Pass rates: 49% national, but yours could be 35% or 80%.
DVSA publishes pass rates for every test centre. The gap between the easiest and hardest is huge, and so is the cost difference. A 35% centre means the average learner spends roughly £600 more in fees and lessons than at a 65% centre.
Who passes? Roughly half of all candidates.
All candidates
49.3%
Male
51.2%
Female
47.1%
Age 17-19
48.7%
Top 10 easiest UK test centres.
The pattern is clear: rural, low-traffic, almost all in Scotland. They are only useful if you can practise on roads similar to the test routes.
| # | Test centre | Region | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isle of Mull (Tobermory) | Scotland | 92.6% |
| 2 | Barra | Scotland | 87.5% |
| 3 | Tiree | Scotland | 86.7% |
| 4 | Pitlochry | Scotland | 79.5% |
| 5 | Inveraray | Scotland | 77.4% |
| 6 | Ballater | Scotland | 75.6% |
| 7 | Mallaig | Scotland | 73.5% |
| 8 | Brodick (Arran) | Scotland | 73.2% |
| 9 | Lerwick (Shetland) | Scotland | 72.0% |
| 10 | Dorchester | South West | 70.8% |
Top 10 hardest UK test centres.
Mostly London and major-city centres with complex junctions and dense traffic. Lower pass rates do not mean tougher examiners; they mean tougher roads.
| # | Test centre | Region | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belvedere (London) | London | 35.7% |
| 2 | Erith (London) | London | 36.1% |
| 3 | Wolverhampton | West Midlands | 36.5% |
| 4 | Speke (Liverpool) | North West | 37.1% |
| 5 | South Yardley (Birmingham) | West Midlands | 37.4% |
| 6 | Wood Green (London) | London | 37.8% |
| 7 | Bradford (Heaton) | Yorkshire | 38.2% |
| 8 | Pinner (London) | London | 38.5% |
| 9 | Cheetham Hill (Manchester) | North West | 38.7% |
| 10 | Hither Green (London) | London | 39.0% |
Pass rate → expected attempts → cost.
Expected attempts is just 1 divided by pass rate. Multiply by typical retake cost (£62 test fee + 5-7 hours of extra lessons).
| Centre type | Pass rate | Expected attempts | Test fees | Extra lessons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Scotland | 75% | 1.33 | £82 | £120 |
| Suburban / coast | 60% | 1.67 | £104 | £241 |
| National average | 49% | 2.04 | £127 | £376 |
| Big-city centre | 40% | 2.50 | £155 | £543 |
| Toughest London | 35% | 2.86 | £177 | £670 |
Honest answer: usually no.
Your instructor knows local routes. The hour you save on a test fee is often eaten by extra lessons in unfamiliar territory plus travel costs.
Only consider travelling if your local centre is in the bottom 5% and you have someone who can drive you to repeated lessons in the alternative area. Otherwise, focus on preparation: pass rate at a centre where you know the routes is yours to influence; pass rate at a strange centre is largely chance.