Availability of driving tests in the South East

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is responsible for driving tests across Great Britain, including managing the system whereby learners can book .

Driving test backlogs

The ongoing backlog of drivers waiting to book and take a practical car driving test has been widely reported on in recent years. The DVSA is reportedly seeing some of the highest demand for driving tests it has ever seen.

Delays have partly been caused by the covid pandemic, wherein driving tests were halted, or restricted to key workers, for extended periods.

Lilian Greenwood, Minister for Local Transport, also cited ‘a long-term change in behaviour and demand for driving tests’ as contributing factors to the backlog. This may be in reference to increased demand for driving tests, and drivers booking them further in advance than was previously typical.

Several PQs have raised concerns regarding the effects of extended waiting times on learners. These include impacts on mental health, access to opportunities, as well as the financial burden of taking extra lessons and/or buying driving tests from a third-party to be able to take a test more quickly

Car driving test waiting times

The chart below shows the average waiting time for a car practical driving test for each of the four zones in Great Britain:

Source: PQ 6462, answered 9 October 2024; PQ 89574, answered 17 November 2025

Car practical driving tests can only be booked a maximum of 24 weeks in advance.

Government plans and announcements

The government has highlighted its ongoing commitment to reducing driving test waiting times. It has acknowledged that driving licences can be particularly vital in rural areas to access jobs and training, and aims to break down barriers to such opportunities as part of its Plan for Change.

Seven-point plan

In December 2024, the Department for Transport (DfT) set out a seven-point plan aimed at reducing driving test waiting times. These were:

1. Recruit 450 new driving examiners
2. Review and improve the rules for booking driving tests
3. Introduce tougher terms and conditions for the service driving instructors use to book and manage car driving tests for their pupils
4. Consult on new proposals to increase the amount of time people have to wait to book another test in certain situations
5. Increase the amount of notice you need to give to change or cancel a car driving test without losing the fee
6. Explore changing the current 24-week limit on how far ahead car driving tests can be booked
7. Encourage learner drivers to be better prepared for their driving test through the ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign

It was anticipated that these changes would result in the average waiting time for driving tests to be reduced to 7 weeks by December 2025.

Further changes

In addition, on 23 April 2025, the Secretary of State for Transport “announced that the DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country” (PQ 76484, 10 September 2025). These additional steps to further reduce driving test waiting times were:

• those in other DVSA roles who are qualified to examine would be asked to return to the frontline to provide practical driving tests
• doubling the number of permanent trainers to skill up new driving examiners quickly
• accelerated consultation to investigate the potential abuse of the driving test booking system and prevent bots from accessing tests
• reintroduction of overtime pay incentives for everyone delivering driving tests

The measures were intended to facilitate at least 10,000 extra tests being delivered per month.

‘Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvres’

The Department for Transport (DfT) published ‘Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvres’ on 12 November 2025. It sets out further changes being made to driving tests designed to reduce waiting times.

The first is a plan for defence driving examiners to carry out driving tests. It has been confirmed that 36 defence driving examiners will conduct tests one day a week for 12 months.

Defence driving examiners will be deployed to driving test centres with the highest demand near their home or Ministry of Defence (MoD) base. Specific test centres have not yet been announced, so it is unclear how many will be located in the South East.

Second, several changes are being made to make booking tests fairer for learners across the country:

• learner drivers will only be able to make up to 2 changes to the driving test in total – including moves, swaps and location changes – before it must be cancelled and rebooked
• learner drivers will be restricted to a limited number of test centres, which are located close to the original booking
• only learner drivers will be able to book their own test and not instructors on their behalf

These measures are designed to increase the availability of tests, and ensure that third parties cannot buy up tests and sell them on at a heightened price.

Outcomes

Since July last year, the DVSA has recruited and trained 344 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests. A full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

The DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country, including in the Southeast, to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, the DVSA has recruited and trained 344 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests. A full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

Between June and October 2025, DVSA has conducted an extra 56,336 total tests when compared to the same period in 2024. The government has largely attributed this to the additional test allowance scheme the agency introduced in June 2025.

The government, in its seven-point plan, had announced an intention to reduce waiting times to an average of seven weeks by December 2025. In its April announcement, the DfT shifted this goal back to summer 2026. In November 2025, Heidi Alexander then told MPs that this target was likely to not be met. 

Further reading

• The National Audit Office (NAO), Investigation into practical driving test delays
• Transport Committee, Driving tests: Transport Committee Chair comments on new plans to cut backlogs, 12 November 2025
• Transport Committee, letter from Minister for Roads and Buses relating to driving test waiting times, dated 10 November, 12 November 2025