Overview

• Learner drivers now face an average 22-week wait, with 81% of Britain’s 258 test centres at the 24-week limit.
• Future test bookings surged by 122,000 year-on-year in June as candidates reserve slots earlier than before.
• The DVSA has closed its review of booking-system reforms aimed at blocking bots from hoarding slots.
• Overtime payments and a doubled intake of permanent trainers have been introduced to boost examiner capacity.
• The National Audit Office has launched an inquiry into the backlog’s causes and the DVSA’s response, while the government targets a seven-week wait by summer 2026.