DVSA Chief Executive Beverley Warmington has published her first direct DVSA driving instructor update since taking up the role in January, setting out the agency’s position on driving test waiting times, booking reforms and examiner recruitment.
While DIA welcomes the fact that the Chief Executive has now communicated directly with the profession, significant questions remain around the pace of progress and the continuing impact of DVSA services on ADIs, PDIs and their customers.
DIA raises concerns over what was initially missing
As a consultative stakeholder, DIA was given advance sight of the blog and invited to provide feedback.
DIA Chief Executive Carly Brookfield said one of the most significant issues was what the original draft did not address. In particular, it made no reference to the continuing difficulties PDIs face accessing ADI Part 2 and Part 3 qualifying tests, or the provision of Standards Checks for existing ADIs.
Following DIA’s feedback, the published DVSA driving instructor update now acknowledges that waiting times for Part 2 and Part 3 tests and Standards Checks are “unacceptable” and says DVSA Director of Enforcement Marian Kitson will provide a further update on work to improve ADI services.
DIA welcomes that acknowledgement, but believes the fact these issues were absent from the original draft demonstrates the need for greater focus on DVSA’s responsibilities to the licensed training profession, as well as learner test delivery.
Waiting times remain a major issue
DVSA says there are signs of improvement in practical test availability. The number of test centres showing a 24-week wait reduced from 182 at the end of March to 143 by 27 July.
However, the agency’s measure of how many weeks ahead candidates need to look before at least 10% of appointments are available stood at 20.7 weeks at the end of July, against 22.1 weeks in March. The national median time between booking and taking a test increased from 9.0 to 11.1 weeks over the same period.
DIA believes this illustrates why the profession needs a balanced picture of progress rather than headline figures alone.
Booking reforms continue to cause difficulties
Warmington confirms that DVSA has no intention of reversing its recent booking reforms, including the requirement for learners to book their own tests and restrictions on how appointments can be changed.
DIA continues to question aspects of how those reforms operate in practice.
ADIs can no longer manage tests on behalf of pupils, and DIA has urged DVSA to consider restoring the ability for instructors to at least view test availability without being able to make bookings. This would give trainers information they need to advise pupils and manage training schedules while retaining safeguards around the booking process.
Similar concerns have already been raised publicly by instructors responding directly to DVSA’s new blog.
Three changes announced
The Chief Executive has highlighted three immediate changes in response to industry feedback.
DVSA has published new guidance explaining how and when driving test appointments become available, is developing a way for eligible learners requiring additional support to nominate someone to deal with DVSA about their booking, and has published copies of its refreshed Ready to Pass? emails so instructors can see the information pupils receive.
These are useful steps, but DIA believes they must be considered against the wider challenges facing the system, including test availability, continued reports of third-party activity around appointments and the impact of removing instructors from the booking process.
More examiners, but questions remain
DVSA reports that it had 157 more full-time equivalent driving examiners in post in July 2026 than a year earlier, an increase of 10.9%. It also says more than 120,000 additional car tests were delivered during the first four months of this financial year compared with the same period last year.
Recruitment is important, but DIA has repeatedly raised questions around examiner retention, deployment and whether newly trained examiners are reaching areas where test availability remains particularly poor.
DIA will continue to press for clearer evidence of progress across learner testing, PDI qualification tests and Standards Checks, and for the profession to be treated not simply as a regulated community but as an important customer and stakeholder of the agency.
DIA has explored many of these issues in its two-part special report, The Real Driving Test Hustle?, examining test delivery, booking reforms and the level of service being provided to ADIs and PDIs.
The original update, Listening, learning, changing: my first update to driving instructors, was published by DVSA Chief Executive Beverley Warmington on the agency’s Despatch for driver and rider trainers blog on 28 August 2026. Read the full DVSA update
