Driving Test Backlog Update: Five-Month Waits Continue

Learning to drive is stressful enough without the nationwide testing backlog. At Theory Test Pro, we’ve been closely tracking the shifting rules, test cancellations and ongoing saga of the driving test backlog for years now.

If you thought the wait for a driving test was finally going to clear up in 2026, sadly, this is not the case. A new investigation by The i Paper has revealed just how stubborn the wretched problem remains, with learners still travelling across the country and spending hundreds of pounds on additional lessons as they struggle to secure a test.

The i Paper spoke to learners, driving instructors, the Driving Instructors Association (DIA) and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), uncovering the time, financial and emotional toll the delays are having on learners.

Still 21 weeks

The i Paper found that some learners are still facing waits of five or six months for a practical driving test, highlighting three core problems:

Big delays: The DVSA told the publication that the average time between booking and taking a car driving test was 10.7 weeks – well above its seven-week target. However, the separate measure showing when at least 10% of appointments in a given week remain available stood at 21 weeks.
Massive queues: Demand is still incredibly high, with online booking queues frequently topping 10,000 people at a time.
Extreme measures: The lack of availability in local areas is prompting some learners to take extreme measures, with candidates travelling from the South of England all the way up to Scotland just to find an available slot.

Mounting costs

This continued backlog isn’t just testing the patience of learners – it’s also draining their bank accounts. Because they have to wait so long for test day, learners are regularly shelling out hundreds of pounds on extra lessons to keep their skills sharp.

For instance, a Sheffield learner interviewed by The i Paper said almost all of his monthly Universal Credit payment was being spent on driving lessons as he worked towards gaining a licence and improving his employment prospects.

In an attempt to save cash, some test-ready learners reduce or stop their professional lessons while waiting for an appointment and rely instead on private practice with family members.

The problem? Driving instructor Sheila Culleton told The i Paper that when these learners return for top-up lessons shortly before the test, instructors can find themselves having to correct bad habits picked up during private practice.

Under pressure

Another big issue is the impact that waiting times are having on learners who have managed to book a test. Now they know that a mistake on test day could mean waiting another five or six months – and paying for even more lessons in the meantime.

That means passing first time is becoming a financial necessity.

For instance, Somerset learner Kristina Hunter told The i Paper that the prospect of another lengthy wait following an unsuccessful attempt increased the pressure to pass first time. Failing would also mean paying for more refresher lessons and another test.

This anxiety is made worse for some learners by the tougher DVSA booking rules, designed to discourage learners from grabbing placeholder appointments and to clamp down on unofficial booking and cancellation services.

What experts say

To put the current situation into perspective, the DIA notes that the wait is actually longer now than it was immediately following the pandemic lockdowns:

“Straight after lockdown, wait times were around 14 weeks, which we thought was bad… Now, we would love that 14-week wait time because some learners are having to wait for 21 weeks. The [DVSA] target for five years has been a wait time of seven weeks and they’ve failed to get anywhere near it."

• Carly Brookfield, Chief Executive, DIA

Brookfield points out that issues with examiner pay, coupled with the sheer time it takes to recruit and train new staff, have made it difficult for the system to catch up with learner demand.

End in sight?

The DVSA is actively working to increase testing availability with the agency telling The i Paper that almost 280,000 additional tests had been delivered since June 2025.

There is a silver lining as we’ve reported before. The DVSA reported a pass rate of 51.5% – that’s the highest it has been in more than five years.

Despite this, with some learners still facing waits of five or six months – and paying hundreds of pounds to remain test-ready – the long-running driving test backlog is far from over. As ever, we’ll keep you updated.

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