Are Driving Test Wait Times Rising or Falling in 2024?

By Blind Spot DriveBlog

Are Driving Test Wait Times Rising or Falling in 2024?

By the end of 2023, driving test waiting times were a nightmare to handle in the United Kingdom. The average waiting times one would have to wait, having risen to 20.4 weeks by October, was growing increasingly into enormous backlogs that put both the learner drivers and driving instructors at tasks. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency instigated an action plan to increase the availability of tests over a six-month period to fight the issue head-on. This comprised an additional 150,000 practical driving tests by March 2024.

Now well into 2024, a mid-way update by Loveday Ryder, the Chief Executive of the DVSA , shines some light on both developments up to this point and waiting times for driving tests across the nation. While a positive development is in sight, one would have to consider just how effective such effort is and goes to change the driving test landscape of the UK.

The Driving Test Waiting Time Crisis in 2023

The waiting times list for practical driving tests peaked in 2023 to an average of 20.6 weeks by August of that year. This fact resulted in frustrations of various learner drivers, frustrating them due to the situation at hand and not knowing just when they could actually have a driving test. In no specific part of the country was the problem-the country’s test centers had all fallen behind in trying to cope with demand. London and other populous cities were among the worst hit, however.

These huge backlogs were multifactorial in origin. The COVID-19 pandemic had caused huge disruptions to driving test schedules, snowballing into huge accumulated demand hitherto. Together with changing booking behaviours that saw more learners try to book test dates well in advance and an ever-growing population of people attempting to get their driving licences, the DVSA was overwhelmed.

DVSA six-month plan

With this increasing pressure, the DVSA came up with a six-month detailed plan in order to reduce the backlog of driving tests. Its focal point was to increase practical driving test slots by 150,000 more appointments up to next March 2024, which would be attained through recruiting driving examiners, improving booking systems, and the temporary relocation of driving examiners from areas with low demand to the areas that have been experiencing the longest waiting times.

An update from Loveday Ryder, four months into this action plan, offers good news. Ryder reported that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has already provided an additional 100,436 driving tests since October 2023, inching closer to the 150,000 target. This is impressive against the background of unprecedented demand for driving tests across December 2023. Testing was higher by a record 24.2% with 152,474 tests conducted compared with 115,641 in December 2022.

Waiting Times: The Current Situation-Falling Numbers Perhaps the most encouraging element in the DVSA’s efforts is the decrease in the average waiting times. Comparing those to its worst, this has fallen from an average waiting times for a driving test over 20 weeks to 15.1 weeks by the end of January 2024. Indeed, this is a big reduction and shows that this agency does not relent in its efforts to reduce such delays.

This also reduced the number of test centres where people had to wait longer than 24 weeks. Of the 148 test centres which had to wait over 24 weeks, this number has dwindled to 67 as of January 2024. That is a big number for those who are concerned but an assurance that, indeed, things are getting better in most parts of the UK.

Ryder ascribes much of this success to the strategy of the DVSA in moving examiners from lower demand areas into those with the highest waiting times. Due to such a redeployment of resources, the DVSA has been able to cut down the backlog-a godsend to the leaner drivers who had waited for several months.

Regional Disparities: London and Highly Populated Areas

Despite the general reduction in waiting times across the board, there are still certain regions characterized by delays. London has been specifically known for much longer waiting times compared to the average. This is partly because of the very dense population and the high volume of learners trying to book tests in the capital.

DVSA has managed to improve the situation in most parts of the country, though the position still remains far from ideal in London. Ryder added that this was recognized, and further efforts were required to bring waiting times down to the national average, especially in heavily populated urban areas.

The DVSA is considering further measures to fight these regional disparities, but it has not announced the details yet. Of course, for learners in London and other high-demand areas, the road ahead may still be frustrating, but the progress made so far provides a ray of hope that things might get better.

Availabilities of Test Appointments: A Positive Trend

Another positive effect of the efforts put in by the DVSA is an improvement in the availability of test appointments. The DVSA has been tracking the percentage of driving test appointments within the next 24 weeks that are available to book. In April 2023, only 5.9% of such appointments were still available for booking. But by January 2024, that availability had increased nationally to 21%, with some regions in Northern England and Scotland showing even better availability rates—up to 34.1%.

This increase in the number of available appointments is considered one of the key indicators that the DVSA’s scheme has been working. For the learner driver, this offers a greater range of test dates to choose from; not only does it reduce the waiting times but, importantly, learners will have greater freedom in booking their test at a time more suitable to themselves and their readiness, too.
The Challenges Ahead While progress is encouraging so far, a number of challenges remain in front of the DVSA in driving wait times even further down. As Ryder highlights in her update, demand for driving tests continues to increase, and unexpected factors—such as changes in customer booking behaviour—have added complexity to that.

One issue is that many learners book tests well in advance, as a kind of “insurance” in case they may have to wait for a later date than desired because they are not sure if they will be ready by that date. This could clog up the booking system and prevent other learners from accessing available slots. The DVSA has been doing work on how to handle this problem, but it remains an ongoing challenge.

Another barrier might be the number of driving examiners. While DVSA has been able to hire more examiners and assign them to their hottest areas, there are only so many testers that can be trained in a short amount of time and put into service. Also, not every region could retain examiners easily, with some having a bit more difficulty, especially in farther-flung areas of the country.

What Does This Mean for Learners?
Good news for learner drivers is that waiting lists have now been reduced. If you are currently learning to drive, you should now start to find, as your instructor books your practical test, more appointments becoming available; this could be a shorter wait and hopefully an available date that suits you.

For those living in areas where waiting lists are still long—such as London—this is little consolation. The DVSA does acknowledge that regional waiting lists form part of the problem as a whole and are doing their best to iron out such variations. In the meantime, it’s worth checking test centres other than your nearest one: often, adjacent areas have far shorter waiting times. Preparing for Your Driving Test
With more test appointments, learners should be fully ready to take their test on the scheduled date. Take mock driving tests and driving test preparation that your instructor may provide to give you extra chances of passing on the first attempt. In fact, the steps taken by the DVSA to reduce waiting times give the learner more flexibility in rescheduling their test date, should they feel the need to do so, but it is still important to prepare yourself as best you can to avoid such scenarios.

Meanwhile, for those about to take their theory test, the DVSA has been working hard to ensure theory test appointments are readily available. If you’re unsure of any element of the test, get theory test help from your instructor or refer online to further any knowledge .
The Future of the Road for the DVSA Going into the rest of 2024, it is an assurance that the DVSA will sustain the gains made so far and continue its efforts in making sure driving test wait times go down further. Ryder’s update concedes that much is left to achieve, but the progress so far gives reason to hope that the worst of the backlog is behind us.

Both learners and instructors will be very eager to know what further steps the DVSA would take beyond March 2024 to try and address the remaining issues. As demand increases and customer booking behaviors continue to change, the agency will have to maintain the ability to be agile and responsive to meet those needs throughout the United Kingdom.

Conclusion
In short, the driving test waiting times are still longer than desirable in 2024, yet it is clear that the combined efforts of the DVSA are bearing fruit already. Having provided more than 100,000 extra tests since October 2023, average waits have fallen from more than 20 weeks to just over 15 weeks, so things continue to get better. In fact, as the DVSA proceeds with its six-month plan and makes further adjustments to regional needs, learners can expect further reductions in waiting times lists and a greater availability of appointments to take their test throughout the year.

Main photo by Levi Jones on Unsplash