In Wolverhampton, where it can take months to sit a test, there is scepticism around the government’s backlog plans
“Every time I was looking for a test day, it just kept kicking me off the site,” said Menelik Calvin, 22, detailing the difficulties he experienced when trying to secure a driving test in Wolverhampton.
It’s the day before Calvin’s driving test and he’s feeling “nervous” but “ready” as he practises for this sought-after test with driving instructor Donna Michelle Evans.
Here, in Wolverhampton, notoriously long wait times are common, and as such it is one of the worst places in the UK to take a driving test. Based on analysis from Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, using figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) 2023-24, the average wait time for a test is 19.92 weeks, with a pass rate of 33.9%.
In an effort to address the backlog, the government has pledged to add thousands more driving exams each month.
After taking 29 lessons with Evans and 20 before that elsewhere, Calvin said it took almost three months to find an available test date.
