Quick answer: change or cancel your appointment through GOV.UK at least 10 full working days before the test if you want to protect the fee. Monday to Saturday count; Sundays and public holidays do not.
Use the official GOV.UK service
Only the learner is allowed to manage a car driving test. The official change service asks for your UK driving licence number and either the booking reference or theory-test pass certificate number. The service normally runs from 6am to 11:40pm.
Change your driving test on GOV.UK.
The 10 full working day rule
You generally need at least 10 full working days’ notice to change or cancel without losing the test fee. Do not count Sundays, public holidays or the day of the test. Use the free notice checker as a guide, then confirm the result against GOV.UK.
You have two changes
A car-test booking can be changed twice. Changing the date, time or centre, or swapping with another learner, counts as a change. Changing several appointment details together still counts as one change. If DVSA changes the test, the rules say your allowance is reset.
Nearby-centre restrictions
For a car test, you can stay at the same centre, move to one of the three nearest centres, or return to the centre first booked where that rule applies. The available centres depend on your booking, so use the official list rather than assuming a nearby location is permitted.
Read the different-centre guide.
Could a learner-to-learner swap help?
A swap may suit you if you already have a booking and another learner wants your exact slot while you want theirs. Both bookings must satisfy the notice, location, test-type, extra-time and remaining-change rules. The learners complete the official process themselves by phone; Exchange Driving Tests only checks for possible matches.
Before confirming any change
- Check that your instructor and suitable car are available.
- Confirm the new centre is permitted for your booking.
- Check the notice deadline and your remaining changes.
- Use GOV.UK directly and keep your credentials private.
- Do not treat a possible match as a guaranteed swap.