Driving test bookings: long waiting lists, frauds and costs

If you, a family member or friend has tried to book a practical driving or theory test recently, you’ll be aware quite how difficult it’s been. Backlogs are currently causing waiting lists of up to six months, causing frustration amongst learner drivers and providing fertile ground for fraudsters to take advantage of the situation.

The Department for Transport (DfT) and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have introduced various measures to try to stem the driving test backlog, but it’s proving to be easier said than done – and it may take a while simply for the existing issues to clear.

Six-month waiting lists

As of spring 2025, the backlog for learners booking tests has increased to six months, up from around five months at the end of 2024, with some news outlets reporting that people booking their test on the government’s website were stuck in queues of more than 15,000 people

Some new drivers have had to take their tests hundreds of miles away from home just to skip the queue. If that sounds extreme, then the government’s own data suggests that around one in six jobs in the UK requires a driving licence, including some roles vital to the country’s public services, such as healthcare workers, construction trades and transport workers. People are being forced to travel to take tests in order to apply for these jobs.

Prior to the pandemic, driving test waiting times were as little as 7 to 9 weeks, so the current wait represents an increase of more than 250 per cent in some cases. The delays can be expensive for learners, who may need to spend more on lessons to reinforce their skills in the meantime, while also increasing the likelihood of scams and fraud.

The DVSA reports that the proportion of 17-20 year olds with a driving licence has already been falling, from 35 per cent in 2019 to 29 per cent in 2023 – a figure increasing waiting lists will do nothing to help.

Driving test scams and scalpers

Over the last few years, the delays in being able to book tests have led to an increase in people scalping learner drivers, using computer bots to skip the driving test booking queue for exorbitant fees. These unscrupulous operators are both preying on new drivers desperate to take their tests, and further delaying those still stuck in the queue.

Back in September 2023 we highlighted an investigation by the Guardian, where brokers ‘operating like ticket touts’ are inviting bids from driving schools for tests their online bots have secured, and charging up to £400 for the privilege. The official cost on the DVSA website is £62 for weekdays and £75 for weekends or evenings.

The Guardian also reported on the wide range of social media pages and forums, where newly released driving tests are swapped and traded.

Earlier still, in June 2023 we reported how social media platforms including Tik Tok and Facebook are hosting adverts from fraudsters offering illegal assistance to learner drivers taking their tests, ranging from offers to substitute ‘lookalikes’ who will take the test in place of the real candidate, to scams helping candidates with theory test answers via a Bluetooth earpiece.

A BBC investigation at the time identified around 670 social media accounts with close to 140,000 followers, which the broadcaster says “advertise driving licence services without taking a test”. 

The scale of the problem around fraudulent tests is also known to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, where internal data shows reports of impersonations during driving tests have tripled since 2018 – last year the number of reported instances was more than 2,000.

According to the DVSA’s head of law enforcement Marian Kitson, the organisation was responsible for just 30 prosecutions last year. She also admitted the DVSA was not able to judge the scale of the problem due to the vast nature of social media platforms and the wily nature of the fraudsters. 

The BBC investigation found numerous adverts in multiple different languages. While the fraudsters don’t offer much info openly on the means used to obtain licences for ‘customers’, investigators made contact with several advertisers outside the UK by posing as interested parties, and were told they could be helped to acquire licences for fees that varied between £720 and a hefty £4,200.

The actual cost of a theory test and practical test together is £85, suggesting the fraudsters could be making big sums by illegally substituting candidates for driving tests. Anyone caught obtaining a licence fraudulently would obviously face having that licence revoked, and risk being prosecuted. Last year the courts jailed a woman for eight months after she was caught taking multiple tests as a fake candidate.

Long waiting lists for tests drive increase in fraud

In 2022 we also reported how drivers are paying hundreds of pounds for driving test slots in an effort to get around long delays caused by the Covid log-jam.

Companies were already using automated computer software to monitor part of the DVSA system meant for driving schools, and grabbing test slots as soon as new dates were added or existing bookings were cancelled. Bookings are made using a provisional licence number, but the secondary market has sprung up because bookings can be swapped between candidates on the DVSA system. 

Investigators found companies and websites offering inflated test prices for upcoming test slots, and their report says even driving instructors are getting in on the act by offering fast-tracked tests at inflated prices.

One advertiser reckoned to guarantee test dates for candidates within three weeks, and claimed driving instructors working with him are making an extra £400-£600 per week selling on tests to their pupils.

As part of this earlier investigation, the BBC created a fake driving school on the DVSA website and found it took five minutes to register with no authentication required. The government agency told the BBC their system was flawed, because it ‘relies on trust’, but pointed out that it’s not illegal to book a test in someone else’s name unless you don’t have their consent.

Driving Instructor bodies have condemned the selling of driving tests for profit, while the DVSA claimed to have strengthened its system firewall to prevent misuse.

Driving Instructors Association chief executive, Carly Brookfield, said the backlog in the driving test system was creating "a desperation for test slots" and fueling fraudulent activities.

"If you're facing the fact that if you don't pass the test you have to wait for up to six months, then you're going to think about cheating the system," she said.

What is the government doing to combat the test backlog?

In late 2023 and early 2024, the DVSA created an extra 145,000 test slots to try and stem the backlog, but admitted that more had to be done to address the problem.

In December 2024, Lilian Greenwood MP, Minister for Future of Roads, announced that the DVSA would recruit and train an additional 450 driving examiners, with a focus on particularly in-demand areas of the country.

The notice period for changing or cancelling a test has now changed from three working days to ten (with working days being Monday to Saturdays, excluding public holidays), with the aim of minimising last-minute disruptions and giving more time for the department to reallocate tests to those on the waiting list.

There are also plans to extend the current period of being able to book 24 weeks in advance, giving learners more time to plan. There may also be longer waiting times to rebook for those who fail for significant reasons, such as dangerous faults, abusing driving examiners, or failing to attend. The latter issue may also attract penalty fees to heavily discourage non-attendance.

To combat fraud, the DVSA is introducing measures to ban the resale of driving test appointments, along with strengthening terms and conditions for driver training businesses, something the department says will “improve the efficiency of the booking system, making it harder for those looking to exploit learner drivers to secure test dates”.

The government will also expand its ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign, a resource for learners getting ready to take their test, to better guide people through the process. Greenwood cautions however that there is “no quick fix to the current situation”.

How to book your driving test safely

Booking a practical driving test should be pretty straightforward, but there are several unofficial websites online looking to take advantage of learner drivers and these can easily catch you out if you’re not careful. Make sure to only book your driving test via the official DVSA website. 

Driving test bookings can be made via the DVSA website or over the telephone by calling DVSA driving test booking support on 0300 200 1122 (open Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm). The online booking service is available from 6am to 11:40pm every day and you will receive a confirmation email from the DVSA once you have successfully booked your test.

What do you need to book a practical driving test?

In order to book your practical test appointment, you will need your UK driving licence number, a credit or debit card and your driving instructor’s personal reference number if you want to check their availability. You will need the same information to hand should you decide to book via telephone. 

How much does a driving test cost?

The cost of a DVSA practical test  is currently £62 for a weekday or £75 for an evening , weekend or bank holiday slot – unofficial websites usually charge more or add on administration fees, so to avoid paying significantly more, make sure to only book your driving test via the official DVSA website. The theory test currently costs £23.

How long will you have to wait for a driving test?

You can book a test up to 24 weeks in advance (which may change in future, but longer booking periods haven’t yet been announced) and there are no waiting lists once you’ve actually booked, however, you will be told how long you will need to wait to take your test once you start the booking procedure – which is currently around six months. Once you have booked a test slot, you will be able to check for earlier or cancelled appointments.

If there are no test slots available within the 24-week period, you can try to book a test at other local test centres or ask your driving instructor if they have any available test slots. If you can’t take your test for any reason it is your responsibility to cancel or reschedule it at least ten working days before the date of the test.

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