As we enter 2022, unfortunately, the situation with the driving test backlog as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet gone away. The DVSA has recognised this, and they’re doing their best to manage and improve the situation.
The challenge is that the waiting time for a new test is currently around six months, although this could be longer in large cities. Areas such as Goodmayes in London, are believed to be as long as 9-12 months to wait for a driving test. Frustratingly, over 40,500 tests have been wasted since April 2021 due to candidates not turning up to their tests and not informing the DVSA for whatever reason. In November alone, over 6,600 tests were wasted because of no-shows, which could have been allocated to other people who needed one and were ready to take their driving test.
The DVSA’s primary focus has been to recruit additional examiners to increase the number of tests conducted per day. However, it takes a while for examiners to become qualified, so the impact will be gradual. There are now an additional 120 newly qualified examiners testing candidates across the country, with over 80 additional examiners currently in training. If a newly qualified examiner conducts your driving test, you may have an additional experienced examiner accompany you so that they can observe the new examiner.
Because you can’t book your driving test unless you have passed your theory test, it is a good idea to get your theory test booked early on to pass this. The waiting time for taking a theory test is an average of four weeks. If you get the theory test under your belt, it provides more opportunities to plan with your driving instructor to be able to book your driving test in line with your progress. Don’t forget that you can take your theory test anytime, either before starting lessons or once your lessons have started. I would recommend that you work with your instructor on both the theory test and booking your driving test to avoid disappointment and any unnecessary delays.
The obvious question you might be asking is, “How do I know when I’m test ready?” Your instructor will keep you informed of your progress towards test readiness during lessons. Your driving instructor will know best when it comes to how competent you are in certain aspects, but the decision on when to take your test is your choice. Hopefully, there won’t be a huge discrepancy between where you consider yourself in your driving journey and where your instructor considers you to be.
Most driving schools will have some form of progress record that helps you, your instructor, and anyone supporting you identify where you are, what progress you are making, and how much more work is needed to be test ready. Make sure you keep this record up to date after every lesson. Remember to trust your instructor’s experience and skill in assessing your progress towards test readiness. It’s your lessons and your driving test, so try to avoid the temptation of comparing your progress to others – everybody is different, which includes instructors!
You might have seen some driving test cancellation checking service apps trying to cash in on the lack of tests, with a promise of earlier test dates. Historically these have been successful, and some pupils have secured earlier test dates. However, the DVSA has recently deemed this as unfair use of technology to cheat the system and have put some measures in place to prevent these from completing automatic checks on your behalf. Our advice is to save your money and work with your instructor to manually check for an earlier test date if needed.
Don’t be tempted to book a driving test before starting your lessons, even though it might seem like a good idea. It may be that you progress to test readiness sooner than you anticipate, or you may need more time. Either way, it is better to work with an instructor who can continually assess your progress and help you to plan accordingly.
