Page 2 | Driving test backlog

ClementineFortyNine · 2026-06-16T07:18:26+00:00

I cannot believe that there is still such a backlog for driving tests. Why did it take until 2026 to put new rules in place to attempt to clear the backlog from COVID? Apparently, it won’t be successfully cleared until November 2027! AIBU to think they should have sorted this before now?

Lokilure · 19/06/2026 00:08

@theturtleswims ah congrats to her. Mine did 3 tests in 3 different test centres bless her, we just couldn't get her back into the 2 closest test centres to us which are both tiny. And the next closest one to us was closed down a couple of years back despite the desperate shortage of tests. She ended up passing an hour from home, at a test centre her driving instructor doesn't cover. It's too far away really but I guess because it's massive, more cancellations come up there.

I can imagine that if we lived in sensible practising distance of massive test centre, the whole thing wouldn't have been quite such a stressful scramble.

AstonUniversityPotholeDepartment · 19/06/2026 01:07

The situation has improved already at my local test centre. I think it's really helped that they've made it mandatory to give 10 days' or more notice to cancel if you want a refund on the fee. That means other people have a chance to grab the slot.

AstonUniversityPotholeDepartment · 19/06/2026 01:35

modgepodge · 17/06/2026 22:25

I understand that the new rules make it easier for individual learners to book themselves a test and not pay a crazy amount for it, obviously this is a good thing. But I don’t understand how it is helping clear the backlog?

If there are (eg) 100 tests a day available, and 200 people wanting to book them, why does it make a difference to the backlog and waiting times whether they are booked up by a bot and sold on at a mark up, or booked by individuals at cost price? Surely 100 people still aren’t able to book the day they want and have to wait longer, putting pressure on later dates…?

The combination of the backlog and the profiteering incentivised people to use test slots when they weren't test-ready because people were reluctant to lose the test slots that they'd prebooked. So they sat the tests, failed them and rebooked, instead of letting anyone else have the slot.

Hmm, I'm not sure I've explained that well. Let me try again.

So you're a teenage learner driver near a test centre that is booked 22 weeks in advance. You're not ready now, but your instructor and family are confident you'll be ready in about four to five months, so you book in advance. Perhaps by getting up early, or perhaps by spending money on one of those third-party sites. Point is, you have your test slot.

The date comes round, and you're not quite ready after all. But if you have a good day, you might scrape a pass! The backlog at the test centre has increased and it is now going to be 24 weeks before you can test, if you cancel this week's slot, and you're not going to get your money back from that website.

So what do you do? Especially if you're a teenager to whom six months' time feels like six years?

Well what thousands did/do, was sit the test and fail, and then rejoin the queue. Or they cancelled at the very last minute, which meant no-one who was more ready to pass had a chance to grab the slot instead.

modgepodge · 19/06/2026 06:52