Driving theory test wait times: Which areas have shortest waits? List of places including Oxford and Sheffield

Twenty-one locations across the UK have been named as having only a one-week waiting list. The research was carried out by motoring experts at Bill Plant Driving School based on data collected from Driving Theory 4 All as of March 2023.

Aylesbury, Chesterfield, Eastbourne, Exeter, Ilford, Northampton, and Oxford, are among areas in the UK with the best wait times so that learners can prepare and get their theoretical knowledge up to speed before taking their practical driving test, which can still take weeks to be available.

The research also revealed Cromer has been named the UK area with the longest waiting time for a driving theory test, with learners being expected to wait an average of 18 weeks for a slot. Following closely behind are Ely, Workington and Dumfries with 17-week waiting lists.

While the wait times for driving theory tests are shorter, learners are still having to wait up to four months before they can book for their practical tests. The Covid pandemic saw around 400,000 driving tests cancelled and caused a huge backlog of candidates trying to book when testing resumed.

Since then the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has struggled to bring waiting times under control, with some test centres fully booked up to 24 weeks in advance. In recent months it has also faced nationwide strike action by examiners, which led to thousands of tests being rescheduled or cancelled.

However, the agency has introduced a new rule, in which learner drivers who fail their driving test will have to wait 28 days before rebooking their test rather than the current 10. The changes, which are being introduced to help cut waiting times, will be in effect from summer this year.

England

Aylesbury

Chesterfield

Eastbourne

Exeter

Ilford

Mile End A

Mile End B

Northampton

Oxford

Plymouth

Redditch

Sheffield

Southampton

Sutton Coldfield

Torquay

Weymouth

Wigan

Scotland

Dundee

Wales

Bangor

Cardiff

Swansea