Currently reading: DVSA website crashes as thousands try to book driving test

Learners are being offered a limited number of test slots following lockdown but there are more than 150,000 in the queue

Thousands of learner drivers have been left unable to book their practical driving test after the DVSA’s booking platform crashed as a result of extremely high levels of demand.

Driving test slots are currently being offered on a limited basis, following a four-month period during which they were unable to be carried out due to the lockdown rules. 

Learners who had a test cancelled at the beginning of lockdown were given priority to rebook from 25 July, with new candidates offered a limited number of slots on a staggered basis over the past month. 

The latest batch of test slots was due to go live on Monday 24 August but was held until this morning (Wednesday 26 August), with the DVSA claiming on Twitter: “Following problems with the driving test booking service, it is currently unavailable so we can carry out essential work.”

Almost immediately after the allocation went live at 8am, reports began to circulate of candidates’ frustration at being held in an extremely long nationwide queue with no sign of progress. When Autocar checked at 09:50am, we were placed 154,539th in the queue. 

Screenshot 2020 08 26 at 09

If candidates leave the queue or refresh the page, they will lose their place and have to rejoin at the end of the queue. 

DVSA Support tweeted: “Our customer service centre is still receiving an extremely high number of calls and emails. We're sorry for the delays in getting through. You will not be able to book a driving test if you call, email or message us on social media.”

Autocar has contacted the DVSA for comment. 

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Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years. 

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abhiram 11 March 2021

you can also find other websites which provide drivers license test To qualify Driver Knowledge Tests online

The Apprentice 26 August 2020

Utter nightmare, wasted most

Utter nightmare, wasted most of a day trying last time and virtually no one got through, how could they not have predicted that would happen?

When it came back today it was the same old site but they had hired a front end bolt on queueing system to control how many were let in at one time, by 1 minute after opening there was 30,000 in the queue. Later in the day people saw 200,000 in it.