{"id":1014,"date":"2024-04-25T11:10:16","date_gmt":"2024-04-25T10:10:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk/northern-ireland\/?p=1014"},"modified":"2026-02-25T14:12:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:12:08","slug":"driving-test-backlog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk/northern-ireland\/blog\/learner-drivers\/driving-test-backlog\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: The driving test centres with the shortest waiting times in Northern Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Although most people are no longer wearing masks or social distancing, the impact of coronavirus is still being felt here in Northern Ireland. And nowhere is this more obvious than the motoring world: following the freeze on driving tests and MOTs over lockdowns, both are now facing catastrophic delays, with many having to wait months to test their car or driving skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in 2021, the DVA predicted that the backlog might not be cleared until the end of 2022<\/a>, but here we are in 2024 and there appears to be no end in sight, with learners still complaining<\/a> that they are having to wait weeks and even months before they can sit their test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has been a frustrating couple of years for learners, and doubly so if you were planning on using your car for a job or to get yourself to and from university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not all bad news, thankfully. When we got in touch with the DVA to find out which test centres had been hit the hardest, they acknowledged the long waiting times and explained a little about what they were doing to help ease them. A spokesperson said: \u201cWe are in the process of recruiting new full time driving examiners who on successful completion of their training will be allocated to test centres from late March 2024 onwards.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the DVA continues to try to get through the backlog, we thought it could be useful to provide you with an insight into the test centres with the best and worst waiting times so you can find out how your area is affected \u2013 and whether there are any centres nearby that could help you swap your L plates for R plates<\/a> more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antrim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Average waiting time: 66.39 days (9.48 weeks)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It probably doesn\u2019t come as a surprise that Antrim, the most populous county in Northern Ireland, has one of the highest average waiting times in the country, beaten only by county Down. Your best choice in the area is Newry, which has an average waiting time of roughly 7.71 weeks (53.95 days).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t mind travelling outside of Antrim, Armagh or Craigavon are the best options nearby, with an average waiting time of 6.41 weeks (44.90 days) and 6.68 weeks (46.78 days) respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n