# Is booking necessary for an NCT re-test?



## Bluebean (10 Apr 2006)

Hi all, 

My car failed the NCT last week on 2 minor issues.  I am getting those problems fixed in garage this week, and want to get my car re-tested at the weekend.  When I look at the NCT website, there are no available slots for either Saturday or Sunday next week.
When I was at the test centre last week, two people showed up who did not have a booking made, and were told that they might have to wait a while.  I'm assuming that their cars were tested 'in between' booked appointments, although I can't swear to that as I was gone before them.  But the girls on reception took their keys and they were waiting in the waiting room.
Test equipment will be needed to re-test my car, it is not a visual re-test.  
Do I really have to have an appointment?  Or can I just turn up and wait around until the testers have a free ten minutes?  On the NCT website it says you have to have booked, but from my experience last week this is not necessarily the case in real life.

Anyone care to advise?

thanks.


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## mc-BigE (10 Apr 2006)

Best to ring your local NCT centre, if you don't have to put the car back on the ramp, then its just a visual check by the tester that you've done the work it failed on. should be a simple case of just turning up, but ring first!

Updated:
Sorry didn't read the end of your post properly before replying, sounds like you need to make an appointment before 28 days of first test.


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## Frank (10 Apr 2006)

If they need to use equipment then I am pretty sure a new appoitment is required.


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## demoivre (10 Apr 2006)

The brothers missus car just failed the " hand brake test " in the NCT but because the retest needed to use equipment she needed to book - if she didn't have the retest within 28 days she would have had to go through the entire test again.


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## Sue Ellen (10 Apr 2006)

Bluebean said:
			
		

> When I look at the NCT website, there are no available slots for either Saturday or Sunday next week.


 
Check the site regularly as cancellations appear quite often. I grabbed a few of them some time back. One of the staff in their call centre told me that they only have access to the same screen so cancellations are not held back for their booking purposes only.

As far as I can recall the availability for booking is somewhat restricted either after 6 or 8 possibly when the call centre closes.


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## blueshoes (10 Apr 2006)

hi bluebean (nicename)

I recently had my car nct'd. well i had it booked, a month in advance.  then i had the car at the garage getting it checked well before the nct date.  And the man at garage said shir i'll run it down to the nct centre for you and get it tested.  Sure enough he did, and he had another car aswell done the same day. 

The tw cars were at the centre at 12.00 and tested by 2.00

so id say go along, they will always get a spare few mins.

blueshoes


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## ciara_gmail (20 Apr 2006)

Indeed check the site regularly as cancellations frequently come up, also check suburbs if you cant get a test in Dublin. 

Mine failed last January on a major point (which I had war with the garage about as it was their fault for not putting bolts back on properly!) I brought it to a garage down the road from the NCT Centre, they adjusted the bolts and I drove back down and asked the guy (nicely) if he could fit me in and they did!


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