Publication of ‘DVA Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics - June 2021

Date published: 21 July 2021

The ‘DVA Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics – June 2021’ report, containing statistics up to June 2021, is now available.

Statistical press release

The publication is produced by the DVA Statistics Branch of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), and contains summary volumes on the vehicle, driver, and theory tests conducted by the DfI’s Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).  

The publication is available on the DfI website at:

Key Points

The key points in the report are:

Driving Practical Tests

Following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, driver testing was able to resume from 23 April 2021 onwards.  Due to the nature of particular tests, off-road Motorcycle and certain LGV tests had been able continue prior to this period. The DVA driver testing booking system opened to all customers in the first week of May 2021.

In June 2021, the DVA received 5,463 applications for a driving test appointment. This is a significant drop compared with over 15,000 applications in May. However, it is 27% higher than the five year June average (4,314).

The DVA conducted 6,619 driving tests in June. This is over 1,000 (1,100) more tests compared with the 5,500 tests conducted in May, and 57% higher than the five year June average (4,314). It is also the highest number of driving tests conducted for a single month since the beginning of our published series in April 2014.

Private cars accounted for 82% of all driving tests conducted in June.

Driver Theory Tests

Following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, theory testing was able to resume from 23 April 2021 onwards.

In June 2021, the DVA conducted 11,318 theory tests, the highest number recorded in our series for a single month, and over double that for the five year June average (5,042). Private cars account for 88% of all theory tests conducted during May (9,941).

For the month of June, the DVA received just over 8,000 applications for a theory test appointment. This is 29% (1,818) above the five year average for the month of June (6,265).

Vehicle Testing

Following the initial outbreak of COVID-19, the DVA suspended all vehicle testing from 24 March 2020, and resumed testing in stages during June (IVA), July (priority groups including taxis and buses), and September (four-year-old private cars and motorcycles, three-year-old light goods, and all heavy goods).  The DVA was able to continue testing throughout the winter-2020 lockdown, albeit with a reduced capacity due to social distancing measures.  Temporary Exemption Certificates (TEC) were issued to those eligible vehicles that the DVA was unable to test.

In June 2021, the DVA conducted 44,679 full vehicle tests, 7.6% (3,681) fewer compared with May (48,378), and 67% of the five year June average (66,646).

Private Cars accounted for 78% (34,876) of all full tests conducted in June.

The DVA received 52,086 applications for a full vehicle test, just over 4,100 (9%) more than for May (47,931).

Notes to editors: 

Background to ‘DVA Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics’

  1. This is the tenth edition of the publication ‘DVA Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics’, relating to data up to June 2021.  The release is written, and issued by, the DVA Statistics Branch in the Department for Infrastructure.
  2. The release presents statistics on vehicle, driver, and theory tests conducted during June 2021, together with trend series over the previous five financial years. 
  3. We source vehicle and driver data from administrative data sources within the DVA, whilst Pearson VUE supply the theory data.
  4. ‘DVA Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics’ is published every month at pre-announced release dates, which are available from the GOV.UK website.
  5. Electronic copies of ‘DVA Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics – June 2021’ can be downloaded from our website at:
  1. A detailed User Guidance document is also available on our website.
  2. This report supplements the existing quarterly National Statistics publication ‘DfI Driver, Vehicle, Operator, and Enforcement Statistics’.  The latest edition of this for quarter four 2020-21 was released on 26 May 2021 and is available on our website at:
  1. This is an Official Statistics publication and therefore follows the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.  You can find further information about the Code of Practice at: Statistics Authority
  2. For further information, please contact:
DVA Statistics Branch,
Driver and Vehicle Agency,
Annex 4, Belfast Test Centre
66 Balmoral Road,
Belfast,
BT12 6QL
  1. All media queries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office at: press.office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk.
  2. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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