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UK Drafts Military Examiners and Tightens Booking Rules to Tackle Driving-Test Backlog

Ministers concede the seven-week target for summer 2026 is now out of reach.

Overview

  • Thirty-six Ministry of Defence examiners will conduct civilian tests one day a week for 12 months, with the MoD charging the DVSA £100,000.
  • Only individual learners will be permitted to book tests as new rules curb bot-driven reselling, cap reschedules at two, and restrict moves to nearby centres.
  • The DVSA carried out about 182,000 practical tests in the most recent month, a 9% increase on last year.
  • Average waits remain roughly 22 weeks, with 642,000 learners holding bookings as of the end of October.
  • To bolster capacity, the government reports 316 examiner recruits for a net gain of about 40 and will pay a £5,000 retention bonus next year.