Learner drivers still forced to wait months to book tests

The DVSA said on Wednesday that more than 2.13 million practical driving tests took place in the 12 months to August 2026 – the highest rolling 12-month figure on record.

DVSA chief executive Beverley Warmington, said: "There's more to do and we're not going to stop until every learner can get a fair test slot when they need one but today's figures show our plan is working."

Carly Brookfield, the chief executive of the Driving Instructors Association, said the higher number of available tests was "progress that should be recognised" but, for learners and instructors "the pressure is still very real".

"The ultimate measure of recovery has to be a testing service that learners and the professional training community can access when they need it," she said.

Adem Veli, who has been an instructor for 16 years and runs his driving school Passman in Sidcup, said: "Before Covid we had the luxury we could pick the test date and work towards that date."

But he said learners having to wait so long can have a huge impact on their confidence.

"It's about a six month wait," he said. "Can you imagine if you did fail your driving test, you're test standard and ready to go [but] have to wait another six months to get back in?"

DVSA figures revealed that the pass rate for driving tests remains over 50%.