New figures for all 15 MOT centres as almost 99,000 vehicle tests conducted over September 2024

In September 2024, the DVA conducted 98,943 vehicle tests of which 86,082 (87.0%) were full tests and 12,861 (13.0%) were retests.

For this financial year to date 2024/25 (April to September), the agency delivered 553,031 vehicle tests, 475,040 (85.9%) full tests and 77,991 (14.1%) retests respectively.

A total of 83,112 applications for a full vehicle test were received during September 2024, relative to 97,210 for the same month in 2023.

Driving Practical Testing

The DVA conducted 5,986 practical driver tests in September 2024, 9.7% (527) higher relative to the same month in 2023 (5,459).

From April to September 2024/25, it delivered 35,848 driver tests, compared to 31,718 for the same period in 2023/24, an increase of just over 13% (4,130) so far this year.

In September a total of 5,736 applications for a driving test were received, 12.8% (840) fewer than for the same month in 2023 (6,576).

Driver Theory Testing

In September 2024 the agency delivered 6,856 driver theory tests, 11.0% (848) below the equivalent figure for the same month in 2023 (7,704).

Year to date, April to September 2024/25, the DVA conducted 45,082 theory tests, compared with and slightly below the 46,306 conducted in the same period the previous year 2023/24.

It received 9,088 applications for a driver theory test during September 2024, 250 fewer than for the same month in 2023 (9,338).

The September break down of vehicle and driver tests per centre was as follows:

• Armagh: 4,817 and 130;
• Ballymena: 6,074 and 331;
• Belfast (Balmoral): 7,455 and 793;
• Coleraine: 6,349 and 371;
• Cookstown: 5,485 and 382;
• Craigavon: 5,074 and 656;
• Downpatrick: 3,549 and 235;
• Enniskillen: 3,888 and 136;
• Larne: 3,636 and 430;
• Lisburn: 6,154 and 413;
• Londonderry (Newbuildings): 8,407 and 86;
• Mallusk: 5,694 and 42;
• Newry: 5,320 and 280;
• Newtownards: 11,240 and 588;
• Omagh: 2,940 and 270.

Over the month of September 2024, a total of 450 driver tests were also conducted at, Londonderry Altnagelvin; 382 at Hydebank, and 11 at Belfast (Dill Road).

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Since June 1, private cars that were first registered between, June 1, 2019 and May, 31 2020 or between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 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 for 12 months from the date their current certificate expires.

DfI said 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.