Driving test waiting times across Great Britain have reached an average of 22.4 weeks, according to the latest data.

The latest revelations come as DVSA introduces new measures to tackle third-party resellers.

However, there is concern across the industry that the changes will do little to cut waiting times in the near future.

Bots, ban and booking

The changes introduced by the DVSA today mean it is now against the law to book or change a driving test on behalf of someone else, including by driving instructors.

Learners must make and manage their own bookings directly through the official system.

These reforms follow the passing of The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 on 27 April, which brought the new restrictions into law.

The measures are designed to reduce the resale of driving test appointments, which has been widely blamed for contributing to persistent delays.

Record test waiting times sunce the Covid lockdowns has meant a growth in demand for driving tests, and as the waiting grows, so candidates are looking to third party booking sites to short cut the circuit.

These sites have been using bots to buy up multiple test slots and sell them on, as well as other persons booking test slots and selling them on, including some ADIs.

The business has proved profitable and only led to longer waiting times for those learners using the official booking system.

Climbing time 

New Freedom of Information data, accessed by The AA Driving School, shows the national average waiting time increased from 17.94 weeks in January 2025 to 22.39 weeks by 6 April 2026.

The figures indicate a steady upward trend throughout 2025, passing 20 weeks in September and continuing to rise into this year.

Analysis also shows that 69 test centres recorded the maximum possible 24-week waiting time in every month of 2025, with no period of improvement.

In England, 58 centres (18% of the total) were at the 24-week limit throughout the year,  while in Wales, 6 centres (over one in five, or 22%) remained at maximum capacity, the highest proportion of any nation. 

Scotland has 5 centres (around 10%) recording 24-week waits consistently.

The government has set a target of reducing average waiting times to seven weeks by the end of 2027, though current levels remain more than three times that goal.

Emma Bush, managing director of The AA Driving School, said learner drivers were still facing “unacceptable delays” in accessing tests.

“The data clearly shows more needs to be done to really get a handle on the situation and start to push waiting times back,” she said. “Without sustained action to increase capacity and stabilise test availability, long waiting times are likely to remain a feature of the system.”

She added that while the new legal restrictions on third-party bookings represent a significant shift, they are “unlikely to be the silver bullet which turns the tide on long waiting times”. 

Bush also stressed that improving recruitment and retention of examiners would be crucial to reducing delays in the long term.

“To really improve waiting times over a prolonged period, there needs to be unrelenting focus from the DVSA on retaining and recruiting driving test examiners.”

Reforms and fairness

Officials say the booking restrictions are intended to prevent misuse of the system and ensure appointments are accessed directly by learners.

The changes are part of broader efforts to stabilise availability and improve transparency in the process.

In a statement, DVSA said: “Our priority is to stop learners being exploited by third parties and put them in control of booking and managing their driving test.

“That’s why we’re making changes to the way driving tests are booked, making the process fairer and clamping down on businesses that resell tests at inflated prices.

“The changes will help us achieve that goal… supported by driving examiner numbers at their highest level since 2018 and the recent deployment of military driving examiners who are already carrying out tests.”

Supporters argue that limiting third-party involvement will help address automated booking bots and resellers who secure slots for profit, then sell them on at inflated prices.
 
However, industry representatives say deeper structural challenges, including examiner recruitment and sustained demand, must also be addressed to achieve lasting improvements.In a report from September last year, the National Audit Office (NAO) found that the length of time spent waiting meant around 31% of DVSA survey respondents had paid a third-party reseller of test slots or a test slot cancellation checker service to secure a session.

In some cases, people paid up to £500 to third parties, which the NAO notes is “a significantly higher price than DVSA’s standard weekday test fee of £62”.

The DVSA also noted in January that attempts to cheat on driving tests in Britain had soared by 47% in a year. It said there was no evidence to link that with the backlog.

DIA report to ministers

Alongside the introduction of the new rules, the Driving Instructors Association (DIA) has today sent a report to Ministers outlining what it describes as “serious concerns and questions” regarding the changes to test booking platform access.

The association says the report highlights issues previously raised by the industry, as well as concerns that have emerged more recently.

It states that the amendments, implemented through the 2026 Regulations, represent significant policy decisions with wide-ranging consequences.

The DIA argues it is “critical that stakeholders are appraised of these concerns,” adding that the consequences are “deep and far-reaching for the industry, the profession, driver training, testing and licensing, and road safety.”

Among the key questions raised in the report are:

  • Where is the evidence that Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) were significant bad actors in the booking process?
  • Why was the consultation process structured in a way that did not consider closing the booking system to ADIs only?
  • Was decision-making based on flawed consultation data?
  • Was the impact assessment adequate, given the potential cost implications exceeding £40 million?
  • Did the consultation satisfy the Gunning Principles?
  • Why have third-party abuses reportedly continued despite the measures?
  • Have the needs of learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) been adequately considered?
  • Has the reform created additional risk by reducing the professional role of ADIs as gatekeepers?
  • Has trust between the regulator and professional instructors been affected?

The DIA says the report has been sent to the DVSA and Ministers, and will also be shared with the Transport Committee and elected representatives across political parties.

Debate continues

While over 600,000 learners are waiting for a driving test slot, the government maintains the reforms will help restore fairness and reduce exploitation of the booking system.

However, commentators note that sustained action on examiner recruitment and system capacity will be required to meet the 2027 target.

Despite 19 recruitment campaigns since 2021, only about 3% of applicants (327 out of 11,132) successfully secured roles in the last year, while around 12% of examiners (approximately 186 staff) resign annually.

The DIA says that ensuring examiners are “better paid [and provided with] a better recruitment and training process” is the key to solving the test backlog, with the DVSA currently “leak[ing] existing examiners out the other end of the funnel who are tired, stressed and don’t feel adequately remunerated for their work.”

With average waiting times now exceeding 22 weeks, pressure remains high on the system as policymakers attempt to balance access, enforcement, and long-term reform.