**Record Waiting Times for Driving Tests: Learner Drivers Face Steep Delays Across the UK**
Learner drivers are encountering unprecedented delays in booking driving tests, with new data revealing the majority of UK test centres are overwhelmed by soaring demand. According to statistics obtained by AA Driving School from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), more than four out of five test centres are now facing the longest permissible waiting times, forcing learners to put their plans on hold for months.
As of early May, 81% of test centres across Britain—totalling 258 locations—reported maximum wait times of 24 weeks, the highest the system allows. This marks a sharp increase from the start of the year, when only 161 centres were at maximum capacity. The situation paints a challenging picture for new drivers hoping to gain independence on the road, and industry voices warn the logjam is reaching breaking point.
The average waiting period across all driving test centres has spiked to 22 weeks, a significant jump from 14 weeks just a few months prior in February 2024. Not only does this create frustration for learners, but it also risks additional driving lesson costs and disrupts life plans for those relying on securing a licence for work or family commitments.
The DVSA places the blame for the growing backlog on a surge in demand, with many applicants now booking tests far earlier than was common before. Agency officials remain optimistic, suggesting that an increase in the number of tests conducted should gradually help reduce waiting times.
Latest figures from June indicate there were 122,000 more future bookings in the DVSA’s system compared to the same period the year before. Concerns about what is fuelling these figures have caught the attention of the National Audit Office, which recently confirmed it will launch a formal investigation into why booking delays are so entrenched and how the DVSA is attempting to address the underlying problems.
In response to criticism, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander underscored in April that the current government inherited “an enormous backlog”, but said swift action was underway. Addressing MPs, she pledged that the Department for Transport is targeting an average wait time of just seven weeks by the summer of 2026, outlining this as a critical goal for both learners and the broader road safety landscape.
Efforts to alleviate the crisis have included a government consultation about how the booking system operates. One key proposal under consideration is cracking down on the use of automated bots, which snap up large batches of test slots and resell them on the secondary market at highly inflated prices—an issue that has added an extra layer of difficulty for genuine learners.
Alongside this, the Department for Transport has instructed the DVSA to boost instructor availability by offering extra overtime pay to examiners who volunteer for additional testing hours. The agency is also appealing to qualified staff to temporarily return to the front line, while plans are in progress to double the number of permanent trainers for new test examiners, accelerating recruitment of much-needed personnel.
Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, described the current situation as grim, noting that with most test centres maxed out, “things cannot get much worse”. She did, however, highlight tentative signs of improvement, suggesting that fresh measures brought in by the DVSA in April may begin to yield positive results over the coming months. “While we expect these changes to take some time to make a visible dent, it remains disappointing that learners are still struggling to secure test bookings,” she said.
The DVSA’s chief executive, Loveday Ryder, reiterated the agency’s commitment to making booking processes fairer and more accessible. She thanked all who participated in the recent booking system consultation and noted that this feedback will be instrumental in shaping future reforms. “By listening to learners, parents, and instructors, we intend to plan our next steps carefully and transparently,” Ms Ryder concluded.
As government officials, industry leaders and frustrated learners await the impact of these reforms, the coming months will be pivotal in determining whether the tide will finally turn on Britain’s driving test bottleneck.