Northern Ireland driving-test applications jump 12.1% to highest quarterly level since 2021
DVA received 22,090 practical driving-test applications between April and June 2026, while 18,092 tests were conducted. Demand is now well above pre-pandemic levels and the timing of the new GDL system may have played a part.
Driving-test demand: DVA received 22,090 practical driving-test applications in April to June 2026, up 12.1% year on year and the highest quarterly total since April-June 2021/22.
Northern Ireland's practical driving-test system has recorded another surge in demand, with more than 22,000 applications received in just three months.
The latest Department for Infrastructure statistics show the Driver and Vehicle Agency received 22,090 driving-test applications between April and June 2026. That was 2,385 more than the 19,705 applications received in the same period a year earlier.
DVA conducted 18,092 driving tests during the quarter, 5.4% more than the 17,164 carried out in April to June 2025.
The gap between applications received and tests conducted should not be treated as a simple waiting-list figure because applications and completed tests are flows measured during the period rather than a direct count of people waiting at quarter end. Even so, the trend clearly shows sustained pressure on the testing system.
How many driving-test applications were made in Northern Ireland?
DVA received 22,090 applications in the first quarter of 2026/27.
Applications: 22,090
Year-on-year change: +12.1%
Tests conducted: 18,092
Private-car pass rate: 54.0%
DfI says this was the highest quarterly application total since April to June 2021/22, when 23,151 applications were recorded.
How does demand compare with before the pandemic?
The annual figures make the change even clearer.
In 2025/26, DVA received 78,555 practical-test applications. That was 8.5% more than the 72,408 recorded in 2024/25 and 35.6% higher than the 57,919 applications recorded in 2019/20.
DfI says the sustained increase since the pandemic suggests practical-test demand may now be exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
How many driving tests is DVA actually carrying out?
DVA conducted 18,092 tests in April to June 2026. That was 471 more than in the previous quarter and 928 more than in the same quarter a year earlier.
Across the full 2025/26 financial year, DVA delivered 70,023 driving tests, 1.9% more than the year before. DfI describes that as the second-highest annual total on record since 2008/09.
Just over eight in ten of the tests conducted during 2025/26 were for private cars, with 58,424 car tests completed.
Did the October 2026 learner-driver changes affect demand?
Possibly, but the official report is careful not to present that as a proven cause.
DfI notes that the planned introduction of Northern Ireland's Graduated Driver Licensing system in October 2026 may have influenced some people to apply for a test ahead of the policy change, contributing to higher volumes.
That wording matters. The figures show a rise in applications; they do not reveal the motivation of every learner. Broader post-pandemic demand was already elevated before the October reforms took effect.
What is the current private-car driving-test pass rate?
The private-car practical-test pass rate was 54.0% during April to June 2026.
That compares with 53.5% in the same quarter a year earlier and 51.2% in the previous quarter.
On a rolling four-quarter basis to the end of June 2026, the Northern Ireland private-car pass rate was 52.5%.
Which test centres have the highest and lowest practical pass rates?
Using the rolling four-quarter average reported by DfI, private-car practical pass rates ranged from 43.0% at Hydebank to 63.4% at Armagh, against the 52.5% average across test centres.
As with MOT pass-rate comparisons, this should not be turned into an 'easiest test centre' league table. DfI says differences may reflect candidate ability and learning experience, local driving conditions and the characteristics of the road network around individual centres.
Where are the most car tests being conducted?
In the latest quarter, the number of private-car practical tests ranged from 463 at Enniskillen to 1,656 at Newtownards. Balmoral in Belfast delivered 1,549.
Those figures show how different the scale of practical testing can be across the network.
How many learners fail to attend their practical test?
There were 571 failed-to-attend practical-test appointments in April to June 2026, 19 more than in the same quarter a year earlier.
Across 2025/26, 2,245 candidates failed to present for their driving test.
NI Direct allows car and motorcycle candidates to change or cancel practical-test appointments online before the stated deadline. The exact last cancellation day depends on the day of the appointment and can also be affected by bank holidays.
How much does the practical driving test cost?
The official Northern Ireland practical car test currently costs £65 on a weekday and £95 for an evening or weekend appointment.
Booking direct with DVA means there is no additional administration or booking fee. Candidates should be cautious about third-party booking services that add charges without providing an official DVA test themselves.
What does high demand mean for learners?
It means preparation and appointment management matter. With applications at one of their highest quarterly levels in years, a learner who books too early, repeatedly changes plans or misses a test can add unnecessary cost and delay.
- Book when you are genuinely approaching test standard. A date is useful only if your preparation can realistically match it.
- Keep checking the official booking. Appointment availability can change.
- Know your cancellation deadline. Move an appointment in time rather than simply failing to attend.
- Use the waiting period well. Practise the types of roads, junctions, manoeuvres and independent-driving situations you are likely to face.
- Do not chase a centre purely for its historic pass rate. DfI says local road conditions and candidate profiles affect the figures.
PureCar's Northern Ireland driving-test hub covers booking, test centres, theory tests, costs and current NI learner-driver rules.
Applications versus tests conducted: why the numbers are different
It is tempting to subtract 18,092 tests conducted from 22,090 applications and describe the remainder as a backlog. That would be statistically unsafe.
An application received during the quarter may lead to a test in a later period, while a test conducted during the quarter may relate to an application made earlier. Rebookings and different test categories can also affect the relationship.
The correct conclusion is that applications are rising faster than a year ago and test volumes are also rising. A precise waiting-list figure requires separate point-in-time data.
Frequently asked questions
How many NI practical driving-test applications were made in April-June 2026?
22,090, up 12.1% from the same quarter in 2025.
How many tests were actually conducted?
DVA conducted 18,092 practical driving tests in the quarter.
Is that a record?
The application total was the highest quarterly level since April-June 2021/22. For the full 2025/26 year, 70,023 tests conducted was the second-highest annual total on record since 2008/09.
What is the private-car practical pass rate?
54.0% for April-June 2026. The rolling four-quarter average across centres was 52.5%.
How much is a car driving test in Northern Ireland?
£65 for a weekday practical car test and £95 for an evening or weekend test.
Bottom line: Northern Ireland's driving-test system is processing more tests, but applications are also at one of their highest levels in years. The data supports a story of sustained demand, not a simplistic claim that 3,998 people are 'waiting' because applications exceeded tests conducted in the quarter.
