Driving test waits fall below 20 weeks for first time since November 2024

Driving test waiting times in September averaged 19.7 weeks—about five months—according to official figures reported by the BBC. That is the first time the average has fallen below 20 weeks since November 2024, but waits remain far above the government’s seven-week target. [1]

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) carried out 191,682 practical tests in September, with more than half resulting in a pass. The agency has been working to reduce a backlog that began during the Covid pandemic in 2020. [1]

The target of bringing average waits down to seven weeks was initially set for the end of last year. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander moved it to summer 2026, then acknowledged that would not be achievable; waits are now not expected to reach seven weeks until next autumn, the BBC reported. [1]

Watford driving instructor Sophie Stuchfield told the BBC that stopping the resale of tests through third-party providers was a “massive positive”, but said too few examiners had been recruited to meet demand. She said waits in many areas were 21 weeks and described learners waking at 5.45am on Mondays to try to secure a slot, only to find it had already been taken. [1]

Roads minister Justin Madders said the government had “inherited record waiting times and a significant backlog”. He said the figures showed progress, while acknowledging waits were “still not where we want them to be”. [1]

The DVSA said examiner numbers were at their highest since November 2017, and that it remained committed to reducing waits. Changes to the booking system earlier this year mean only learners can now book their own tests, after some had paid inflated prices for tests resold by third-party providers using automated booking programmes. [1]