Learner drivers are being forced to wait up to six months to take their driving test, while others are forced to pay inflated prices due to “bots” snapping up slots as soon as they become available.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) releases new driving test every Monday at 6am, but learners have complained that they’re harder to get hold of than Oasis tickets. Shortly after this week’s slots were released, one person said on social media: “6am and nearly 25,000 were ahead of me in the queue… really?”
Another said: “Trying to book a driving test for my son, 6am in the queue, 12,500 ahead of me, wait 40 mins to book, re-directed and then told there’s a system error…. Was easier getting @Oasis tickets!” Many say they are losing out to “bots” which are being used to snap up the slots, so they can then be resold at much higher prices on unofficial apps.
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It costs £62 to take your driving test during the week, or £75 if you book in the evening, on a weekend or bank holiday. One social media user said it would cost her £150 to book a driving test using an unofficial app. The average waiting time to book a test was 20 weeks in February, according to the AA Driving School.
The DVSA wants to reduce this to seven weeks or below by the end of the year, but as of February, only 14 driving test centres were meeting this target. The number of test centres with a 24-week waiting time nearly doubled from 94 to 183 over the 12-month period.
The Department for Transport has launched a campaign to recruit and train 450 new driving examiners to help lower the waiting times. It has also extended the amount of time learner drivers need to give before they change or cancel a driving test, to cut down on the amount of slots being wasted.
You used to be able to cancel up to three days ahead without losing the test fee. But under the new rules, learners must give ten full working days’ notice to change or cancel their test without losing the fee.
Driving instructors have blamed profiteering and “bots” for making it almost impossible to book a driving test for their customers. Aman Sanghera, a driving instructor based in west London, told Sky News: “No matter how fast I am, there’s nothing available.” Lorna Lee, from the AA Driving School, told the BBC that waiting times have also started to rise again after extra slots that were previously made available got used up.
She told the BBC: “It had started to improve towards the end of 2023 and into the start of 2024 because there were some extra slots that the DVSA made available, but once those slots got used up, waiting times began to creep up again.” The DVSA puts the blame on increased demand for driving test slots and not enough examiners.
Rhydian Jones, Confused.com car insurance expert, urged learners to book their test slot directly through the DVLA to avoid being stung by people reselling them at inflated prices. The can find the official link to book your driving test through the DVLA on GOV.UK.
He said: “You should book your test slot directly through the DVLA’s website, to ensure you’re not being tricked by any unofficial websites. That way, you won’t risk having an invalid test or licence, which could cost you having your licence revoked, and cause you to spend much more than needed. “While the backlog can be frustrating, take the time to prepare as much as possible for your driving test, and don’t rush to quicker options that could cost you. Not only will waiting until you’re ready increase your chances of passing, it will also reduce further costs on continued lessons and test fees.“
A DVSA spokesman said: “Car practical test waiting times remain high due to an increase in demand and a change in customers’ booking behaviour. We continue to work on implementing our seven-point plan to reduce waiting times and encouraging learner drivers to only book their driving test when they are ready.
“Since launching our plan in December 2024, we are making progress towards recruiting and training 450 driving examiners across Great Britain.”
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