The DVSA has been criticised in response to its seven-point plan to tackle driving waiting times, with experts warning it has not gone far enough to prevent thousands of drivers from being impacted by backlogs.
It comes after research found that during the first three months of the year, the number of driving tests fell by 17 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Data revealed that there were 466,000 tests taken between January and March, down from 560,000 in 2024, despite the DVSA pledging in December that it would tackle waiting times.
However, on March 31, there were 583,000 tests booked for future dates, marking the highest number on record for the year and coming just two weeks before the DVSA changes were introduced.
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The new DVSA rules for driving tests were introduced on April 8
PAOn April 8, the DVSA unveiled new measures for driving tests, including requiring motorists to give at least 10 days' notice for cancelling tests.
This marks a stark difference from the previous three-day rule, with the changes hoping to allow more test slots to be reallocated to drivers and help plug the Covid backlog.
RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: "Understandable anxiety about being able to get a test slot is itself helping clog up the system.
"Candidates are making early bookings in the hope that they’ll be ready to pass when test day arrives, though failure rates suggest many won’t be."
According to DVSA records, the pass rate for tests taken in March was 49 per cent higher than the same period last year, which had a 46.9 per cent pass rate.
Despite the DVSA introducing tougher measures, recent analysis by AA Driving School revealed that drivers have been waiting a shocking 20 weeks for test slots in February, up from 14 weeks a year earlier.
A DVSA spokesperson 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."
The agency explained that since launching its plan in December 2024, it has been making progress towards recruiting and training 450 driving examiners across the UK.
The report also found that as of February, only 14 test centres had waiting times for driving tests below seven weeks, which was a key part of the DVSA’s seven-point plan.
Discussing the new DVSA plan, Minister for the Future of Roads Lilian Greenwood said: "Driving is more than just a means of transport; it is a lifeline for many, opening doors to jobs, opportunities and ultimately contributing to the growth of our economy.
"The measures announced are another vital step in tackling the driving test backlog and ensuring that more learners who are ready to take their test can do so without unnecessary delays."
Last year, the DVSA recorded roughly 60,000 driving test slots being wasted due to drivers failing to show up, which also sparked the need for reform to the cancellation policy.
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The DVSA introduced new rules to crack down on the bulk booking of tests GETTYThe DVSA added: "The new terms and conditions make it clear that driving instructors and businesses must not book driving tests on behalf of learner drivers they are not teaching.
"They also stop driving instructors and businesses from using a learner driver’s details to book a driving test that they have no intention of that particular learner driver using. This is sometimes done to create a placeholder so the test can be swapped to another learner driver later."
