Why Are Driving Test Waiting Times So High?

The Covid-19 Pandemic  Effect

Since the pandemic, driving test wait times have only increased, leaving many waiting months to get a test. The Covid-19 pandemic is directly responsible for a backlog of tests as social distancing and lockdown put a permanent stop on life. As a result of this backlog, year groups of wannabe drivers have had to wait for a free slot. As time passes and more people continue to learn, the availability of spaces is struggling to meet demand. With no clear resolution in sight, driving test waiting times have yet to bounce back from the impacts of the pandemic. As of 2023, driving test waiting times were 18.8 weeks on average, and this number isn’t decreasing enough to see an end to backlog issues anytime soon.

Driving Test Waiting Times By Area

Believe it or not, different areas have different waiting times. This has prompted many people to test in completely different areas than they’ve learnt in just to get a test. GOV.UK has separated the UK into four distinct zones and mapped out the waiting times in each. You can see this image below and access their site here. On top of the map, they have provided a graph of the waiting times by area. You can see this below.

The line graph shows that Zone D has the longest waiting times, followed by Zone C, Zone B and Zone A. Zone D covers most of the inner London area, making the English capital the hardest place to get a driving test. Zone C is the greater London area and further southern parts of England, showing that driving test waiting times are significantly higher down south than up north. Zone B covers the Wales and Northwest areas of England, with Zone A covering Scotland and the North East. Based on these graphs, getting a test in the North of England is much easier than in the South.

A Change To Consumer Behaviour

With learners now fully aware of the wait times, many are turning to alternative routes to get tests. A rise in online bots buying vast amounts of driving tests up and selling them at a higher price has become the norm. For people desperate for a test, turning to the alternative route has become more and more popular. The emergence of dedicated websites for finding driving test cancellations confirms this change in behaviour, with customers booking tests when they’re not even ready. The race to get a test is so strong that many risk not being prepared for a test just to get a chance at one in the near future. It’s not just driving test cancellation sites that have emerged; mobile apps designed to find driving test cancellations have grown in popularity. We’ve taken a look at some of the most popular ones below.

The Best Driving Test Cancellation Apps And Whether You Should Use One

Type in ‘driving test cancellations’ into your app store and you’ll find apps dedicated to getting you an earlier test. These apps work by allowing you to set areas you want to test in and your availability. Bots will then do the work for you and find potential test cancellations. These apps are free to use, although you may have to pay additional booking fees and subscription fees. Let’s take a look at some of the highest rated and most popular apps on the market.

Driving Test Cancellations Now

• 6 / 5 rating
• 33,000 reviews

Testi Driving Cancellations UK

• 2 / 5 rating
• 93,000 reviews

Driving Test Cancellations App

• 4 / 5 rating
• 1,600 reviews

Driving test cancellation apps are flooding the mobile app market, bringing into question whether they’re legal. While these apps are legal, there are some things to consider. These apps tend to bring additional fees, meaning you pay a lot more than you should for a driving test. These apps may also handle your privacy differently, so it is important to read the fine print and go with an app that has plenty of reviews. Make sure you read a good chunk of these reviews and compare prices between apps to get the best deal possible. Treat these apps with caution if you’re going to use them, and don’t sign up for anything that you are unsure of.

What Is The Government Doing?

The UK Government is well aware of driving test waiting times and is committed to reducing them. One approach is volunteers from quieter test areas moving to busier areas where demand for tests is higher. The Government has also set targets to provide extra driving test slots, going someway to achieving their target from October 2023 to March 2024, where they provided 100,436 of a targeted 150,000 extra. Paying instructors to come back from leave earlier is another approach being taken.

How To Make Sure You’re Test-Ready When The Time Comes

Waiting for tests is a tough job nowadays, so being test-ready when the day comes is key. Getting best prepared for your driving test is a tough task, which is why we took a deep dive into how to pass your driving test. For the sake of this piece, we’ve summarised some of the key tips to get test ready below:

• Find a driving instructor who helps and supports you and, most importantly, gets on with you.
• Practice your manoeuvres over and over again.
• Bring the necessary documents (driving licence and theory test pass certificate) to avoid failing your test before you even start.
• Arrive at your test relaxed and calm.
• Become a master of your chosen test area.
• Don’t be afraid to book extra driving lessons.
• Master the show me tell me questions.
• Focus on the road; you’re there to drive, not judge yourself.
• Refresh your car theory knowledge so you can follow road signs and directions successfully.
• Check your mirrors as often as possible and make these checks obvious to your examiner.

Conclusion

The driving test waiting time issue isn’t going away anytime soon. As time progresses, the situation will improve, but it will likely be years before waiting times return to pre-Covid levels. Need a car for when you pass? Why not visit our car marketplace, where we offer over 75,000 cars for quick and easy finance. Find the car for you and apply for finance with no effect on your credit score.

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