West Midlands driving test centres struggle with long booking delays - see rankings

Learners in the West Midlands are facing significant delays in booking driving tests, with some centres taking more than five months to schedule a test.

Car insurance experts at Zego have analysed the latest figures from DVSA to show the areas where learners face the longest waits.

Birmingham’s Kingstanding test centre has topped a list for the longest wait times, in the company’s analysis of West Midlands test centres whereby learners are waiting more than 21 weeks for a test.

Read more: New driving test centre approved for Wolverhampton

These West Midlands test centres have recorded the highest percentage of driving tests taken more than 21 weeks after booking:

1. Birmingham (Kingstanding) – 50.4%
2. Lichfield – 49.4%
3. Birmingham (Shirley) – 46.7%
4. Burton on Trent – 44.9%
5. Wolverhampton – 44.5%
6. Dudley – 42.9%
7. Warwick (Wedgenock House) – 42.1%
8. Wednesbury – 39.9%
9. Telford – 39.5%

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“The hidden cost of a long driving test wait is staying test-ready while you wait. Learners can therefore find themselves paying for additional lessons simply to maintain their skills, while a failed test can mean starting the process again and potentially facing another lengthy wait,” Sten Saar, CEO and Co-founder of Zego had said.

He continued: “That can turn what should be a straightforward journey into a cycle of lessons, waiting and retesting, pushing up the overall cost of becoming a driver before they’ve even got their first car.

“The fact that this experience can vary so significantly depending on where you live highlights how much the postcode lottery can affect the real cost and timeline of getting on the road.”