Publication of ‘DVA Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics – October 2024’

Date published: 15 November 2024

The ‘DVA Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics – October 2024’ report, is now available.

DfI Statistics image

The publication is produced by DVA Statistics Branch of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI)  and contains summary volumes on vehicle, driver, and theory tests conducted by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) up to the end of October 2024.

The publication is available on the DfI website at: Driver and Vehicle Agency Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics – October 2024

The key points in the report are:

Please note that DVA services were impacted by industrial strike action on 22 September 2023 and 18th January 2024, so testing volumes for these months are lower than would have been the case had these been routine working days.

Temporary Exemption Certificates (TECs) – Private cars only. From 1 June 2024, private cars that were first registered between 1 June 2019 and 31 May 2020 or between 1 June 2017 and 31 May 2018, and have a valid Northern Ireland MOT will be given a Temporary Exemption Certificate (TEC). This means they will not need a vehicle test (MOT) for 12 months from the date their current certificate expires. These certificates were introduced to reduce the number of private car applications, but tests conducted were to remain the same or the agency would test more as required.

Vehicle Testing

In October 2024, the DVA conducted 109,941 vehicle tests of which 94,654 (86.1%) were full tests and 15,287 (13.9%) were retests. This is the highest number of vehicle tests reported since the current series of statistics began.        

For this financial year to date 2024/25 (April to October), DVA delivered 662,972 vehicle tests, 569,694 (85.9%) full tests and 93,278 (14.1%) retests respectively.        

The DVA received 85,461 applications for a full vehicle test during October 2024, relative to 91,389 for the same month in 2023.                                                      

Driving Practical Testing

The DVA conducted 6,385 practical driver tests in October 2024, 4.9% (297) higher relative to the same month in 2023 (6,088) and the highest number recorded since November 2022 (6,458).            

From April to October 2024/25, DVA delivered 42,233 driver tests, compared to 37,806 for the same period in 2023/24, an increase of almost 12% (4,427) so far this year. 

In October 2024 DVA received 6,448 applications for a driving test, 6.5% (394) more than for the same month in 2023 (6,054).                                   

Driver Theory Testing

In October 2024 the DVA delivered 8,759 driver theory tests, 20.5% (1,491) above the equivalent figure for the same month in 2023 (7,268).                    

Year to date, April to October 2024/25, the DVA conducted 53,841 theory tests, compared with and slightly above the 53,574 conducted in the same period the previous year 2023/24.         

The DVA received 9,123 applications for a driver theory test during October 2024, 248 more than for the same month in 2023 (8,875).                      

Notes to editors: 

  1. This is the forty-ninth edition of the publication ‘DVA Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics’, to October 2024. 
  2. The release presents statistics on vehicle, driver, and theory tests conducted during October 2024, together with trend series over the previous ten financial years. 
  3. We source vehicle and driver data from administrative data sources within the DVA, whilst DVSA supply theory-testing data. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) took over the contract for theory testing from Pearson on 4 September 2021.
  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 – October 2024’ can be downloaded from our website at: Driver and Vehicle Agency Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics – October 2024
  6. A detailed User Guidance document is also available on our website.
  7. This report supplements the existing quarterly National Statistics publication ‘DfI Driver, Vehicle, Operator, and Enforcement Statistics’.  The latest edition of this for quarter one 2024-25 is available on our website at: Driver & Vehicle Agency Activity Statistics
  8. 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
For further information, please contact:

DVA Statistics,Driver and Vehicle Agency,
Department for Infrastructure,
Hydebank House,
4 Hospital Road,
Ballydollaghan,
Belfast,
BT8 8JP
  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.
  3. Follow the Department on Twitter @deptinfra, on Facebook @DepartmentforInfrastructure and on LinkedIn at Department for Infrastructure.

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