Waiting times for driving tests have dropped below 20 weeks for the first time since November 2024, according to official figures.
But learner drivers in September still had to wait an average of 19.7 weeks, or around five months, for a practical test.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has been trying to cut waiting times and clear a backlog which began during the Covid pandemic in 2020.
Commenting on the agency's progress, one driving instructor told the BBC: "I don't think this is anything to boast about."
The DVSA initially had hoped to reduce the average waiting time to seven weeks by the end of last year.