Driving Test Waiting Times Fall to 19.7 Weeks as DVSA Carries Out a Record 191,682 Tests in September

What happened: driving test waiting times fall to 19.7 weeks

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) updated its official driving test data tables on Wednesday 14 October 2026, adding the figures for September 2026.

The headline measure, the number of weeks until at least 10 percent of weekly test appointments are still free to book, fell to 19.7 weeks for Great Britain. That is down from 20.0 weeks in August 2026 and 21.2 weeks in September 2025.

Some reports described the figure as the lowest since November 2024. The published tables tell a slightly different story: the same measure was also 19.7 weeks in December 2024 and 19.6 weeks in January 2025. The accurate claim, and it is still good news, is that the measure is below 20 weeks for the first time since January 2025.

Test volumes hit a record. The DVSA carried out 191,682 car tests with a pass or fail result in September, the highest figure for any September in the data, which runs back to 2019. Of those, 99,215 were passes, a pass rate of 51.8 percent. Across the 12 months to September 2026 the agency carried out 2,161,815 tests, the highest 12 month total in the data. Some 30,873 of September’s tests were delivered through overtime slots.

Why there are two waiting time numbers

Most coverage mixes up two different DVSA measures, so here they are side by side.

The 19.7 weeks figure looks forward. It measures how far ahead you have to look before a reasonable share of appointments, 10 percent or more in a week, is still available to book.

The second figure looks backward. Among people who actually took their test in September, the median wait between booking and taking the test was 11.6 weeks. Half waited less than that, half waited longer. This median rose from 11.1 weeks in August, even as forward availability improved, because the tests taken in September include many booked months earlier at the height of the backlog.

In short: booking ahead is getting easier, but the queue people are still working through is the old, long one. Some 41.1 percent of September’s tests were taken within 7 weeks of booking, while 29.5 percent were taken more than 21 weeks after booking.

Key numbers

Waiting times by area: London waits twice as long as Wales

The national average hides a wide split. The same availability measure for September 2026 was 23.8 weeks in London and 23.2 weeks in the East of England, but only 11.6 weeks in Wales and 14.2 weeks in the South West.

What it means for your money

A driving licence is a money tool. Many jobs ask for one, and every extra month in the queue can mean extra paid lessons just to stay test ready. A shorter queue therefore saves real money, even though 19.7 weeks is still a long wait.

Only ever pay the official test price. A car driving test booked through GOV.UK costs £62 on weekdays and £75 at evenings, weekends and bank holidays, and the theory test costs £23. Any website or person charging more than that for the test itself is adding a premium on top of the official fee. Book and manage your test only through the official GOV.UK service.

Failing is expensive, and the sums are large. In September, 92,467 people took a test and did not pass. GOV.UK states that a retest costs the full fee again. On our calculation, if each of those learners books one more weekday test at £62, that is £5,732,954 in retest fees from a single month of failed tests, before any extra lessons or the cost of using an instructor’s car on the day. Going in properly prepared is the cheapest option.

Earlier slots do appear. The backward looking figures show 41.1 percent of September tests were taken within 7 weeks of booking, far sooner than the 19.7 week headline suggests. Cancellations and extra capacity open up nearer dates, so checking the official booking service for an earlier test date is worth your time. It costs nothing to look.

Plan the wait, do not just pay through it. If your test is months away, talk to your instructor about spacing lessons so you stay sharp without paying for weekly lessons you do not yet need. Money you are setting aside for a first car and insurance can sit in a savings account meanwhile: see our guide to the best savings accounts in the UK. When you pass and start looking at cars, check where you stand first with our guide to checking your credit score free in the UK, and if a licence is the thing holding back a better paid job, our make money hub lists routes you can start now.

Driving test waiting times: your questions answered

How long is the wait for a driving test now? There are two official answers. Forward availability in September 2026 stood at 19.7 weeks until a good share of slots was free, while the median wait experienced by people who took a test that month was 11.6 weeks.

Why is the London wait so much longer? Demand and examiner capacity differ by area. In the September data, London’s availability measure was 23.8 weeks and its median actual wait was 14.3 weeks, against 11.6 weeks and 7.4 weeks in Wales.

How much does a driving test cost? £62 on weekdays and £75 at evenings, weekends and bank holidays for the car practical test, plus £23 for the theory test, when you book through GOV.UK.

What happens if I fail? You pay the full fee again to rebook. In September 2026 the pass rate was 51.8 percent, so roughly one in two learners needed at least one more test.

Can I get a test sooner than the headline wait? Many do. Some 41.1 percent of tests taken in September 2026 happened within 7 weeks of booking, because cancellations and added slots release earlier dates through the official service.

Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency driving test data tables (table DRT121G), updated 14 October 2026 with September 2026 data, and GOV.UK driving test costs. Retest fee total is our own calculation from those figures. Read the primary sources: DVSA driving test and theory test data on GOV.UK and driving test costs on GOV.UK.