Overview

• Learner drivers currently face average waits of 22.3 weeks for a practical test with 258 locations at the 24-week cap
• A fast-track booking reform consultation closed in July and is now being analysed to inform changes to slot-swapping and management rules
• To tackle the backlog, the DVSA has added 10,000 monthly test slots, doubled examiner trainer capacity, offered overtime payments and redeployed qualified staff
• Bots and unauthorised brokers continue exploiting the online booking platform by hoarding slots and selling tests for up to £300, prompting DVSA enforcement actions
• Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has set a revised goal to cut average waits to seven weeks by summer 2026 under the government’s recovery plan