Short Answer
How instructors can stop pupils booking driving tests when they’re unavailable
From spring 2026, DVSA is changing how car driving tests are booked and managed.
Learners will need to book their own test, and instructors can use a DVSA online service to set when they’re available for tests.
To avoid double bookings, ask pupils to enter your ADI personal reference number when they book. The DVSA booking system will then hide appointments that clash with your availability (including any buffer time you set between tests).
Sources:
What’s changing in 2026 (and why instructors should act now)
DVSA is introducing new rules for car driving test bookings across England, Scotland and Wales. The goal is to reduce wasted test appointments and make booking fairer.
Here’s what matters most for instructors and driving schools:
- From 31 March 2026: learners will only be allowed to make 2 changes to a car driving test booking (date/time, centre, or swapping appointments all count as a “change”).
- From later in spring 2026: only the learner will be able to book and manage their car test on GOV.UK (instructors won’t be able to do it for them).
- From later in spring 2026: learners will only be able to move their test to nearby test centres (not anywhere in the country).
- Learners will be encouraged to use an instructor’s ADI personal reference number to help prevent double bookings.
Want the full breakdown? We also cover this in our guide:
Driving Test Booking Updates for Learner Drivers.
What you can (and can’t) set in the DVSA instructor availability system
According to DVSA’s latest guidance, instructors can set:
- Morning and afternoon hours you’re available for each day of the week
- One-off unavailable times (for example: holidays, training days, medical appointments)
- Buffer time (in minutes) needed between one test ending and the next starting
If you work for a driving school
DVSA states that anyone with access to the driving school’s business account can view and change availability settings
for all linked ADIs. That’s great for admin, but it also means you’ll want clear internal processes so changes aren’t made by mistake.
Important limitations for driving instructors to be aware of
- The DVSA booking service does not show your name when the pupil enters your reference number, so pupils should confirm the number with you before they book.
- You cannot currently see which tests pupils have booked using your reference number, so ask pupils to tell you as soon as they book.
What if a pupil books without your ADI personal reference number?
If a pupil doesn’t use your reference number, the DVSA booking system may prompt them that using it helps avoid double bookings,
but they can still book any available appointment.
That means the safest process is:
- You confirm the pupil is ready to book
- You share your ADI personal reference number
- The pupil books using the reference number
- The pupil sends you the booking confirmation (date, time, test centre)
Tip: pupils can use our guide to check everything is correct once it’s booked:
How to check your driving test date.
Changing your availability after a pupil has booked
If you later mark a time as unavailable (for example, you add an urgent appointment), the pupil’s existing booking is not automatically changed.
If you can no longer take them, you’ll need to contact your pupil to discuss next steps.
If the pupil needs to reschedule, these guides help:
How to change a driving test and
How to cancel a driving test.
How to register and access the DVSA instructor availability service
1) Register (only if you’re not already registered)
If you are not currently registered to book/manage tests for pupils, DVSA guidance says you need to register specifically to manage your availability.
You’ll need your ADI personal reference number.
Register here (official DVSA form):
Register to manage your availability (GOV.UK)
Note: if you already use the DVSA service to book and manage tests for pupils, you should not register again, use your existing sign-in details.
2) Sign in and manage your availability
You’ll need your Government Gateway user ID and password.
DVSA’s availability service is available from 6am to midnight.
Start here:
DVSA driver services (manage availability)
How this links to driving test cancellations (and how we can help)
Even with the new DVSA rules, the biggest challenge for most pupils is still the same:
finding a driving test date that’s not months away.
If your pupil already has a booking but wants an earlier test, our cancellation checker can help by searching for
DVSA driving test cancellations that match their preferred dates/times and test centres.
Instructor tip: encourage pupils to set their cancellation search preferences around the times you’re genuinely available.
That way, when an earlier slot appears, it’s far more likely to be usable.
Are you a driving instructor?
If you regularly recommend a cancellation service to pupils (especially after a fail), you can also learn more about our instructor programme:
ADI partner programme.
Other helpful guides
Need an earlier driving test date?
Try our FREE trial
or
get driving test cancellations now.