How to beat the driving test backlog

Key takeaways

• Two-fifths of driving test centres across Great Britain have an average waiting time of more than seven weeks for a practical test

• The national average waiting time between booking and taking the test is 11.1 weeks but some driving test centres exceed 24 weeks (six months)

• The Government has changed how car driving tests are booked and managed to help tackle the backlog

Learner drivers are having to wait more than seven weeks between booking and taking their practical test at two-fifths of driving test centres across Great Britain, according to the latest data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

Initially, the backlog was caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when driving tests were suspended several times, but waiting times have since increased due to changes in booking behaviour.

Automated bots have also “exploited” the driving test booking service, according to the DVSA, resulting in the reselling of appointments, often at inflated prices.

To tackle the problems, the Government has introduced new rules for booking and managing car driving tests in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as increasing the number of driving tests taking place each month.

It says there were close to a quarter of a million extra car driving tests between June 2025 and May 2026, compared to the same time the previous year.

The DVSA is also now publishing more detailed test centre data on a monthly basis. Previously, it published the number of weeks until at least 10% of weekly test appointments at a centre were still available to book. Now, it publishes the average waiting time between learner drivers booking and taking their practical tests nationally, regionally and at individual test centres.

The national average waiting time between booking and taking a practical driving test is 11.1 weeks, but some driving test centres exceed 24 weeks (six months), according to the latest data from July 2026.

In Scotland, the average waiting time is 15.6 weeks - double the average waiting time in Wales (7.6 weeks), while England matches the average for Great Britain of 11.1 weeks.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said that the Government won’t hit its target of seven weeks until autumn 2027, having initially aimed to meet it by the end of 2025.

Before the pandemic, the waiting time for a practical driving test was typically about five weeks.

Which test centres have the longest waiting times for a practical driving test?

The driving test centres with the longest waiting times for a practical driving test in July 2026 are mainly in Scotland (seven of the top 10 centres), while Bedford, Letchworth and Melton Mowbray are the worst performing in England.

Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, July 2026 data, published 12 August 2026

Which regions in England have the longest waiting times for a practical driving test?

Of the nine regions in England, learners in London face the longest average waiting time between booking and taking their practical test at 14.7 weeks, followed by the North West (12.7 weeks). Six of the nine regions exceed 10 weeks.

Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, July 2026 data, published 12 August 2026

How can I beat the driving test backlog?

The changes the Government has made to booking a car driving test affect the ways you can beat the driving test backlog. The changes include:

• Only you, the learner driver, can book and manage your practical driving test. Your instructor can’t book the test for you and you’re not allowed to use an unofficial booking service

• You can only make two changes to your booking, previously you were allowed to make six changes

• Once you’ve booked your test you can only move it to the three nearest test centres not any test centre

However, to beat the driving test backlog you can still:

• Book your test up to 24 weeks in the future (if your instructor agrees you’re ready) using the officialGOV.UKDriving Test Booking Service

• Be on the official Driving Test Booking Service by 6am each Monday when the DVSA releases new practical driving test slots

• Check for a cancellation appointment

• Choose a different test centre with a shorter waiting time. But remember that once you’ve booked you can only move your test to one of the three nearest test centres to the original booking. And you can only make two changes to your booking

You can consider taking an intensive driving course to speed up the learning process but bear in mind that the driving school can no longer offer this with a practical driving test included, you’ll now need to book the test yourself.

📣 Did you know? On average, people need 45 hours of lessons, plus 22 hours of private practising to pass their driving test, according to BBC research.

Build real-world experience while you wait for your test

With learner drivers continuing to face long waits for practical tests, Tom Stenson, Deputy Chair and Head of Training at the ADINJC (Approved Driving Instructors National Joint Council), which supports and represents driving instructors across the UK, says learners should use the extra time to build real-world driving experience rather than simply preparing to pass the test.

Tom says:

“Rather than seeing the waiting period as lost time, learners have an opportunity to become more than someone capable of passing a driving test. They can become drivers who are genuinely prepared for the realities of independent driving.

Instead of repeatedly driving the same familiar routes, learners could use the additional time to experience a broader range of driving environments, including rural roads, dual carriageways, busy town centres, night driving, adverse weather, heavy traffic and unfamiliar routes.

These are the experiences that prepare drivers for real-world driving, not simply for a driving test.”

Frequently asked questions

Find out about the requirements and pros and cons of taking a driving test in your own car.