The latest data sourced by the AA Driving School reveals learner drivers are facing even greater delays when booking a driving test, with four out of five test centres – 258 sites across Britain – now making you wait over five months/24 weeks to grab a slot. At the beginning of this year, that figure stood at 161 test centres.

Volumes have also escalated rapidly with 122,000 more bookings made this June compared to the same time last year. That amounts to more than 631,000 learners waiting with their test booking.

“With the vast majority of driving test centres now showing waits at the maximum the system will allow, the situation cannot get much worse.”

• Emma Bush, Managing Director, AA Driving School

Big problems

So what is causing the delays? First, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) says the big boost in the backlog is being driven by learners booking their test way earlier than in previous years.

This has also led to pass rates declining with only 79,541 getting a pass this March compared to 86,501 in March 2024.

Others cite the problem of bots buying up slots before selling them on to frustrated learners at hiked prices via ‘brokers’ in Facebook groups or on WhatsApp.

While these allow folk to take their test much earlier, there is a hefty price to pay for the ‘privilege’ with some slots being flogged for nearly £300 a time (instead of £62 for a weekday test or £75 for a weekend one).

And then there is the recruitment issue with the DVSA needing to hire and train more driving examiners to conduct the tests themselves.

Better news

However, there may be light at the end of the tunnel. First, the government announced back in April that it will deliver 10,000 more tests a month with a target of cutting waiting times to seven weeks by summer 2026.

To aid hit such an ambitious target, the government wants to double the number of permanent trainers so more driving examiners can be trained up to help alleviate the chronic waiting time issue.

Also, increased overtime payments for examiners have been introduced coupled with qualified DVSA staff returning temporarily to help with testing duties.

Finally, there are tech plans being put in place to curtail bots from snapping up booking test slots.

Commenting on the situation, the AA Driving School’s Emma Bush says that, “there are signs of recovery though, putting both the industry and learners on tenterhooks for more signs of improvement in the coming months.

“While we would expect these changes to take a few months to show a positive impact, it is still disappointing to see that learners are continuing to face an uphill battle when it comes to booking their driving test.”

Health impact

The stress of the situation is not only impacting on learners but on the DVSA itself, too.

It’s why over 100 of the agency’s staff have completed training to become mental health first aiders so they can offer help and support to colleagues facing constant pressure caused by the backlog.

The announcement that the National Audit Office is currently investigating the situation will be adding even more pressure on the agency and its staff. We can only hope that the DVSA can finally turn the corner in the months ahead to help learners and its staff.

“We recognise the intense pressure our examiners and support staff are under … The well-being of our people is essential, especially when public expectations are so high.”

• Loveday Ryder, Chief Executive, DVSA

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Main image by Google Gemini.