How long is the wait for a driving test at Preston?

The median wait at Preston is 18.4 weeks as of July 2026, from DVSA's own figures, which makes it the 257th shortest of the 311 centres on this site.

Can I get an earlier driving test near Preston?

Yes. Of the three centres you may legally move this test to, 3 are quicker — Blackburn with Darwen at 8.6 weeks (9.8 weeks sooner, 11.6 miles away), Blackpool at 8.9 weeks (9.5 weeks sooner, 12.8 miles away), Chorley at 12 weeks (6.4 weeks sooner, 8.9 miles away). You can also swap with another learner holding an earlier date at this centre.

Can someone book a Preston driving test cancellation for me?

No — not at Preston or anywhere else. Since 12 May 2026 it is against the law for a third party to change, cancel or swap a test on your behalf, which is why the 18.4-week wait here cannot be jumped by paying someone to watch for cancellations. Zwitch introduces two learners who each want the other's date; you complete the swap with DVSA yourselves.

Which centres can I swap a Preston test to?

DVSA allows a move to the centre you first booked at or one of the three nearest to it — for Preston those are Chorley (8.9 miles), Blackburn with Darwen (11.6 miles), Blackpool (12.8 miles).

Swap your Preston driving test for an earlier date

Chain Caul Road, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 2PD

Median wait

18.4 wks

6.5 wks longer than the 11.9-wk national median

Month on month

↑ 26%

Waits are getting longer at this centre

Slots still bookable

Of the tests released in the booking window

Preston driving test centre is a DVSA practical test centre in the North West, on Chain Caul Road.

As of July 2026 the median wait here is 18.4 weeks, 6.5 weeks longer than the 11.9-week national median — which is why learners often look to swap a driving test in Preston rather than wait it out.

Its closest alternative is Chorley, 8.9 miles away.

Preston driving test waiting times, August 2025 to July 2026

Median weeks between booking and taking a driving test at Preston. Source: DVSA table DRT122F, published monthly. Latest month: July 2026.

Median waiting time in weeks by month at Preston
Month	Median wait	Still bookable
July 2026	18.4 wks	4%
June 2026	14.6 wks	4.2%
May 2026	15.6 wks	4.1%
April 2026	16.1 wks	4.2%
March 2026	13.1 wks	4%
February 2026	13.1 wks	4.4%
January 2026	15.4 wks	3.4%
December 2025	19.3 wks	5.2%
November 2025	20.6 wks	3.3%
October 2025	21.4 wks	2.8%
September 2025	17 wks	4%
August 2025	15.9 wks	5.1%

The 3 centres you can move this test to

Since 9 June 2026, DVSA only lets you move a car test to one of your 3 nearest test centres, or the centre you first booked at. If you are booked at Preston, these are those three — measured as straight-line distance from the centre itself.

1 Chorley 8.9 miles away 12 wk wait 6.4 wks sooner 2 Blackburn with Darwen 11.6 miles away 8.6 wk wait 9.8 wks sooner 3 Blackpool 12.8 miles away 8.9 wk wait 9.5 wks sooner

Blackburn with Darwen is currently 9.8 weeks quicker than Preston. Moving a test there is allowed under the location rule, and it is one of the changes a learner-to-learner swap can achieve.

How to swap a driving test in Preston

Both of you need a spare change. Learners get 2 changes per booking, and a swap uses one each.

At least 10 full working days' notice before the earlier of the two tests.

Same test type and price band. A weekday test (£62) can only swap with another weekday test; evening, weekend and bank holiday tests (£75) swap with each other.

The location rule must work for both of you — see the three centres above.

By phone only. One of you calls DVSA, they put you on hold and call the other learner, and you both confirm. It cannot be done online, by email or over WhatsApp.

Zwitch introduces the two learners and stops there — you complete the swap with DVSA yourselves. Since 12 May 2026 it is against the law for anyone else to change, cancel or swap a test on your behalf. Never give another learner your driving licence number or booking reference.

Getting to the centre

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Address: Chain Caul Road, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 2PD
Postcode: PR2 2PD
Coordinates: 53.76091, -2.75018
Region: North West, England
Parking: Car parking spaces are available
Accessibility: You can get into the test centre in a wheelchair
Toilets: Male, female and disabled toilets are available

How Preston compares

257 of 311 centres on this site, counting up from the shortest wait.
6.3 weeks longer than the North West median of 12.1 weeks, across 31 centres. 25 centres in North West currently wait less.
DVSA made 2,786 tests available here in July 2026; 2,675 were booked — 111 went unused.
The wait has moved 26% longer across the months on record.

Questions about swapping a Preston test

How long is the wait for a driving test at Preston?: The median wait at Preston is 18.4 weeks as of July 2026, from DVSA's own figures, which makes it the 257th shortest of the 311 centres on this site.
Can I get an earlier driving test near Preston?: Yes. Of the three centres you may legally move this test to, 3 are quicker — Blackburn with Darwen at 8.6 weeks (9.8 weeks sooner, 11.6 miles away), Blackpool at 8.9 weeks (9.5 weeks sooner, 12.8 miles away), Chorley at 12 weeks (6.4 weeks sooner, 8.9 miles away). You can also swap with another learner holding an earlier date at this centre.
Can someone book a Preston driving test cancellation for me?: No — not at Preston or anywhere else. Since 12 May 2026 it is against the law for a third party to change, cancel or swap a test on your behalf, which is why the 18.4-week wait here cannot be jumped by paying someone to watch for cancellations. Zwitch introduces two learners who each want the other's date; you complete the swap with DVSA yourselves.
Which centres can I swap a Preston test to?: DVSA allows a move to the centre you first booked at or one of the three nearest to it — for Preston those are Chorley (8.9 miles), Blackburn with Darwen (11.6 miles), Blackpool (12.8 miles).

Where these numbers come from

Waiting times and availability — DVSA table DRT122F: car driving test availability by driving test centre, published monthly on the second Wednesday. Latest month in this dataset: July 2026. "Median wait" is DVSA's own measure of the middle waiting time between booking and taking a test.
Address, postcode, coordinates and facilities — the DVSA test centre list behind the GOV.UK find a driving test centre service.
Distances — great-circle distance calculated from the published coordinates. Straight-line, not driving distance.
Known limitation — the DVSA centre list lags the live GOV.UK finder, so a centre that has recently been renamed or split may appear here in its older form. Closed centres are excluded using DRT122F. Always confirm on GOV.UK before booking.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Zwitch is not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. Page data last updated 2026-08-18.