Learner drivers still waiting 20 weeks to book tests
New DVSA data shows learner drivers in the UK continue to face an average 20-week wait to book practical tests despite system changes.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- UK learner drivers face an average wait of 20 weeks to book a practical test.
- The DVSA introduced new rules allowing only learners to book and restricted local test centers.
- Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander pushed the target date back to summer 2026 before admitting it was unachievable.
- Driving instructors report ongoing issues with test booking touts despite tighter security measures.
Learner drivers in the United Kingdom are still enduring an average wait time of 20 weeks before they can secure a practical driving test slot, despite ongoing efforts by authorities to alleviate the severe backlog.
Data released by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for August 2026 indicates only a marginal improvement from the 20.2-week waiting period recorded in July. Meanwhile, the average duration between booking a slot and actually sitting the test remains unchanged at 11.1 weeks.
Initially, the DVSA set a target to bring down the average waiting time to seven weeks by the end of last year. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander subsequently postponed the target until the summer of 2026, but later conceded that even that timeline would prove impossible to meet.
To tackle the ongoing booking crisis, the DVSA rolled out several modifications to its practical test booking system earlier this year, which include:
- Restricting test bookings exclusively to learner drivers themselves, preventing instructors or third parties from booking on their behalf.
- Enforcing geographical limits that restrict learners to booking slots only at their three local test centers rather than traveling across the country.
- Imposing limits on the number of times a candidate is allowed to swap their test appointment date.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Lucy Rend, a 19-year-old from south-east London who has spent two and a half years learning to drive, is scheduled for her test on Thursday. She described feeling immense pressure to pass due to the incredible difficulty of acquiring a booking slot, noting that many of her friends have grown so frustrated that they have completely given up trying.
"Before Covid we had the luxury we could pick the test date and work towards that date."
Adem Veli, driving instructor
Driving instructors have also borne the brunt of these prolonged delays. Adem Veli, who has operated his Passman driving school in Sidcup for 16 years, stated that long waiting periods heavily undermine learner confidence, even though DVSA statistics show overall pass rates remain above 50%.
The chronic backlog in practical driving tests highlights deep-seated capacity constraints that have persisted since the pandemic. While the DVSA's restrictions successfully curb third-party exploitation of the booking system, they underscore the broader challenge of matching unprecedented learner demand with finite examiner resources and test center availability.
Although the DVSA implemented curbs against commercial booking intermediaries, Veli revealed that he continues to receive weekly messages from touts attempting to sell test slots. On the other hand, DVSA figures confirm that more than 2.13 million practical tests were conducted in the 12 months leading up to August 2026, marking the highest rolling annual figure on record.
Source: BBC Business
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