Driving test waits fall to two-year low - but still average 20 weeks
Learner drivers in September had to wait an average of 19.7 weeks, or around five months, for a practical test.
Driving test waiting times have fallen to their lowest level in two years, though they still average 20 weeks
Official figures show that waiting times for driving tests have dropped below 20 weeks for the first time since November 2024.
Even so, learner drivers in September were still waiting an average of 19.7 weeks, or about five months, for a practical test.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has been working to reduce delays and clear a backlog that started during the Covid pandemic in 2020.
One driving instructor told the BBC, in response to the agency’s progress: "I don't think this is anything to boast about."
The DVSA had originally aimed to bring the average waiting time down to seven weeks by the end of last year.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander later moved that target to summer 2026, but then said even that would not be achievable, with waits now not expected to fall to seven weeks until next autumn
In September, the DVSA carried out 191,682 practical driving tests, and more than half of them were passed.
Learner drivers have repeatedly told the BBC that limited access to driving tests has restricted their freedom, education and job opportunities.
Until earlier this year, many learner drivers paid inflated prices to get driving tests being resold by third-party providers who had used automated programmes, or bots, to block book tests before learners could access them.
The DVSA made several changes to the test booking system earlier this year to prevent it being exploited. Now, only the learner driver can book their driving test.
Sophie Stuchfield, a driving instructor in Watford, previously showed the BBC hundreds of driving tests being offered for sale by resellers on messaging groups
Sophie Stuchfield, a driving instructor in Watford, told the BBC: "Whilst the re-selling of tests does seem to have stopped, which is a massive positive, they've still failed to recruit enough examiners to cope with demand."
She said she did not think the small drop in waiting times "is anything to boast about", adding that in many areas the wait for a driving test when booking is 21 weeks.
"On many occasions, my drivers wake up at 5.45am on a Monday, only to not end up with a test as when they click on something, by the time they put their details in, they are told the test has already been taken."
Sophie added that the wait for a test meant many learner drivers "who haven't even started driving lessons will book a test knowing it's 5 months away", placing themselves and the instructor under a lot of pressure.
Justin Madders, the minister for roads, said the government "inherited record waiting times and a significant backlog".
"While driving test waiting times are still not where we want them to be, these figures show real progress is being made," he added.
A DVSA spokesperson said the agency was "committed to reducing waiting times" and that "examiner numbers are at their highest level since November 2017".
"But we know there's more to do and we won't stop until every learner can get a test slot when they need one, wherever they're learning to drive," the spokesperson added.