Hi guys.. I am in the middle of this process at the moment. Although there are quite a few testing providers out there, I chose
360 UAS, Drone Training & Supplies. They provide a fast track test for £750. This, however is not the final cost, as you will have to take out Public Liability Insurance (minimum £600) before you sit your final test, and the around £100 for submitting your final application to CAA.
Be prepared for a lot of studying, as the first part involves around 30 hours (10 modules) of E-Learning through an online portal. Once you complete this, you must provide a full Operators Manual, which is a required document to apply for accreditation. The test day involves a Theory test in the morning, then a practical test in the afternoon, at one of their testing centres. I chose Berwick on Tweed as I live in Scotland. You have to pass the test in the morning before you are allowed to sit the practical exam.
Once these are successfully completed, they will assist you in your application to the CAA, along with a payment of around £100. The CAA will then assess your application and provide you with your Licence which will allow you to fly commercially.
I believe the FAA have slackened off the regulations to make the process easier and less expensive, so maybe the CAA will follow suit, but until that point, this is the standard structure and approximate cost, no matter who you choose as your testing provider.
Hope this helps a bit, there is a lot of info out there.
OK, lets get back to making this hefty Operator's Manual........ cheers