If your Driving Test is booked during the Autumn and Winter months, there’s an increase in the chances of it being cancelled due to bad driving conditions.
In adverse weather conditions, such as icy roads and heavy snow, The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will not conduct Practical Driving Tests as this could seriously affect the safety of you and the examiner.

If you have your Driving Test booked and bad weather has been forecasted, you should follow the advice given on your appointment email or letter.

You should only call your test centre if there is snow or ice in your local area on the day of your test.

Driving Tests cancelled in bad weather – when to call the test centre

If you have your test booked for early in the morning, you should call the test centre as soon as you can that morning.

Please don’t call the day before as they will not be able to tell you if your test will go ahead.

If your test is in the afternoon you will need to contact the test centre later that morning.

If you call your local test centre and nobody answers, and the weather conditions aren’t looking too bad, it may be that the examiners are either checking the local roads to see if tests can go ahead, or are conducting Driving Tests because the conditions are suitable.

However, this isn’t a guarantee that your test will go ahead, so please keep trying to contact your local test centre, or if you can’t get any answer make sure you turn up for your test in plenty of time.

If the decision has been made to cancel your test you must remember that this is for your own safety. Do not be angry. Driving in bad weather is difficult for everyone, and trying to take a Practical Driving Test on icy roads is not recommended!

Cancelled driving tests in bad weather

If your Driving Test is cancelled due to the bad weather, the DVSA will automatically arrange for another test date for you, but you will not be covered for any out of pocket expenses.

A new appointment date is usually sent within 3 working days, but this may take up to seven days when there’s a period of prolonged bad weather.

When does the DVSA give a refund for cancelled Driving Tests?

It is possible to apply for a refund to the DVSA ONLY if your Driving Test is cancelled with less than 3 clear working days’ notice, and meets certain criteria.

For instance, you can claim for any standard pay or earnings you lost through taking unpaid leave for the test.

You may also claim a set rate per mile to travel to and from the test centre if you use your own vehicle.

The full details of what and how you can make a claim are available on the gov.uk website so please check there if you think you’re owed compensation.