Driving test in bad weather: cancellations, rebooking and driving in the rain

Which weather stops a driving test

GOV.UK says tests aren't carried out in dangerous conditions and gives icy roads, flooding, thick fog and high winds as examples. Examiner guidance adds snow, and asks examiners to weigh public safety, your health and safety and theirs, and whether the conditions still allow a fair assessment of your driving. They may inspect the routes before deciding.

Decisions can change through the day. If conditions look likely to improve, examiners tell people with later appointments to check again, so a cancelled morning doesn't always mean the afternoon is off.

On the morning of a wintry test

1. Check conditions early, both near home and around the test centre.
2. Call the test centre if the roads are icy or flooded, or it's foggy or very windy. The number is on your booking confirmation email.
3. Don't gamble on the journey. The Highway Code says not to drive in icy or snowy weather unless the journey is essential. If the centre is open but the roads near you are too dangerous, phone and leave a message: examiner guidance says the test should then be postponed and rebooked without charge.
4. If you arrive and testing is off, expect a new appointment to be sent to you automatically.
5. If you do drive, clear the car properly: every window cleared of snow and ice, lights and number plates clean and legible, mirrors clear and windows demisted.

Rebooking, your change limit and money

When a test can't go ahead because of the weather, the next available date is booked for you automatically and the details follow within 3 working days, or up to 7 if the bad weather goes on. You can change that date if it doesn't suit you.

• Your 2 changes are protected. Changes that have to be made to your test, for example because of bad weather, don't count towards the limit, and you're reset to having 2 changes available.
• No expenses for weather. You can't claim out-of-pocket costs, such as an instructor's fee or unpaid time off work, when bad weather or poor light cancels a test.
• Short-notice cancellations for other reasons are different. If a test is cancelled at short notice because, for example, the examiner is unwell, you can apply for a refund of out-of-pocket expenses.
• If the problem is you or the car, such as feeling unwell or a breakdown, you have to book and pay for another test.

Our post on driving test cancellations covers short-notice cancellations and costs in more detail.

If the test goes ahead in rain, wind or low sun

Examiners expect you to adapt, and several common faults are weather faults in disguise:

• Controls: not switching on the wipers when it starts to rain, or not demisting the windscreen when needed, is marked under ancillary controls.
• Following distance: not adjusting your gap in rain, ice or fog is a listed fault. The Highway Code says stopping distances are at least double on wet roads, and the two-second gap should be at least doubled.
• Speed: not lowering your speed in heavy rain or fog is one of GOV.UK's examples under 'use of speed', which is among the top 10 reasons for failing.
• Lights: you must use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you can't see more than 100 metres, and fog lights must be switched off once visibility improves.
• Wind: gusts on exposed roads, at bridges and at gaps in hedges can push a car, a cyclist or a motorcyclist off course, so leave extra room when passing them and expect turbulence near large vehicles.
• Low sun: if you're dazzled, slow down, and stop if you need to.

The vehicle safety questions overlap too. The 'show me' question could ask you to demist the front windscreen, set the rear demister or wash the windscreen while you drive, and a 'tell me' question can cover switching on the rear fog lights and when to use them.

Practise for the weather before test day

GOV.UK's advice to supervising drivers is to practise in a range of conditions, such as rain and wind, but not in severe weather unless the journey is essential. A simple plan:

• Learn where every control is: wipers, washers, front and rear demisters, dipped headlights and fog lights.
• Take at least one practice drive in steady rain and one at dusk.
• Make a four-second gap your habit on wet roads, then adjust for traffic and visibility.
• Practise moving off and stopping smoothly on wet surfaces, where harsh braking shows up quickly.
• On a breezy day, drive an exposed stretch with your supervisor and notice how the car reacts; our post on driving in crosswinds explains what to do.

SteerClear's drive scoring looks at braking, cornering, speed and smoothness, so a wet practice drive shows quickly whether you're adapting, and drive replay lets you and your supervisor go over it afterwards. SteerClear is independent and isn't affiliated with GOV.UK or the examiners. For technique, see our guide to driving in rain, fog and ice; for practice rules, the supervising a learner driver guide; and for the rest of test day, the practical driving test guide.