Driving test backlog reaches record high as over 600,000 wait for tests

Learner drivers face a mounting challenge as Britain's driving test backlog surpasses 600,000 for the first time, according to new data analysis.

Figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), analysed by the PA news agency, reveal a staggering 603,352 practical driving tests were booked by the end of April, a significant increase from 521,190 a year ago.

This surge in demand comes as the number of tests conducted has actually decreased. Between January and April this year, 610,000 tests were taken, a 15 per cent drop compared to the 718,000 tests conducted during the same period in 2024.

This decline follows a period of increased testing between October 2023 and March 2024, when the DVSA temporarily reassigned staff from other roles to serve as examiners.

Despite the backlog, there is a glimmer of hope for learner drivers. The latest figures indicate a rise in pass rates, suggesting learners may be heeding advice to wait until they are test-ready.

Last month's pass rate reached 50.2 per cent, an improvement from 48.3 per cent in April 2024 and the highest monthly figure since August 2021 (50.3 per cent).

The DVSA previously attributed the backlog to “an increase in demand and a change in customers’ booking behaviour”.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said last month the Labour Government “inherited an enormous backlog” but is “acting fast” to tackle the issue, with at least 10,000 extra tests to be available each month.

She told the Commons’ Transport Select Committee her department is aiming to reduce the average waiting time for driving tests in Britain to seven weeks by summer 2026.

Recent analysis by the AA Driving School showed the average waiting time was 20 weeks in February.

The Government will shortly launch a consultation on amending the driving test booking system, in an attempt to stop bots mass-booking new slots so they can be resold on the black market for inflated prices.

This will be conducted over eight weeks instead of the usual 12 to enable changes to be made sooner.

Other measures in response to the backlog include instructing the DVSA to offer additional overtime payments to incentivise instructors to conduct more tests.

Staff at the agency qualified to conduct tests are being asked to voluntarily return to the front line, while the number of permanent trainers for new examiners is being doubled.

Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, said: “Learner drivers have waited long enough for an improvement to the lengthy waiting times to secure a practical test slot, it should not be this hard to book your driving test.

“There have simply never been enough test slots in the system to make up for those which were lost during coronavirus lockdowns and, as such, the backlog has persisted.

“New measures recently announced to tackle this are welcome and we eagerly await positive movement in the waiting times to ease the pressure on pupils.

“Unblocking the backlog is vital to ensure people are not held back from work or education opportunities through the lack of a driving licence.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The current backlog facing learner drivers is completely unacceptable, but we are taking decisive action to address the situation inherited from the previous government.

“Thanks to the intervention of the Secretary of State, an additional 10,000 driving tests will be made available monthly.

“This will ensure ready learners can book their tests more quickly, helping unlock opportunity and support economic growth.”