Learner drivers face months of delays booking practical tests because a backlog will not be cleared until November 2027, a watchdog has warned.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said there was a backlog of 1.1 million tests that were not carried out in the 2020/21 financial year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and around 360,000 of these had still not been booked.

The average waiting time was 22 weeks in September, but at 70% of test centres the wait has hit 24 weeks – the maximum allowed.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said it was “taking decisive action to address the backlog”, including employing military driving examiners.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) had planned to cut waiting times to seven weeks by the end of 2025.

The NAO’s inquiry found delays have led to people paying third parties to secure tests, some of whom were “paying significantly inflated prices of up to £500” – nearly eight times the official DVSA fee of £62 for a weekday slot.

It said the DVSA struggled to “understand the real demand for tests” because third party websites quickly book available slots using automated programmes known as bots.

“These delays can have a serious impact on learner drivers’ income and the economy, with 30% of respondents to a DVSA survey saying they need to be able to drive for their jobs,” the watchdog said.

The NAO also reported a lack of examiners and found many were leaving “due to uncompetitive pay and safety concerns”. Despite running 19 recruitment campaigns since 2021, DVSA has only hired 83 extra examiners, far short of its 400 target.

In the 2023/24 financial year, DVSA had a total of 220 staff at its 240 test centres who were qualified examiners.

Learner driver Shiromi Gaughan, a small business owner in London, says she has been trying to book a test for the past eight months since she passed her theory exam two years ago, and felt “sick” when she found out it would cost her £350 for a slot from a third party seller.

She told the BBC: “It’s really unfair and I’m extremely frustrated. As a small business owner from London, I’ve been really struggling over time.

“People like us are just so desperate.”

Normally learners must take their practical test within two years of passing the theory test.

She urged the government to “do something about this because it’s totally unacceptable”.

She added: “I think the government need to review the whole system as they’re actually aware of what is happening with the scammers or the third party agencies.

“Now I’m having to retake my theory test and spend more money so I’m extremely disappointed.”

Learner driver Martha Machiek, a single parent from Stockport, said she is “very stressed” trying to book a driving test slot.

She needs a licence to save time and money taking her children to and from school and football practice.

Ms Machiek says her theory test certificate expires at the end of the month, and if she cannot book a practical test in time, she will have to start over, which she cannot afford.

“The system is not being fair on people like us,” she said.

“I don’t have money to book another one.”

The NAO urged DVSA and the DfT to assess whether there was enough support for learners booking tests and to investigate how to boost the examiner workforce.

Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said “decisive action” needed to be taken to fix the delays and improve service.

“The current system for providing driving tests in England, Scotland and Wales is not working satisfactorily, with long waiting times and exploitation of learner drivers by resellers of test slots.”

The DfT said it had inherited a system which was “frustrating” and open to abuse, leaving learners waiting weeks for a test.

A spokesperson said the government was “seeing improvement” with the measures it had been taking.

From spring, only learner drivers will be able to book tests and limits will be placed on the number of times they can move or swap a test.

The government said it hopes this will stop third-party companies “exploiting vulnerable learners and make the whole process more transparent”.

“The DVSA has already carried out 74,847 extra tests between June and November this year compared to 2024, and these new measures will deliver thousands more extra tests over the next year,” the spokesperson added.