The DVSA has reported that learner drivers continue to face long waits for driving tests, with the average wait time standing at 22.2 weeks as of June 25. A small rise was noted in August as the Christmas booking window opened, further stretching the system.
Currently, more than 640,000 tests are booked, with overall availability across the system at just 4.73%. These figures were shared during the latest meeting between DVSA and NASP, which focused heavily on service delivery and backlog management.
Despite the pressure on availability, the average pass rate for the financial year so far has exceeded 50%. In August, the rate stood at 50.69%, a trend DVSA views positively in terms of learner outcomes and test quality.
DIA CEO, Carly Brookfield, said: “The dial isn’t really moving on test waiting times as it should have done. We’re still at the same average waiting time as we were in December when a 7 Point Plan, purportedly designed to tackle the problems, was launched. Another pledge for the Minister in April and still very little impact which feels meaningful. This is disappointing and disheartening for trainers and pupil’s alike and whilst a slight increase in pass rate is clearly going to be spun as a positive, it doesn’t distract stakeholders from a lack of progress on the key issues of test resourcing and delivery.”
For ADIs and PDIs, the figures highlight the ongoing challenges of managing pupil expectations and business planning around test availability. While DVSA continues recruitment of examiners to boost capacity, the sector is still experiencing sustained demand, with approximately 1,700 applications a month to begin the qualification process.
DIA members can expect further updates when DVSA publishes its quarterly statistics in October.
5 thoughts on “Driving Test Wait Times Average 22.2 Weeks”
Of the 640,000 tests currently booked, I would estimate probably 70% + of them are students booking a test “ANYWHERE” in the country as soon as they pass their theory, then using a cancellation App to try and find a test in their local test centre.!!
Students are booking and paying for a test, that they don’t intend to take, before they are ready to take the test… then they are paying through the nose for an App to try and find a local test.!!
Why isn’t this being highlighted and addressed ??
The cancellation apps have literally taken control of the DVSA booking system!
Why is no one actually dealing with the ACTUAL ISSUE ??
I honestly don’t know how the problem of these unacceptable wating times for tests is ever going to be solved.
Try as I can. as an ADI with over 20 years experience, it is impossible to get every one of my pupils through their tests first time. In cases where someone misses out, it is disheartening when retests are over 20 weeks away. When pupils try and book tests, it is like booking concert tickets waiting up to hours for test spaces to come up. Often pupils will pass their theory tests and straight away want to book a practical test at a time when they are nowhere ready. As an ADI it is difficult to advise people in this situation. It’s a messy state of affairs and keeps going on and on.
I suggest shorten tests by about 8 minutes to fit 8 in per day instead of the current 7 and devise a way of paying bonus payments to examiners to encourage them to accept this change.
I’m an ADI based in East Lancashire and my pupils are still being offered the opportunity to buy driving tests for around £200. Until something is done to stop this practice then nothing is going to change.
“Christmas booking window opened”! This morning I booked a test in Banbury for 27th March. That’s the week before EASTER! The system is broken and the DVSA have progressively made it worse. For whatever reason they continue to allow people/businesses that aren’t instructors or students to exploit the system
I have been an ADI for almost 10yrs, the situation is not improving overall since the backlog began in my opinion. It marginally improved, but is not really doing anything else now – just wavering slightly, so.etimes a little better, sometimes a little worse but overall it is still bad.
The initial view of deciding to re-assess ADI’s for pupils failing kind of highlighted to me hpw far off the mark the DVSA were when it came to try and understand the really root issue.
Test pass rates are not likely to improve whilst examiners stats are monitored and any examiner with a higher than average pass rate for their centre is then rechecked, all examiners will want to be in their ‘safe zone’ understandably.
The amount of privateers just turning up and having a go certainly isn’t helping and it is also putting examiners at risk, along with everyone else out there on the test routes during their test, not to mention the added stress to examiners with no dual controls!
A couple of things would really work if implemented.
only allow candidates to test with an instructors car, or only allow tests when a minimum of 10hrs professional tuition is achieved and signed off as safe.stopping the moving of tests once booked.
only allowing ADI’s to book a test would also stop reselling, it is already against the rules to sell for profit so this should help.
just my opinion, other countries do not seem to have this huge problem like we do….