Prospective drivers in the UK continue to endure significant delays in scheduling their practical driving tests, with new data showing an average booking wait of 20 weeks. These figures highlight the ongoing challenges within the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) despite efforts to streamline the process.
According to the latest DVSA statistics for August, the waiting period has decreased only slightly from the 20.2 weeks recorded in July. Furthermore, the interval between securing a booking and actually sitting the exam remains stagnant at an average of 11.1 weeks.
The department initially aimed to cut the average wait time to seven weeks by the end of last year. However, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was forced to postpone that deadline to the summer of 2026. In a candid admission, Alexander acknowledged that even this revised target would likely not be achieved on schedule.
The persistent bottlenecks have drawn attention to the broader issues facing the licensing system, with advocates and learners alike calling for more substantial operational reforms to reduce the friction for new drivers across the country.
Fingers crossed they actually deliver this time. Last time the targets were missed by ages, so don’t hold your breath.
11 weeks between booking and taking the test seems insane. Do they just not have enough examiners?
Postponing the target to 2026? The government seems to be giving up already. What about the people paying for this service?
I thought the backlogs were easing up a bit. These numbers are still terrible compared to even just a couple of years ago.
Two months wait? Unbelievable. How am I supposed to learn properly when every session has to be planned weeks in advance?