Learner Drivers Exploited as Driving Test Booking Chaos Escalates
Right now in the UK, trying to book a driving test feels like entering a lottery—one that’s rigged against learner drivers. Due to sky-high demand and a backlog that’s reached crisis levels, a black market of sorts has emerged, where practical driving test appointments are being resold for double or even triple their original cost. It’s not technically illegal, but it is deeply unfair, and it’s causing stress, financial strain, and a real sense of desperation.
As of June 2025, the average wait time for a car driving test was over 22 weeks. That’s more than five months of uncertainty. And it’s not just about waiting—it’s about how this delay has opened the door for brokers to exploit the system. These sellers use instructor credentials or bots to block book appointments. Then, they flip those slots to desperate learners, some within days of the test date, charging £130, £250, or even £300 for a test that officially costs just £62.
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Inside WhatsApp groups and Facebook forums, slots are advertised like prized concert tickets. Messages pop up with test times in Blackburn, Bury, Didsbury—you name it—usually with very short notice. And because the waiting time is so long, learners are panic-booking months in advance, often before they’ve even started lessons, just to have something locked in.
One learner shared her experience of paying more than double for a last-minute test after waiting months. It’s not just the cost of the test either. Lessons are already expensive—£45 an hour in some areas—and failing means you not only lose the test fee, but face more lessons and more waiting. The pressure to pass is enormous because failure means starting the entire process all over again.
Driving instructors are frustrated too. They’ve seen slots vanish in seconds because bots grab them in bulk. Instructors report being approached by brokers offering money just to use their booking login credentials. It's now become a full-on business—buy low from the DVSA, sell high to desperate learners.
Despite the chaos, reselling isn’t currently against the law. The DVSA has acknowledged the problem, tightened booking terms, and is running a public consultation to consider tougher rules. They’ve banned some accounts, implemented bot protections, and warned people to only book through the official GOV.UK site.
But learners are still stuck in a cycle—book early, hope you’re ready, and pray you don’t fail. Because if you do, the price of trying again might be much more than you bargained for.
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