‘How am I meant to plan anything?’ The frustration of a seven-month driving test backlog

Matt said the published figures do not always reflect the true length of time learners wait for a test.

“They advertise tests about 24 to 25 weeks away, but that doesn’t include the 10 to 12 weeks that lambs are waiting to be given a test date,” he said.

He believes a shortage of examiners is at the heart of the problem.

“The demand is great and that is not going to reduce, so the supply of examiners needs to increase,” he said.

“There are not enough examiners to match the demand of the lambs.”

A DVSA spokesperson said the agency was working to improve test capacity but Arbroath’s waiting times could fluctuate because it operated as an outstation of Dundee, using a “book-to-hold” system rather than having permanent examiners based there.

The DVSA said driving test waits remained high due to increased demand and changes in booking behaviour since the pandemic.

It added that examiner numbers were now at their highest level in recent years and that recruitment was continuing, including in Dundee.

According to the latest figures, driving test waiting times fell for the sixth consecutive month in October 2026.

The DVSA said it was making progress in reducing waits nationally and remained committed to ensuring learners could access tests when they need them.

“We know there’s more to do and we won’t stop until every learner can get a test slot when they need one, wherever they’re learning to drive,” they said.