Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the availability of (a) practical and (b) theory driving tests is commensurate with the expected number of applicants at any given time.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) practical test booking service is live, and candidates are advised to check for new appointments regularly. Test appointments are released on a rolling 24-week basis, and slots are added as soon as they become available.

As of 3 March 2025, there were 576,004 car practical driving tests booked, and 34,169 driving tests available within the 24-week booking window.

On the 18 December, DVSA set out further plans to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. These steps include recruiting 450 driving examiners (DEs). Full details of these steps can be found on GOV.UK.

Theory test availability is monitored by both DVSA and the external service providers. Candidates wait on average no more than 28 calendar days from booking to their theory test appointment date, as per the contractual performance measures.

Capacity in the theory test centre network is managed using demand forecasting, and ongoing monitoring of tests booked into the 211 test centres in the network across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.