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Test Anxiety: Ontario scalpers selling online G test slots 

With a 700,000-person backlog, some aspiring drivers are taking risks buying test spots online

Coleman Molnar
Aug 09, 2021  •  August 9, 2021  •  2 minute read  •  Join the conversation
Woman taking driving lessons from instructor
Photo by Getty

The COVID-19 pandemic that brought business and large swaths of society to a grinding halt well over a year ago continues to wreak havoc on the Ontario Ministry of Transport’s driver’s licensing efforts. 

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With new testing centres popping up to service the apparently 700,000-person-deep lineup that’s formed in the province, some desperate drivers are taking to the Internet to purchase their way to the front of the queue. 

A reporter for Global News who spent a total of four hours fussing with the MTO’s online G test booking system only to have the website fail to properly redirect them, was able to find ads for “g test date[s]” on Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji while also speaking to a man from North York who says he’s spotted them on Snapchat and Instagram as well. 

“It’s been difficult,” Delano Anderson told Global. “Myself and my family have been talking about getting a car, and you can’t get a car without a license.”

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The Global team reached out to one early-spot seller and was told the test appointment could be theirs for $100 …plus tax! Another spot in early August was listed at $300.

“It’s crazy. It was just really kind of bizarre to see that people on social media were able to find appointments and availabilities, but if you go on the government’s website or the driving centre’s, you’re not able to find anything,” said Anderson.

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It’s not illegal to buy a test spot online, but it may be fraudulent to sell them, especially if factions like driving schools are booking appointments in bulk with personal information from students and switching them last minute to those willing to fork over the cash. 

Since the issue has been brought to light, the MTO has allegedly upgraded its systems by implementing a 45-minute time limit for booking road tests and cancelling the ability for drivers to switch tests.

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