What day and time are driving tests released each week?

With long delays for learner drivers looking to book driving tests - as a result of backlogs stemming from the pandemic and industrial action carried out by examiners - motoring journalist and expert Pete Barden looks at what day of the week, and what time specifically, new driving test slots are released to help learners get the best chance of booking one at the earliest opportunity. 

What day and time are driving tests released?  (Credit: gdsteam)

What day are new driving tests released on the website?

The DVSA says new driving test slots are released on a Monday - for the following 24-week period. Availability varies between test centres so it advises candidates to keep looking regularly for a suitable date and time. Widening to other test centres can improve your chance of getting an earlier test date.

Confirming the Monday morning release date on 4 October, a spokesperson for the DVSA said: "If we have availability for the next 24 week window these will be on the system ready to book on a Monday, however please note it is a live booking system so cancellations can appear at any time."

The DVSA has previously also said: “Availability varies between test centres so we advise you to keep looking regularly for a suitable date and time,”

The agency added: “You may want to widen your search to other test centres.”

What time on a Monday are driving tests released?

You'll need to be up early to take advantage of the new driving test slots being released on a Monday morning each week, a spokesperson for the DVSA told Pete Barden Motoring News: "We tend to release dates first thing in the morning. I would advise you to check from 6am when our online system opens."

So start checking from 6am on a Monday if you want to grab a slot within the following 24-week period. 

How long is the wait for a driving test? 

Learner drivers are having to wait much longer to get a driving test slot than in the past - with waiting times for test dates anything from two to six months depending on where you live in the UK. 

A freedom of information request submitted by AA Driving Schools to the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency has revealed that the average waiting time for a driving test in Great Britain has increased compared to pre-Covid levels at most centres.

The FoI data indicates that, at the start of February, aspiring drivers had to wait an average of 14.8 weeks from the time of booking to take their test. By early May, this average waiting time had risen to 17.8 weeks, marking a 20% increase.

Additionally, the number of test centres with average waiting times of 24 weeks – the maximum that the system could record – grew from 94 in early February to 125 by the beginning of May.

There are three main reasons for the delays. Firstly, the DVSA has said an increase in forecast demand has been caused by a stronger than expected economy, which has put more candidates into the market - therefore adding increased pressure to the system and pushing up waiting time. 

Additionally, the driving examiners' industrial action across many months earlier this year saw many tests cancelled, pushing those candidates back into the booking system and, in turn, pushing up wait times even further. At the moment there is no new industrial action planned by the examiners, so this should see some pressure taken off the system which should translate into reduced waiting times for tests.

Finally, the DVSA says low confidence in the driving test booking system by learner drivers has also led to increased delays. This is because many new drivers are not confident in securing a driving test, so are booking on as soon as they have passed their theory test - before many haven't even sat behind the wheel of a car.

In the past, pupils would take driving lessons for around six to eight weeks and only book a test appointment when the instructor considered them ready. Now they book early and are often not ready when the test comes around, so either cancel late or fail the test - pushing them back into the system and, again, increasing waiting time for a driving test slot. 

Don't expect the situation to ease any time soon, with the DVSA predicting that extended delays will continue well into 2024. 

Driving test waiting time information by region

Region	Average Wait Time (weeks)	Shortest Wait Time (weeks)	Longest Wait Time (weeks)
South East	23.00	2	24
Greater London	17.00	2	17
South West	21.86	13	24
East of England	20.00	12	22
West Midlands	18.50	10	20
Yorkshire and the Humber	19.00	11	21
East Midlands	22.00	14	23
North West	19.50	12	22
Scotland	20.50	14	23
Wales	21.00	15	24

Table created by analysis from data sources including the AA Driving School Report and Gov.UK

Top ten driving test pass rates by centre

Here are the UK driving test centres with the top pass rates, according to a study from Howden Insurance. Useful data for candidates choosing which test centre they should book.

Rank	Test Centre	Pass Rate
1	Montrose	74.8
2	Peebles	74.2
3	Hawick	73.3
4	Forfar	72.6
5	Lerwick	70.1
6	Girvan	69.7
7	Kelso	69.3
8	Stranraer	68.5
9	Fraserburgh	66.3
10	Kendal	66.0

Top ten lowest driving test pass rates by centre

Here are the top 10 driving centres with the lowest pass rates in the UK.

Rank	Test Centre	Pass Rate %
1	Swindon	21.5
2	Speke	32.0
3	Doncaster	32.5
4	Erith	32.8
5	Belvedere	33.5
6	Wolverhampton	35.5
7	Featherstone	37.4
8	Rochdale	37.5
9	Wednesbury	37.7
10	Bury	38.0

Are driving examiners planning any new strikes?

At the moment there are no planned strikes by driving examiners, but this could change. We will keep this page updated regarding potential industrial action by examiners.

Are theory tests being cancelled because of industrial action?

No. The industrial action behind strikes is not affecting theory tests, so candidates should be ready to take this test as normal, or they could lose their fee.

Where can I book a theory test online through an official website?

The theory test can be booked online here. It is important to book through the official Gov.UK site or you could pay more than you need to.

When making the booking, you will need the following information to hand:

• UK driving licence number
• email address
• credit or debit card

To take one of these exams for a car, you will need to have resided in England, Wales or Scotland for a minimum of 185 days in the past 12 months before the day you sit the theory or practical exam.

The charge for car and motor bike candidates is £23 and must be paid at time of booking the examination.

Are theory test being taken remotely online?

No. The examinations are held on site in an approved centre. Currently, it is up to you if you want to wear a mask if in England. However, with the pandemic still seeing new variants of concern evolving, the advice may change at short notice so always check the latest status before heading to the centre. 

Are practical driving tests being cancelled?

No. Official centres are currently working seven days a week, with out of hours examinations also being offered. However, with reports of 450,000 - 500,000 examinations having been cancelled during Covid-related lockdowns there are inevitably long delays in booking the practical assessment.

What is being done about third-party booking sites buying up test slots?

Loveday Ryder of the DVSA also spoke out about third-party booking sites using 'bots' to scrape test centre websites to buy up slots as they become available, then sell them on at inflated prices - or even let them go to waste.

She confirmed that new anti-bot systems have been introduced to tackle this issue and help free up more tests for those who've previously had them cancelled or want to book a new one.

Can I change my current test date for an earlier one?

If you already have a practical test booked, you can attempt to swap it for an earlier cancellation by checking out the official Government site.

To use this service, log on to the Gov.UK site here. 

How likely are driving tests to be cancelled?

While many were cancelled due to industrial action by driving examiners in the first months of 2023, there is no action currently planned for June or coming months. However, this could change if unions decide to announce more strikes. Pete Barden Motoring News will keep this section updated.

Cancellation time limit for driving tests could be changing

The DVSA is proposing that the driving test candidates must cancel their test at least ten days before the appointment if they want to avoid losing their fee. The current time limit is three working days. You can cancel your driving test here.

Making this change, the DVSA believes, would allow more cancelled tests to be taken by another driver and help reduce the waiting list by making up to 117,000 driving tests available each year. These figures are based on cancellations seen between April and December in 2021.

The agency said: "We’re proposing that people would need to move or cancel their car driving test at least 10 full working days before the appointment to avoid losing their test fee, rather than the current 3 full working days."

How to contact the DVSA?

You can find all contact details for the DVSA here.

What do I need to take to my driving test?

Candidates must take:

• their UK driving licence
• their theory test pass certificate, if you have it.

Are more men or women passing their driving test  - and are pass rates going up (cars)?

Metric and time period	Total	Female	Male
Tests Conducted: Jul to Sep 2022	412,714	197,547	215,069
Tests Passed: Jul to Sep 2022	200,966	92,325	108,606
Pass Rate (%): Jul to Sep 2022	48.7%	46.7%	50.5%
Tests Conducted (%): Annual change	+2.8%	+0.5%	+5.0%
Tests Passed (%): Annual change	+0.9%	-1.0%	+2.6%
Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change	-0.9	-0.7	-1.2

Driving test pass rates by year and month 

Have you ever wondered if there preferable month to take a practical driving test - giving you more chance of passing? The following data can help add some insight. Summer months would appear to be provide more passes by percentage, but look out for anomalies caused by the pandemic. 

Month	Tests Conducted	Tests Passed	Pass rate (Percentage)	Forward Bookings [note 3]
January-2019	137,431	64,112	46.7	194,438
February-2019	125,264	56,639	45.2	200,869
March-2019	136,783	62,876	46.0	202,317
April-2019	127,086	59,527	46.8	213,876
May-2019	134,395	62,372	46.4	228,337
June-2019	131,949	60,673	46.0	241,388
July-2019	147,795	68,161	46.1	251,678
August-2019	124,424	57,792	46.4	254,079
September-2019	135,450	62,316	46.0	261,985
October-2019	153,153	70,440	46.0	264,118
November-2019	152,643	68,569	44.9	257,060
December-2019	119,206	53,564	44.9	240,249
January-2020	151,871	69,861	46.0	226,004
February-2020	138,678	62,950	45.4	219,786
March-2020	82,916	38,375	46.3	217,102
April-2020	606	371	61.2	217,934
May-2020	2,053	1,155	56.3	215,198
June-2020	3,605	1,922	53.3	213,996
July-2020	21,160	11,976	56.6	208,948
August-2020	66,684	33,431	50.1	180,124
September-2020	100,676	49,091	48.8	181,902
October-2020	115,213	55,730	48.4	374,769
November-2020	28,120	14,094	50.1	419,192
December-2020	97,927	49,261	50.3	425,683
January-2021	939	508	54.1	427,207
February-2021	68	54	79.4	433,185
March-2021	301	214	71.1	431,563
April-2021	39,570	22,260	56.3	431,264
May-2021	118,258	61,343	51.9	478,080
June-2021	133,489	66,804	50.0	484,244
July-2021	135,728	67,705	49.9	516,511
August-2021	125,427	63,031	50.3	532,874
September-2021	140,212	68,403	48.8	568,327
October-2021	134,191	65,100	48.5	558,533
November-2021	149,072	71,657	48.1	554,569
December-2021	136,480	65,087	47.7	539,097
January-2022	140,871	66,627	47.3	524,023
February-2022	131,266	60,640	46.2	527,658
March-2022	153,750	73,257	47.6	527,048
Apr-22	126,220	62,647	49.6	511,986
May-22	141,768	68,494	48.3	526,233
Jun-22	136,142	65,664	48.2	545,337
Jul-22	133,443	65,100	48.8	544,919
Aug-22	139,488	68,368	49.0	523,484
September-2022	139,804	67,501	48.3	542,707
October-2022	146,399	70,181	47.9	564,824
November-2022	163,143	77,258	47.4	550,286
December-2022	115,641	56,486	48.8	583,119
January-2023	146,778	71,236	48.5	545,306
February-2023	143,860	68,818	47.8	539,037
March-2023	156,269	75,022	48.0	534,347
April-2023	124,812	61,586	49.3	551,336
May-2023	159,548	77,522	48.6	551,271
June-2023	149,071	71,778	48.2	548,932
July-2023	143,719	70,403	49.0	552,129
August-2023	146,092	72,044	49.3	561,776
September-2023	142,279	68,828	48.4	566,245
October-2023	169,906	81,595	48.0	572,665
November-2023	196,481	92,059	46.9	543,942
December-2023	152,474	72,153	47.3	539,332
January-2024	188,179	88,913	47.2	531,783

(Source Gov.uk)

When is the best and worst month to pass your driving test?

Working with the Gov.uk data above, which gives accurate test results over three previous years, analysis shows the following months are the best and worst for candidates achieving a pass: 

• Best Month (Highest Average Pass Rate): February with an average pass rate of 52.8%.
• Worst Month (Lowest Average Pass Rate): November with an average pass rate of 47.5%.