The government will deploy military driving examiners to cut the test backlog for civilians.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said up to 6,500 more tests will be available over the next year at locations with the highest demand.
It added 36 defence driving examiners (DDEs) will conduct public tests one day a week for 12 months.
Typically, DDEs are civil servants at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) who usually test service personnel.
This will “benefit both parties” to keep their “skills sharp” while tackling the backlog, the DfT said.
DDEs will be primarily focused on car driving tests but can carry out tests for bus and lorry drivers too, if needed.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the Commons’ Transport Select Committee that the DfT’s target of reducing the average waiting time for booking a test to seven weeks by summer 2026 will not be met.
At the end of June, that figure was 21.8 weeks.
Ms Alexander had initially set a target of clearing the backlog by the end of the year.
Ms Alexander said: “We inherited an enormous backlog of learners ready to ditch their L plates, who have been sadly forced to endure record waiting times for their tests.
“Every learner should have an equal and fair opportunity to take a test.
“We’re taking decisive action and these new measures will deliver thousands of extra tests over the next year, helping learners get on the road sooner.”
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New rules to tackle unfair booking practices
The government has also announced it is introducing new rules to tackle unfair booking practices that allow people to resell tests for profit.
The MoD will charge the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) £100,000 for using the DDEs.
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DVSA figures show the number of learner drivers in Britain with a future test booking, as of the end of October, was 642,000.
The DVSA attributes this figure to an increase in demand, with some booking tests much earlier than before.
There were 182,000 tests conducted last month, up 9% from 168,000 in October 2024.
