The DVSA has failed to meet several of its core targets relating to its mission to slash the backlog of practical driving tests, which has impacted thousands of people.
In its latest annual report, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) outlined that it had carried out 3.11 million theory tests and 2.06 million practical driving tests.
It had an initial aim of slashing the average waiting time of the theory test to four weeks or less, with 2024-2025 having a wait time of 3.3 weeks.
The DVSA successfully met this performance measure and improved on the average 3.6-week wait. It also achieved a 96 per cent satisfaction rating, compared to an 85 per cent target.
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DVSA/PA
|The DVSA failed to meet some of its driving test goals over the last year
However, it failed to meet its target of providing as many car practical tests as possible by reducing the waiting time for a practical test to seven weeks or fewer.
In 2023-2024, the DVSA achieved an average waiting time of 16.1 weeks, against the seven-week aim, which is expected by December 2025.
As of March 31, 2025, the DVSA has missed its target, with drivers waiting three times as long as the goal, at 21.9 weeks.
The DVSA also missed its satisfaction target for practical car driving tests. It had a benchmark of 75 per cent, but fell to just 65 per cent, a four per cent drop compared to the previous year.
PA | Some younger learner drivers have been forced to wait months for a driving test The number of practical car tests taken in the last financial year (1.96 million) significantly exceeds pre-pandemic levels of between 1.6 and 1.8 million tests per year.
Loveday Ryder, chief executive of the DVSA, said: "We recognise the impact this has on learner drivers across the country and on driving instructors and their businesses.
"We are doing all we can to address this, working with the Government quickly to develop a plan to tackle the car practical test waiting time, announced in December 2024."
The "comprehensive plan" to tackle waiting times included recruiting and training 450 driving examiners, improving test booking rules and implementing tougher terms and conditions for instructors.
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The DVSA stated that it remains focused on delivering on its goals to address the backlog of driving tests across the UK.
As of March 31, the agency announced that it was on track to recruit 450 driving examiners, having already trained 241, and a further 139 were completing training and going into testing.
It has also expanded test centre capacity in Leeds, Leicester and Cardiff, as well as providing theory tests at six centres in Northern Ireland alongside the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).
The theory test waiting times have been affected by increased demand stemming from a decrease in the pass rate for theory tests.
PA | Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander outlined several changes to reduce the backlog in December last year
Ryder added: "We continue to progress this work, continually reviewing the impact of action taken and looking for further opportunities to improve the situation.
"We recognise that there are no quick fixes and that we need to re-balance supply and demand for tests alongside tackling the systematic abuse of the test booking system."
The DVSA also oversaw a staggering 42.38 million MOT tests, as well as an additional 696,000 HGV tests in the 2024-2025 financial year.