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) releases a new week of driving test appointments at 6am every Monday (including on bank holidays).

These appointments are 24 weeks in the future.

Earlier driving test appointments are not released at 6am on Mondays. They can become available at any time during the week.

Upcoming appointment releases
Release date Tests available for the week beginning
7 September 2026 15 February 2027
14 September 2026 22 February 2027
21 September 2026 1 March 2027
28 September 2026 8 March 2027
5 October 2026 15 March 2027
12 October 2026 22 March 2027
19 October 2026 29 March 2027
26 October 2026 5 April 2027
Recent appointment releases
Release date Tests available for the week beginning
31 August 2026 8 February 2027
24 August 2026 1 February 2027
17 August 2026 25 January 2027
10 August 2026 18 January 2027
Finding an earlier driving test appointment
Earlier appointments are not released when new appointments are added at 6am on Monday.

Earlier appointments can become available at any time when:

someone cancels their driving test
someone changes their driving test appointment
DVSA adds additional examiner availability
There is no best time to look for an earlier appointment.

If you already have a driving test booked and want an earlier appointment, keep checking the service to change your driving test appointment.

6am on Mondays
You may be placed in a queue when the service is busy.

The queue is usually longest when appointments 24 weeks away are released at 6am on Mondays.

If you are looking for an appointment sooner than 24 weeks away, there is no benefit in joining the queue at 6am on Monday.

Joining the queue at 6am on Mondays if you do not want a test 24 weeks away increases the queuing time for people who want a test then.

How often you can search
You should not repeatedly search the service over a short period.

Do not use more than one device to try and access the service at the same time.

If you search too often, you may:

receive a ‘search limit reached’ message
be temporarily unable to search again
receive an Error 15 message
Find out what to do if you see these error messages.

What you need to know about booking driving tests
Once you select a driving test appointment and accept the timing warning, you have 15 minutes to complete your booking.

The appointment might no longer be available if you do not complete your booking within this time.

The service will sign you out if you are inactive for 30 minutes.

There is no waiting list at most driving test centres
There is no waiting list or cancellation list for driving tests at most test centres.

At some test centres which do not open every day, you might have the option to put your test ‘on hold’. This means that DVSA will try and find a suitable date for you. They will tell you by email if they find one.

You will be be shown this option if it’s available at the test centre you want to take your test at.

DVSA cannot send notifications
DVSA cannot notify you when new or earlier appointments become available.

Contacting DVSA will not help you get an earlier appointment
DVSA customer service agents cannot create new appointments. They can only see the same appointments you can book in the booking service.

Service availability
The online service is available from 6am to 11:40pm, 7 days a week.

Planned maintenance
At times, the service may be unavailable because planned maintenance work is taking place.

There is currently no planned maintenance.

Waiting times
Half of all learners who took a test in July 2026 waited no more than
11.1 weeks

This figure is updated monthly and is based on learners who took their driving test during the previous calendar month.

Published 28 August 2026
Last updated 31 August 2026 — Show all updates
Get emails about this page
Print this page
Contents
Related content
Book your driving test
Change your driving test appointment
Detailed guidance
Book and manage your driving test: problems accessing the service
Changes to driving test booking rules in 2026
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Car driving tests
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