NCT appointments appear to be Nov or later.

Sam Russell

I want to NCT my car but am getting dates in Nov for my local test centre.

What is the best way of getting a closer time slot?

bop1977

ring them

watchclocker

You just scroll down the page past the offered test dates to this message and click on priority list. You'll have an appointment within two weeks.

elperello

Try at about 11.30 pm on the website

jj880

What we do is 6 months before NCT due date we look for an NCT just inside 90 days before due date. This way if car passes we get a new NCT cert based on NCT due date. If we fail for anything major at least there's 3 months to decide between getting it sorted and retry NCT or taking our time to get a good deal on a replacement car.

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122475721#Comment_122475721

Unfortunately, I need it this month. Next time, I will try that.

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122475747#Comment_122475747

Yeah thats what I was aiming at for future years. Prevention better than cure. Can be a proper pain in the hole if you get caught short close to due date. Ive had to travel 180km before 😵‍💫.

Sam Russell

The NCT should have a turn up system if you take your chance at a reasonable chance of being accommodated.

watchclocker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122475803#Comment_122475803

I've read on here that some centres do allow that. Never done it myself though.

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122475803#Comment_122475803

Or a VIP service where you can pay €150 to get it same day anywhere 😁.

JVince

Wife went on the priority list about 2 weeks ago as it expired at end of July

Got email last week with a date and payment link.

Nct today (passed)

Trampas

Last week I got an appointment for 2 days time in naas. Book it during the night and you’ll always get one in a few days somewhere

Trampas

Last week I got an appointment for 2 days time in naas. Book it during the night and you’ll always get one in a few days somewhere

natexornate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122475691#Comment_122475691

This has worked for me, one time at the closest centre, and one time nothing showed there so I went a bit farther. But yeah just get to the booking page and keep checking the centre(s) that work. The times that showed up were 3-5 days in the future.

appledrop

Have you flexibility about your centre? All the Dublin ones were booked out for months for mine last year, but as others said I went on around 11pm at night and tried Drogheda centre and got one no problem for about two weeks later.

It was only a very small centre which was brilliant I was in and out in about 20 mins compared with amount of time it usually takes at Fonthill or Ballymun one.

Sam Russell

Last time, I went as far as Tuam, which was the only one I could find before the NCT ran out. I live in Dublin 4, and normally use Deansgrange, so a long way, but Tuam was OK because have a friend near there, and a nice drive.

The Continental Op

I tested my own car just over a month ago from booking to test cert issued under 12 hours. My wifes car took a little longer think it took 36 hours.

Check from about 10.40 till 11.40pm and keep refreshing - do it while browsing/posting here. You should get a test within a week. Helps to try more than one test center, I'm between two which helps with the option of a longer drive to a third. Also watch out some test centers test 24 hours a day so a booking like I had for my car of 02:00 is 2AM in the morning.

Flinty997

I just wait and use the priority list everytime now.

All the other tricks stopped working years ago for me.

SVI40

Phone them and the SLA is within 4 weeks.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122475962#Comment_122475962

That's it.

I should have said get the car prepared and ready for the test before you go online.

You could get a time for as early as the next day.

The Continental Op

You could get a time for as early as the next day.

Booked about 23:30 Sunday night for a test 02:00 Monday. Booking showed up sometime before 23:00 but I thought it was a mistake until I checked and discovered the Youghal center tests 24 hours a day.

TigerTim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122475691#Comment_122475691

This always works for me or keep the website open on your phone & keep refreshing it. Cancellations can come up during the day too. My NCT was up at end of July, only started looking for a slot 2 weeks before that & got one for 26th July (passed).

T.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122476322#Comment_122476322

2am Monday as in 2.5 hours after you booked?😂

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122476906#Comment_122476906

yep. I was hoping to be able to post I'd booked and passed my test in under 2 hours (tested just after 1AM as I turned up early) but failed on a damaged tyre side wall I'd not noticed. So got a pair of new tyres and was back for a free retest first thing.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122476949#Comment_122476949

Haha thats deadly. Shame theres no 24 hour tyre shops around

watchclocker

There's one for tomorrow evening in Fonthill up there now if you're quick

MrMusician18

They only put a third of available appointments up online because they can't or won't do their rosters that far in advance.

So what they call the priority list is just the actual list. The only real difference is that you will get a time that suits them, not you.

beachhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122475721#Comment_122475721

If you try to book more than 90 days before the due date the appt is rejected.Check the website late at night for vacant slots

Rock Steady Edy

If you wake up early, check then. There's usually ones released for a couple of days ahead. Probably the same as those who recommend checking at 11.30pm. They quickly go after about 7.30am though.

HildaOgdenx

I mentioned on a thread here before that checking late at night was how I got a slot, (someone had suggested it to me, I think) and had people arguing about it. Saying that made no difference and so on.

But that's what has worked for me, more than once.

Tow

Having the general public jumping through hoops with sort of messing is the main reason the government have decided the RSA is incapable of managing the NCT contract and want to bring is back to the Department of Transport.