Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a huge backlog of learner drivers waiting to book driving tests throughout the UK. Young drivers have often been waiting weeks, sometimes months, to be able to do their practical test after passing their theory test.
A report from the BBC recently revealed the plight that those in Northern Ireland have been facing, with some having to search multiple times a day to even have a chance to find a test. The search is massively frustrating for those involved.
The BBC highlighted the cases of some of those who have been searching for tests, and what the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) has had to say about the ongoing situation. Applications have also been much higher in 2026 than they were during the February to June period of 2025, which has also contributed to the problem.
In fact, such is the demand that test slots are now being made available on Sundays and bank holidays to try and ease the pressure on those looking for a test. But it is still a long waiting game for those looking to get behind the wheel.
Drivers Are Facing Weeks of Delays for a Test
The BBC reported on Toby, from Tamnaherin, Northern Ireland, who had been attempting to get a driving test. Mother Kerryann Barr said her 17-year-old son had been checking up to five times a day to find cancellations so he could book a driving test.
Toby had been looking for a driving test in Londonderry, which is relatively local to him and his family. However, thanks to the lengthy delays that he had been facing, Toby had been forced to look for tests at the centre that was 30 miles away. That is something that can cause logistical issues for the student and instructor as they try to get to a different testing centre.
The DVA said that applications for driving tests had actually risen by 13 percent for February to June 2026 compared to the same point in 2025. With such high demand, test slots have now been opened up for Sundays and bank holidays to meet the demand. “Customers are advised to book the earliest available appointment and check regularly for cancellations and newly released test slots,” a spokesperson for Stormont’s Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said. Yet for some students, that could mean checking at various points throughout a whole day.
The Demand for Driving Tests Has Continued To Rise
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Toby’s mum Kerryann said it was becoming a nightmare for her son. “Sometimes he’s been on to book the test; it’s been up to 12 weeks,” she told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today. That led them to consider finding a test in the town of Coleraine, 30 miles away. However, doing so meant extra travel, and extra lessons as Toby was not familiar with the roads around the town. Some of her son’s friends had also been forced to do the same to get a test.
The DFI said that from April to June, there were 18,092 tests taken in Northern Ireland. That is an increase of 5.4 percent from the same period in 2025. “Demand for driving tests continues to rise,” the department spokesperson said. The month of June saw a record 6,844 tests taken in Northern Ireland, and it seems like there is no sign of this demand slowing down anytime soon. However, while it is frustrating for learners, demand is still lower than it was just after the COVID-19 pandemic, when young drivers all over the UK struggled to book a test.