The Economics of Paying Inflated Prices for a Driving Test
It’s a modern learner’s dilemma — do you pay over the odds for a driving test slot when you’re ready, or do you wait months and risk forgetting half of what you learned?
Let’s walk through a typical scenario and weigh up the real cost — financial and otherwise.
Scenario: You’re Starting Lessons Now
You’ve just begun your driving journey. You’re taking:
2 lessons per week
Each lesson is 2 hours
After 10 weeks, you’re test ready
That’s 40 hours of training, the golden benchmark most learners need.
Option 1: Book the Test the Official Way (£62)
The Problem?
DVSA’s average wait time: 14–24 weeks
Let’s say your wait is 14 weeks after you’re test ready
What Happens?
You start to lose your edge
Confidence dips, clutch control rusts, mirror-signal-manoeuvre becomes mirror-signal-maybe
You now need top-up lessons:
4 x 2-hour sessions to stay sharp
£80 each = £320
Total Cost:
Test fee: £62
Top-up lessons: £320
Total: £382
Time cost: 14 weeks of waiting
Option 2: Pay £250 for a Short Notice Test from a Reseller
Yes, it’s painful. Yes, it’s unfair. But it might save you time and money.
What Happens?
You’re test ready in 10 weeks
You sit your test in Week 11–12 thanks to a short-notice slot
No need for extra lessons
Total Cost:
Test: £250
Top-ups: £0
Total: £250
Time cost: 2 weeks waiting (max)
Is It Legal? Yes. Is It Moral? No.
The third-party resellers are making huge profits. They use bots to hoover up test slots the second they appear, then flip them for hundreds of pounds.
The DVSA? They’re silent. They still sell every test. The money still rolls in. There’s no incentive to stop the exploitation.
Lernin Driving School doesn’t support it, but we’re realists. If we don’t help you secure a test when you need it, you’ll go to someone who will.
So yes — we can facilitate the purchase of short-notice tests. But:
We do not profit from this
You sign a contract acknowledging the risks
We accept no liability if the test is cancelled or fails to materialise
What Can Go Wrong?
DVSA cancels due to weather, strikes, examiner illness = You get rescheduled, no loss
You cancel due to illness, anxiety, etc. = You lose your money
A test bought for £250 via a third-party? That’s your risk. That’s your loss. A test booked by your instructor for £62? If it’s their fault it gets cancelled — they make it right.
Pros and Cons
Booking the Official Way (£62)
Pros:
Cheaper
Safer (DVSA handles it directly)
Instructor can assist/rebook if needed
Cons:
Long wait times
More lessons needed to stay sharp
Delays job applications, uni prep, independence
Using a Reseller (£200–£250)
Pros:
Shorter wait = test while you’re still sharp
Potentially saves you money in the long run
Less stress over “losing progress”
Cons:
Much more expensive
No refunds if you pull out
Entirely reliant on third-party integrity
Immoral system that feeds scalping
Conclusion: What’s Best?
It’s a balancing act.
If you can afford to wait and keep driving — do it the right way. Stick to the DVSA channel, save money, and keep your conscience clear.
If life’s pushing you to pass sooner — uni, job deadlines, travel — and the test-ready window is open now, then paying for a short-notice slot might actually cost you less than the months of extra tuition needed to stay fresh.
At Lernin, we’ll support whatever choice works for you — but we’ll never pretend the system isn’t broken. It is.
Just don’t feed the beast if you don’t have to.