Extended driving test cost: £124 weekday, £150 weekend.
The extended test is the court-ordered retest you take after a driving disqualification of 56 days or more. The DVSA charges exactly double the standard fee because the test runs roughly twice as long. Total cost of getting back on the road including lessons and the theory retake: £600-£1,400.
- £124Weekday fee
- £150Weekend fee
- 70 minTest length
- ~50%Pass rate
Post-disqualification budget
- Provisional reapplication£34
- Theory retest£23
- Refresh lessons (15hr at £40)£600
- Extended test (weekday)£124
- Typical to back on road£781
Plus any DVLA medical-evidence costs if the original conviction involved drink, drugs or a medical episode.
Court-ordered, not DVSA-ordered.
The extended test is not something the DVSA imposes; it is something a court orders. The trigger is a disqualification of 56 days (eight weeks) or more, typically following one of these offence categories: dangerous driving (Road Traffic Act 1988 section 2), causing serious injury by dangerous driving (section 1A), causing serious injury by careless driving (section 2C), and high totting-up bans accumulated through repeated motoring offences such as speeding and using a mobile phone while driving.
The court records the requirement on your driving record. When the disqualification period ends, you cannot simply drive again on the strength of your old licence. The DVLA reinstates your full licence only after you pass the extended test and (in most cases) the theory test. Until then, you can apply for a provisional licence, take lessons with an Approved Driving Instructor or a fully qualified accompanying driver, and drive only with L-plates and an accompanying driver.
The DVSA test fee for the extended test is exactly double the standard car practical test fee. £62 weekday becomes £124, £75 evening or weekend becomes £150. The reason for the exact doubling: the extended test runs around 70 minutes of driving compared to 38 minutes for the standard test, so examiner time is roughly twice. The test is bookable through the same GOV.UK booking page as the standard test, with the extended option appearing when the DVSA has flagged the requirement on your record.
Verify the official fee at gov.uk/driving-test-cost. The court-ordered conditions are detailed at gov.uk/driving-disqualifications.
Roughly twice as long, deliberately harder route.
The extended test uses the same DVSA marking scheme as the standard practical: up to 15 driving faults (minors) allowed, one serious or one dangerous fault is an automatic fail. The differences are length and route complexity.
Standard practical: approximately 38 minutes of driving, one manoeuvre, an independent driving section of around 20 minutes using either the sat-nav or signage. Routes are drawn from local roads around the test centre and typically include one A-road section.
Extended test: approximately 70 minutes of driving, typically two manoeuvres rather than one, a longer independent driving section, and a more demanding route mix that almost always includes dual-carriageway and rural roads in addition to urban driving. The independent driving section can run 30 minutes rather than the standard 20. Examiners are instructed to give the route a mix that demands sustained concentration. Repeated minor faults in the same category are also more likely to be marked up to a serious because the longer drive gives more opportunities for the pattern to show.
Published DVSA pass rates for the extended test sit around 50%, broadly similar to the standard test. Pass rate alone is not the metric to optimise: candidates who fail the extended test have typically returned to driving after a year-or-more break and underestimate how much rust accumulates. Refresh lessons matter more than the headline pass rate.
How many refresh lessons you actually need.
The Approved Driving Instructor National Joint Council (ADINJC) surveys its members on extended-test preparation hours. The median recommendation for a returning driver who has been off the road for the typical 18-30 month disqualification period is 15-20 hours of refresh lessons, with the upper end of that range for drivers who have been off the road longer, in older drivers, or where the original offence involved a serious habit (such as routinely exceeding speed limits) that needs unlearning.
Lesson rates for extended-test preparation tend to sit at the higher end of the regional band because the instructor needs experience with the longer, more complex routes that the test uses. Most regions price extended-test refresh lessons at £38-£48 per hour, with London £45-£55. Some instructors specialise in extended-test prep and price slightly higher, justified by route familiarity and the structured curriculum they offer.
The typical 15-hour refresh course at the national median rate of £40 per hour comes to £600, plus the £124 extended test fee weekday, plus the £23 theory retake, plus the £34 provisional reapplication. The total of £781 is the median post-disqualification budget. Add £150-£300 for those needing 20-25 hours of refresh, and another £100-£250 for DVLA medical evidence if applicable.
Find an ADI experienced with extended-test prep via the DVSA's instructor search at gov.uk/find-driving-schools-and-lessons.
Extended test FAQ.
How much does the extended driving test cost?+
The DVSA charges £124 on weekdays and £150 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays. That is exactly double the standard practical test fees (£62 and £75) because the extended test is roughly twice as long. The fee is set by the DVSA and applies identically across Great Britain.
Who has to take the extended driving test?+
The extended test is court-ordered after a driving disqualification of 56 days or more. The court that imposes the ban specifies whether you must pass the extended test (sometimes called a long test or extended retest) before getting your licence back. Typically applies to dangerous driving, causing serious injury by careless driving, and totting-up bans for repeat motoring offences.
How is the extended test different from the standard practical?+
Two key differences. First, length: the extended test runs around 70 minutes on the road plus the briefing, vs 38 minutes for the standard practical. Second, route complexity: examiners use a more demanding mix of road types including more rural and dual-carriageway sections, more independent driving (with the sat-nav or signage), and more manoeuvres. The marking scheme is identical.
Do I need to retake the theory test as well?+
Usually yes. If your ban was 56 days or more, you typically have to retake both theory and practical (extended) before your licence is reinstated. The theory test fee is £23, same as for new learners. The court order will specify exactly what tests apply to your case.
Can I drive at all before taking the extended test?+
You can apply for a provisional driving licence after the disqualification period ends, which lets you take driving lessons with a fully qualified driver (or an approved driving instructor) in a car with L-plates. You cannot drive solo. You hold the provisional until you pass the extended test, at which point your full licence is reinstated.
What is the total cost of getting back on the road after a disqualification?+
Budget £600-£1,400 depending on how many extra lessons you take. Typical breakdown: provisional licence reapplication £34, theory retest £23, 10-25 lessons with an ADI familiar with extended-test preparation at £35-£45 per hour (£350-£1,125), extended practical test £124-£150, plus any DVLA medical-evidence requirements if the original offence involved drink, drugs or a medical episode.