(qlmbusinessnews.com . Wed 17th Dec, 2025) London, UK —
Driving Test Backlog: UK Learners Wait Months for Practical Exams Amid COVID Delays
Learner Drivers Face Long Waits for Practical Tests Until 2027, Watchdog Reports
Learner drivers in the UK are confronting substantial delays in booking their practical driving tests, with the National Audit Office (NAO) cautioning that the existing backlog is unlikely to be resolved before November 2027. This alarming forecast arises amidst a bottleneck of 1.1 million undelivered tests during the 2020/21 financial period due to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving roughly 360,000 of these still unbooked.
As of September, the typical wait time for a practical exam had stretched to 22 weeks, escalating to 24 weeks—a duration capped by regulation—at 70% of test centres. In response to the escalating crisis, the Department for Transport (DfT) has asserted its commitment to mitigating the backlog, noting measures such as the enlistment of military personnel as driving examiners.
Despite ambitions from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to abbreviate waiting times to a mere seven weeks by the close of 2025, learners are enduring prolonged delays. The NAO's investigation highlighted that these holdups are compelling candidates to resort to third-party services for quicker test appointments, with fees surging to nearly £500, substantially over the official DVSA charge of £62 for a weekday slot.
This scenario, according to the NAO, has complicated efforts to accurately gauge test demand, with third-party sites exploiting automated tools to snatch up available times. The knock-on effect of these delays on employment opportunities and the broader economy is significant, as a DVSA survey revealed that 30% of participants needed a driving license for their work.
Moreover, the NAO has flagged concerns over a shortage of examiners and noted a high attrition rate attributed to uncompetitive wages and safety worries. Despite 19 recruitment drives since 2021, the DVSA's efforts have fallen short, adding only 83 examiners against a target of 400.
Struggles are palpable among learners like Shiromi Gaughan, a London entrepreneur, who expressed her dismay upon discovering the steep price for a test slot via a third party. After an eight-month wait since passing her theory exam, Gaughan's desperation reflects a broader issue affecting many like Martha Machiek from Stockport, a single parent who faces the expiry of her theory test certificate without a practical exam booking in sight.
Amid these stark realities, the NAO has pushed for a thorough review by the DVSA and the DfT of the support available to learners and the efforts to expand the examiner workforce. Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, emphasised the need for “decisive action” to address the failings and the exploitation within the current system.
The DfT acknowledges the inherited flaws within the system and underscores ongoing improvements. Upcoming interventions include restricting test bookings to learners directly and implementing caps on test rescheduling attempts, aimed at curbing third-party exploitation. With 74,847 additional tests conducted between June and November this year compared to the same period in 2024, and further measures on the horizon, the government remains hopeful of significant progress.
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