INDEPENDENT DRIVING:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-driving-route-diagram-example

The independent driving is a procedure on the driving test were the candidate is expected to follow a particular co- ordinates such as following signs that are heading into a particular direction. I found over the years that i spent 25% of my tuition explaining the virtues to my pupil of looking straight ahead, following the circumference of the road, while keeping their eyes open to ensure they did not miss the signs that would be commensurate to the instructions the examiner would have told them before that particular procedure.

If your looking ahead and perhaps say the 3rd exit at the roundabout is were you are headed to then using the M.S.M . routine ensure you get into the correct lane in plenty of time.

If you miss the turn dont panic as you cant be failed for making that error but if you keep repeating the same error one could get a major, but follow the principles your instructor would have taught you and hope fully that segment of the test should be a pass. If you wish to learn all aspects of passing your test 1st time drop us a line at Oldskooldriving. Best wishes.

 DRIVING TEST BACKLOGS:

When discussing the practical driving test, it’s important to understand the trends surrounding driving tests and other factors that can impact the tests themselves. This information is vitally important, ranging from learner drivers wishing to book their test, to insurance providers and driving instructors. The practical driving test is a key milestone in a lot of people’s lives. For those who want to learn how to drive, it’s essential they understand the practicalities surrounding the driving test to adjust their expectations and give them an insight in what lies ahead. 

In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into valuable driving test data, focusing on the number of tests conducted, and passed, as well as forward bookings (all scheduled/booked in driving tests) over a six-year period from January 2019 to January 2025. Using official government figures, we’ll take a look at how external factors, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, dramatically affected the driving test system, and how demand for tests and forward bookings has evolved since then as well as the long-lasting impacts since Covid, including the current driving test backlog we’ve seen in 2025.

The Number of Driving Tests Conducted (January 2019 – January 2025)

From the start of 2019 to early 2025, the number of driving tests conducted in Great Britain has fluctuated significantly. In 2019, the figures were relatively stable, averaging around 135,000–150,000 per month. However, in March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic started which results in a drastic collapse in driving tests, with the majority of tests cancelled and/or postponed. April 2020 recorded just 606 driving tests, which was a 99.5% decrease compared to January 2020 with testing remaining extremely limited throughout mid-2020.

By late 2020 and 2021, testing volumes slowly started to recover, although the nation-wide lockdowns continued to cause disruptions meaning there were very few tests available and able to be conducted. By 2022 and beyond, there was a gradual stabilisation and by the start of 2024, test numbers had increased significantly and were consistently exceeding pre-pandemic volumes, highlighting how demand rebounded strongly.

Summary Highest number of tests conducted: November 2023 with 196,481 tests.Lowest number of tests conducted: February 2021 with just 68 tests.Largest post-Covid recovery: By late 2022, monthly test numbers consistently surpassed 140,000.Overall trend: Sharp dip during 2020–2021, strong recovery into 2023–2025.The Number of Driving Tests Passed and Pass RateNumber of Driving Tests Passed:Pass Rate:

When it comes to looking at how many people pass their driving test, this data paints an interesting picture. Pre-pandemic, the pass rate hovered between 45–47%. However, during the Covid-19 recovery period, pass rates actually increased, peaking at 79.4% in February 2021. It’s likely that during lockdowns, only candidates with very strong chances of passing such as key workers and essential drivers, were taking tests.

From 2022 onwards, as test volumes normalised, the driving test pass rate didn’t return to what we were seeing before Covid, it actually achieved slightly higher levels than pre-pandemic figures. For example, in the first 3 months of 2020, there was an average pass rate of 45.9%, whereas for the first 3 months of 2022, the average pass rate was 47.03%.

SummaryHighest pass rate: February 2021 at 79.4% (68 tests conducted).Lowest pass rate: February 2019 at 45.2% (125,264 tests conducted).Highest number of passes: November 2023 with 92,059 passes.Lowest number of passes: February 2021 with just 54 passes.General trend: Pass rates increased during periods of lower test volumes.The Number of Forward Bookings for Practical Driving Tests

Forward bookings refers to practical driving tests that are scheduled in the system at any one time. Pre-Covid, forward bookings hovered just below or around the 200,000 mark. However, post-2020, the backlog of cancelled tests, new demand, and limited examiner capacity led to a significant increase in the number of forward bookings.

By January 2025, forward bookings had ballooned to 580,067 which was nearly three times higher than January 2019 levels, representing an approximate 198% increase. This backlog was especially problematic during 2020 and 2021 with large numbers of tests being repeatedly cancelled and rescheduled. Although volumes had stabilised in 2024, on the approach to 2025, the long-term impact of the Covid-19 backlog is still very much present and as of April 2025, driving test waiting times across the UK remain extremely high with three quarters of driving test centres at maximum wait time.

SummaryJanuary 2019 forward bookings: 194,438.January 2025 forward bookings: 580,067.Percentage increase: ~198% over six years.Main dip: April 2020 to July 2020.Long-term impact: The backlog has worsened even further into 2025.Conclusion

Between January 2019 and January 2025, the number of driving tests conducted, passed and forward bookings, across Britain faced extraordinary changes. The government data throughout this blog highlights the severe disruption caused by Covid-19, with significant drops in both tests conducted and passed throughout the years of 2020 and 2021. As a result of this, the demand for practical driving tests has since soared, reflected clearly by the tripling of forward bookings since January 2019 to January 2025. Since driving test pass rate has slowly stabilised post-pandemic, it’s clear that learner drivers today face much longer wait times and likely more pressure than those who learned pre-2020.

FAQs1. Is it normal to fail your first driving test?

Unfortunately, many learners fail their first driving test. It’s very common to need more than one attempt before getting a full licence, and it’s often just part of the learning process.

2. What is the UK driving test pass rate in 2025?

As of January 2025, the pass rate stands at 48.9%, slightly higher than pre-pandemic averages.

3. Has the driving test backlog improved in the UK?

No, despite efforts to catch up, forward bookings in January 2025 were almost 200% higher than in January 2019, and waiting times remain lengthy.

4. Why did the driving test pass rate increase during Covid-19?

During lockdowns, only key workers or essential drivers could book tests, leading to a higher concentration of well-prepared candidates and thus higher pass rates.

5. How many driving tests are conducted each year in Great Britain?

Pre-pandemic figures show approximately 1.6–1.7 million tests conducted annually, post-pandemic numbers are higher as the DVSA tries to tackle the backlog.

INDEPEDENT DRIVING ON THE DRIVING TEST.

https://www.reddit.com/search/?q=Independent++driving&cId=82909127-275e-49ff-9662-10933609e60d&iId=2be5973c-8e2f-4275-9f0b-79e4bde8adf8

THE HIGHWAY CODE:

https://www.theukrules.co.uk/rules/driving/highway-code/

Its imperative for all drivers new and experienced to be cognizant of the highway code and THE ESSENTIAL DRIVING SKIILS MANUAL. Both books are full of the required knowledge one needs to be a safe driver for life. Unfortunately the statistics for new and young drivers are quite worrying and with the calamitous state of the booking systems and the back logs, students are tempted to take fewer lessons hence the more failures.

Coming to Oldskooldriving we will teach you all you require to pass 1st time within 25 hrs.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BV2y9Ph6S/

We cater for Automatic  tuition in a Honda Jazz car, weekend tuition, late test, very late tests motorway tuition we have nearly 20 yrs of driving tuition,  visit our Facebook page and on YouTube.

We cover Cricklewood, Hendon, Kilburn, Hampstead, St Johns Wood, Paddington, maida vale, Wembley park, Westbourne park, Ladbroke grove, Notting hill gate, Bayswater, Royal Oak,
I'm an experienced instructor of 23 yrs taught over 500 students to successfully drive. My skills in calming my students and banishing the idiosyncrasies/nuances that lurk in every mind of new drivers are legendary. We only cater for Automatic cars and we do 7 day intensive 20 hr courses, which have been very successful resulting in an 80% 1st time pass. We do pass plus, mock tests, late tests and very late tests. We offer a bespoke service commensurate to each individual client, as its impossible to just be pedantic in terms of the way one is taught at learning school to just use the same methods for everyone, as every student has their own fears and tribulations while learning to drive hitherto. I believe the '1 size fits all' method is only viable when instructing a more experienced student as opposed to a complete newby over the age of 26yrs! So if you dont want to spend a whole lot of money call Oldskooldriving!

UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE HEARD THIS ALL BEFORE AND MOST INSTRUCTORS WILL BE COMPLETELY SCEPTICAL OF THIS INITIATIVE!

The transport secretary has pledged to reduce the number of learner drivers in England waiting more than five months to sit practical tests.

Heidi Alexander said the government would aim to clear the backlog by next summer, providing at least 10,000 extra driving tests a month to help tackle the issue.

Current driving test wait times are "totally unacceptable", she told parliament's transport committee on Wednesday.

There is a minimum six-month wait to book a driving test in several areas of the UK, according to data from the AA.

The transport secretary said the new measures would help reduce average waiting times to no more than seven weeks by summer 2026.

It means the government is set to miss its original target for waiting times by up eight months.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) had planned on cutting waiting times to seven weeks by the end of this year. It has blamed an "increase in demand and a change in customers' booking behaviour" for the backlog.

In order to tackle the delays, Alexander revealed plans to double training capacity so more driving examiners would be available.

She said she was also asking those in other DVSA roles who are qualified, but not longer examine, to temporarily "return to the frontline".

She said it would also reintroduce overtime pay incentives for everyone delivering driving tests.

A record 1.95 million tests were booked last year, but the governmen

The short notice cancellation period for car driving tests is now 10 clear working days. Driving test short notice cancellation period changes take effect today

We emailed you last month to tell you that the short notice cancellation period would increase to 10 clear working days from today (Tuesday 8 April 2025).

We are contacting you again to confirm this change has been introduced.

When we published our 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times on 18 December 2024, we confirmed that one of the actions would be to increase the short notice cancellation period.

This change only applies to car driving tests.

Telling your pupils about the change

We have already contacted everyone with a car driving test booking from 8 April to tell them their new deadline to change or cancel without losing the fee.

We’re emailing another reminder to them today.

Please make sure that your pupils know about the change when you have your next lesson with them.

More information

On GOV.UK you can find more information about:

why the change has been introducedhow learner drivers can still apply for a refund if they are unwell or have had a bereavementthe old and new deadlines for any car driving tests taking place from today to the end of June 2025, to help you through this change

New rule for driving test changes and cancellations to recycle test slots more effectively and help reduce waiting times.

Last minutes tests

Raj spent most of his working days in the U.S. and was a complete novice fearful of our narrow roads we did 25 hrs over 2 months and he got the blue paper at Mill Hill test centre. Raj would be the 1st to admit how challenging he found the lessons but at Oldskooldriving we are patient, courteous and polite. We only cater fpr AUTOMATIC LESSONS ONLY 1st 5 hrs £105.00 £40.00 thereafter. 1st 10 hrs £360.00 £370.00 thereafter. We cover nw2 nw3 nw4 nw5 nw6 nw10 the Queensway and paddington area. We do home pick ups or work pick up (dependant on geographical location) we do late tests, very late tests and help with theory and mock tests.

7 day courses available 3 hours in the morning 2 hours in the evening, our courses are flexible, catering to the needs of the pupil

1st time pass at Hendon

2nd time pass at Hendon

7 day intensive courses

1st time pass with our 7 day intensive course

Late test bookings accepted

7 day crash courses

3 week intensive course 1st time pass at Mill hill.

When Cailee came to us she found learning to drive quite daunting, we started her off with our 3 step programme  of identifying, analysing and correcting with the obvious basic fundamentals and thankfully made the grade. We only cater for automatics. 1st 5hrs £105.00

Aysha when she 1st came to us she struggled with her nerves and had many previous instructors, she felt she was running her budget down without her issues being addressed. We started her off with our 1,2 programme to ascertain her level of knowledge and worked around smoothing out the rough edges and after just 20 hrs she made the grade at Hendon test centre and no doubt has not needed to look back! Congratulations.

Kaylee had fears of Apex rounabout near Mill Hill and had many other issues with her confidence which is understandable in this complex world of learning. We looked at her current knowledge which is a prerequisite when meeting phase 2 students (students whom have had 10 or more lessons) because i have found that many phase 2 students that come to us have the knowledge but find it difficult to process what they learnt previously and sometimes this can contribute to the nerves of said student. Kaylee was very nervous we went to Apex after 20 hrs of tuition and fortunately she was more experienced and passed at Mill Hill test centre.

Nina was distraught and desperate when coming to us she too suffered nerves and fortunately she followed the blueprint and passed 1st time at Mill Hill. It amazes me that 99% of new students never took notes on their previous lessons with previous instructors. Learning to drive is a life skill just like any other profession. Would you go to classes at college or Uni and take no notes? Im sure if you did your parents would have plenty to say. Pls bring a decent notebook and pen as its virtually impossible to follow our blueprint to that 1st time pass with the prerequisite 25/30hrs which 90% of our successes have done. It amazes me when new clients tell me they have done 25 or more lessons and no test. We always aim for 25/30 hrs if your a newby or say you have done 15 hrs with a previous instructor, majority of the time we can incorporate the balance of the required lessons into what you have done previously but it takes two to tango and working together is a important requirement from you.

Paul a lawyer came to us and took to my instruction like a newby ice skating for the 1st time took the 25 hrs and passed 1st time at Hendon.