HI all has anyone heard of Saturday tests being refused unless all the Monday to Friday tests have been sold ? I have e mailed the dsa to ask this question but it was outside of office hours so I must wait for them to reply I wondered if anyone else has heard of this ? 
aceman
Never heard of that one 
Most of my tests were Saturday tests, they cost more but they are there for those who cant make it during the week due to working commitments etc.
Thanks firebird maybe it is local policy or my office telling me a load of cobblers I will try to find out some more about it aceman
We heard only this week that the DSA are considering stopping Saturday tests altogether.
It seems that the examiners get paid double time on Saturdays and the DSA are not happy with having to pay this for Saturday tests when all the weekday tests are not filled.
I can understand that at this time of year which is notoriously quiet, that the examiners may be sat doing nothing at times during the week, but under normal circumstances we have to take Saturday tests because all the weekday ones are filled
We got this info from one of the examiners at the test centre so will watch and see what happens.
Saturday tests are a valuable asset, as for those of us who work during the week, can take our tests on a Saturday.
Or that the course we are on finishes on a Friday with the test Saturday, saving losing a whole days paid training.
To me i believe that Saturday tests should always be available regardless, i have paid more for my weekend tests than a weekday test therefore, the DSA make more money to pay the examiners to work that Saturday.
The day they stop this will be a very sad day for anyone who does not have freetime to fit in a weekday test, and limit those who can take test. 
Last week on Friday afternoon we received a phone call from the DSA cancelling all Saturdays tests, because all other tests during the week were cancelled, so they would not pay the examiners overtime as they had not conducted any tests during the week.
It may be Friday the 13th but because of the above and examiners going sick today is the first day this month we have conducted any tests giving us a backlog of twelve tests.
Whilst this backlog creates us with a logistics problem it plays havoc with peoples lives (not to mention costs time off work etc) and to cancel tests because they don’t want to pay overtime when the customer has paid a premium for a Saturday test is totally unacceptable.
We accept that tests cannot be conducted in bad weather and are not for one moment suggesting they should be.
if you feel the same do as we and our customers are doing and write to the DSA and address your letter to Rosemary Tew.
I think the d s a should at least issue a statement about Saturday test and I think that they need reminding that they are supposed to be offering the public a service.In the case of re tests it is better for candidates to do them on a saturday because they do not have to have more time off work with even more ex pence to them.I have sent the d s a an e mail asking them about Saturday test but could we not send them an open letter? I don’t know how to go about doing that but would not have a problem writing it.Any thoughts? aceman
don’t forget not all examiners want to work saturdays, its only those that want the overtime.
Most people dont want to work Saturdays but they have to and are compensated by charging higher amounts for tests on this day.
They then get paid more for working that Saturday.
If you dont want to work Saturdays dont join the job that requires it, or if you find you have to find another job that does not.
And the pass rate on Saturday tests is very intresting.
Not that the pass rates are available but all you instructors know what i mean…
well i would think pass rates would be higher on a saturday, i’ve been driving the same roads the last four afternoons this week (12.30-4.30) and my test was 10.15 on saturday and the saturday was such an easy drive compared to the rest of the week. Very little traffic! Although that does mean you spend less time stuck in traffic so more time moving, more time moving = more junctions so more oppertunities to lose points. Guess its swings & roundabouts
26 years an Lgv Trainer:
And the pass rate on Saturday tests is very intresting.Not that the pass rates are available but all you instructors know what i mean…
Certainly do 
or did anyway dont know if things have changed
Used to be a lot shorter as well
After a little more ‘grilling’ of the examiners, it seems that - at our test centre at least - there is very little call for the 8 15 tests so the examiners are sitting there until the 10 am test twiddling their thumbs - and getting paid for it - so the DSA would rather fill the early morning weekday tests and cancel the Saturday tests.
However, the examiners themselves have got their union onto it as an illegal move.
They say they are offering a public service and the argument is that not everybody can either take or afford a day off work during the week to take a test.
Lets see what pans out now.
Why don’t they do away with the early tests and then there would be more Saturday tests. the d s a clearly have not thought this through properly and as always they do not ask for the opinion of those that it effects .TIPICLE aceman
The examiners at Peterborough were given a choice about test times and they asked for a test at 8:15. This is not popular with those of us who have to travel a distance to the test centre as it means a very early start, therefore the take up of that test time is low - we only take that time if there is no other choice.
Data Academy wrote:-
if you feel the same do as we and our customers are doing and write to the DSA and address your letter to Rosemary Tew.
Its Rosemary Thew actually. Although she is the ‘boss’ of the DSA, IMHO I think she is more of a civil servant rather than a ‘driving’ person.
Smart Mart:
The examiners at Peterborough were given a choice about test times and they asked for a test at 8:15. This is not popular with those of us who have to travel a distance to the test centre as it means a very early start, therefore the take up of that test time is low - we only take that time if there is no other choice.Data Academy wrote:-
if you feel the same do as we and our customers are doing and write to the DSA and address your letter to Rosemary Tew.
Its Rosemary Thew actually. Although she is the ‘boss’ of the DSA, IMHO I think she is more of a civil servant rather than a ‘driving’ person.
Again the DSA are bending over backwards to please their staff instead og their customers. Would this happen in any other industry?
It is time that the DSA is privatised!!
burnie1:
Again the DSA are bending over backwards to please their staff instead og their customers. Would this happen in any other industry?It is time that the DSA is privatised!!
Better still - allow competition.
The 08:15 tests are not popular with anyone.
But the 08:45 test was popular as it always seemed to be the quiet time on the road. BY the time the reversing and braking exercise was done the learner would be starting the road drive at around 09:00 and the density of traffic goes pretty light for about an hour.
Saturday tests always seemed to avoid the busy routes and as already stated they always seem to finnish early …
In my opinion the best test would be.
1/ Any Saturday Test
2/ 08:45
3/ 1030
4/ 13:00
The last Tests are normally the busiest and after a days training the students are normally tired / over worked.
It’ a shame you can not get pass percentages on the times the tests are taken
As for The Dsa bieng privatised that would bring in the corrupt people.
And to many people presume by booking a course they will pass…
Driving courses ( Test’s ) are not attendance only courses.
I always preferred the first test of the day.
The trainee was always fresh and not had time to get too nervous.
Got it over and done with
and as we were always on job and finish I always sulked if I did not get the first test of the day then get home by lunch time. 
Again the DSA are bending over backwards to please their staff instead og their customers
Canot agree with this. The examiners themselves LOVE Saturday tests as they are double time paid.
It is the examiners who have asked their union to fight this (as I said in my earlier post.)
It is the DSA who want the weekday tests filling first.
As for which is the best test to have I never found any test time or day any different.
If the trainee was a good driver then he/she passed of not then there was a fail.
Its the driving that counts not the time of day or day of the week.