When it comes to booking the all-important driving test, there are some common questions often asked. These questions are “what is the pass rate at my local driving test centre?” and, “is it better to take my driving test at a centre with a higher pass rate?”
As long as you are ready for your driving test and know all of the test routes, it shouldn’t matter what test centre you take your test at. However, a typical pattern that does appear is that in all the major cities, (London, Leeds, Birmingham etc.) the average pass rate is around 10%-20% lower than in other towns or smaller cities. In some instances, if you have two test centres near you, it may be worth looking at the first time pass rates for both. If there’s a noticeable difference, then consult your instructor for advice on what to do with regards to booking your driving test.
Driving Test Centre pass rates
Each year, the DVSA release statistics on the pass rates for each of their driving test centres across the UK.
Here, you can use the search bar below to easily find the pass rate for your local driving test centre by typing it into the search bar.
Alternatively, you can view the A-Z and find your nearest test centre to where you live. All the figures below are from 2018 to 2019 and provide the data for first time passes.
Search for a driving test centre pass rate
Why is there a 10%-20% difference?
Driving in a city is always going to be more challenging than in the countryside or a small town, as the roads are busier and there are often more complex junctions. Although the DVSA ensure all the test routes are well balanced with a mixture of road types, they can’t control the traffic or mentality of other road users. Driving in London, for example, is a very dog eat dog place to drive. Lots of eye contact is required with other drivers, quick decisions are necessary and, of course, you will likely encounter more cyclists, pedestrians and emergency vehicles. These are all areas of the test that require experience. Therefore someone taking their test with only 20 hours of experience might be technically good and capable but would be more suited to a quieter town where the unexpected is less likely to occur. The hardest and easiest driving test centres are often divided by area, for instances cities like London are harder to pass than rural areas. The further you look into rural areas with low populations, you will notice the first time pass rates can be more than 50-60%. One area in Scotland ‘Mallaig’ has a first-time pass rate of 93.8%. However, when you look into the statistics further, there were only 16 tests taken in 1 year. The population of Mallaig is also just 800 people. Compare that to taking your driving lessons in Northampton for example, where the population is over 220,000 and 4,219 tests were taken in 1 year; the first time pass rate is 49.3%.
