There’s bad news for learner drivers eager to take a practical test as they are likely to face waiting a long time for a slot, new research shows.

The majority of UK driving test centres have average wait times of over a month – worse than pre-pandemic levels, a Freedom of Information request by the AA Driving School shows. 

Looking at The Driving Standards Agency (DVSA) data, the AA Driving School discovered that a total of 245 driving test centres (three quarters) still had average wait times in excess of six weeks at the end of January. 

But even more frustratingly, almost two fifths had wait times of more than a five months.

A Freedom of Information request by the AA Driving School found the majority of UK driving test centres have average wait times of six week, but some test centres have backlogs as long as five months

A Freedom of Information request by the AA Driving School found the majority of UK driving test centres have average wait times of six week, but some test centres have backlogs as long as five months

A Freedom of Information request by the AA Driving School found the majority of UK driving test centres have average wait times of six week, but some test centres have backlogs as long as five months

The delays are being blamed on a ‘post-pandemic lag’.

Covid lockdowns led to a nationwide shortage of practical driving test slots as centres closed their doors for much of 2020 in a bid to stave off the spread of the virus. 

And it caused a backlog of learners waiting to take tests the DVSA failed to clear. 

By the summer of 2022, over half a million people were still waiting for a test – an increase on the pandemic backlog from 2021 which was just shy of 500,000.

During a parliamentary debate at the start of 2023, transport minister Richard Holden MP said waiting lists ‘are coming down for driving tests […] and we hope to achieve back to pre-pandemic levels within the next few months.

‘The DVSA is recovering after the pandemic […] there are 620,000 practical test appointments in the booking system.’

After widespread criticism, in 2023 the DVSA asked all eligible managers and administrative staff back on the front line to carry out driving tests full time. 

This will be going on until the end of March 2024 in a bid to create around 150,000 extra driving tests.

In a bid to help learners, last year the DVSA After widespread criticism asked all eligible managers and administrative staff back on the front line to carry out driving tests full time, in order to create around 150,000 extra driving test

In a bid to help learners, last year the DVSA After widespread criticism asked all eligible managers and administrative staff back on the front line to carry out driving tests full time, in order to create around 150,000 extra driving test

In a bid to help learners, last year the DVSA After widespread criticism asked all eligible managers and administrative staff back on the front line to carry out driving tests full time, in order to create around 150,000 extra driving test  

Yet, the average figure of six weeks obtained by the AA Driving School was taken four months into this current action period by the DVSA. 

And despite DVSA measures to increase test capacity, average waiting times worsened or stayed at the same at 45 per cent of test centres.

Between 2 October 2023, when the DVSA started adding more test slots to try to tackle the backlog, and 29 January 2024, waiting times worsened at 15 per cent of all test centres. It stayed the same at 25 per cent and improved at 60 per cent. 

Camilla Benitz, managing director of AA Driving School, said: ‘Our concern is that we are not aware of any further plans by the DVSA to continue to bring the waiting times down to the pre-pandemic average of six weeks.

‘It is unacceptable that we are now almost two years post-pandemic restrictions and learner drivers and instructors are still suffering the consequences.’

All prospective drivers want is that plastic driving licence but a new cap hpi check showed that DVSA pass rates for 2023 to 2024 were the lowest since 2021 - with a practical pass rate of 48 per cent and a theory pass rate of 35 per cent

All prospective drivers want is that plastic driving licence but a new cap hpi check showed that DVSA pass rates for 2023 to 2024 were the lowest since 2021 - with a practical pass rate of 48 per cent and a theory pass rate of 35 per cent

All prospective drivers want is that plastic driving licence but a new cap hpi check showed that DVSA pass rates for 2023 to 2024 were the lowest since 2021 – with a practical pass rate of 48 per cent and a theory pass rate of 35 per cent

In 2022, Jenna Williams, a driver instructor from Cardiff told the BBC that wait times are a reason for failed driving tests: ‘I think with a backlog of waiting lists for another test, pupils are just feeling so much pressure, where like you said, if they fail, they’ve got five to six months and another wait’. 

Car background check provider Cap Hpi found there is a correlation between extended waiting times for tests and lower pass rates.

The last 12 months has seen the lowest number of theory and practical tests conducted and passed since 2021.

Cap Hpi looked at updated DVSA statistics which revealed between 2023 and 2024, a total of 1,928,373 car theory tests were conducted with 867,667 passes (45 per cent pass rate) and 1,384,678 car practical tests were taken with 668,038 passes, a pass rate of 48 per cent. 

By contrast 2021 to 2022 saw 1,234,013 passes from 2,463,621 theory tests (50 per cent pass rate) and 751,914 passes from 1,528,314 practical driving tests (49 per cent pass rate).

Seb Goldin, chief executive of RED Driver Training, told us: ‘Driving test delays are understandably frustrating. Many students are keen to get on the road, whether that is to visit friends and family, attend school or go to work. 

‘Driving can open up more work opportunities in terms of accessing jobs in a wider geographical area or taking on a role that requires driving. 

‘Therefore having a driving licence is often the key to unlocking the door to more opportunities.’

We recently revealed the astronomically amounts that young drivers have to pay to get on the road -from lessons to insurance. It'll cost the average 17 to 20-year-old £7,609

We recently revealed the astronomically amounts that young drivers have to pay to get on the road -from lessons to insurance. It'll cost the average 17 to 20-year-old £7,609

We recently revealed the astronomically amounts that young drivers have to pay to get on the road -from lessons to insurance. It’ll cost the average 17 to 20-year-old £7,609

This is the second blow learner drivers have faced this week, after the massive cost young drivers face to get on the road was revealed.

This is Money reported that it now costs an average of £7,609 to get a 17 to 20-year-old on the road and driving for the first year, according to the latest edition of MoneySupermarket’s Household Money Index.

That means a rise of 135 per cent in 35 years: Back in 1989 the average young motorist only had to pay £1,285 (£3,234 adjusted for inflation) to get on the road.

Are you a driving test postcode winner?

Whether your local test centre saw an improvement, deterioration or continued to plateau is a case of ‘postcode lottery’ according to the AA.

Seven test centres around the UK saw their waiting times improve by a huge jump of 23 weeks. Lucky drivers trying to grab a slot at Burgess Hill, Bury St Edmunds, Carlisle LGV, Exeter, Fort William, Hereford and Ipswich will go from waiting 24 weeks to just one week.

However, it’s not such good news for learners desperate to take their tests at Arbroath, Taunton, Buckie, Culham LGV, Crieff or Peterhead where waiting times have increased by as much as 23 weeks.

The AA Driving School is calling on the Government to find a solution to this backlog that’s grinding prospective drivers to a halt.

‘We need to see a renewed commitment from the DVSA to continuing to make additional driving test slots available but also to recruiting and retaining more examiners so additional learner test slots do not come at the expense of other vital DVSA services, such as driving instructor training exams, which we have seen falling availability of recently’, Benitz added.

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This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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