Every UK test centre, priced. 50.03% nationally, and a £499 gap between the best and worst.
Pass rates on their own do not tell a learner anything actionable. What matters is how many attempts a centre implies, what those attempts cost in DVSA fees and retake lessons, and how many weeks the queue adds each time. Every centre page here answers that.
Rank the centres near you by cost to pass
- National pass rate
- 50.03%
- Test centres
- 317
- Median wait
- 11.9 wk
- Average test cycle
- £383
1,998,261 tests
308 with a full page
July 2026
2.00 expected attempts
Pass rate to pounds
Expected attempts is one divided by the pass rate. Multiply by the £62 weekday fee, add 7 hours of lessons per retake, and a percentage point becomes a pound figure.
- 70% pass rate1.43 attempts£200
- 60% pass rate1.67 attempts£276
- 50% pass rate2.00 attempts£383
- 45% pass rate2.22 attempts£454
- 40% pass rate2.50 attempts£544
- 35% pass rate2.86 attempts£658
At the £37 national average lesson rate. Regional rates change the figure; each centre page uses its own region’s.
Pick your region, and see what passing costs at each centre in it.
The tables further down this page rank all 308 centres at once, which is the wrong scope for someone deciding where to book. Narrow it to the centres you could realistically use and the arithmetic gets useful: expected attempts, DVSA fees, retake lessons and the queue each failure adds, at your region's own lesson rate.
Matches a test centre name, then ranks every centre in its DVSA region.
Spread across 308 centres
£529
between the cheapest and the dearest test cycle in Great Britain
National reference
£383
at the 50.03% GB pass rate, 2.00 expected attempts
| Centre | Pass rate | Expected attempts | DVSA fees | Retake lessons | Cost to pass | Median wait | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PitlochryScotland · 146 tests | 73.3% | 1.36 | £85 | £87 | £171 | 18.1 wk+6.6 wk queued | -£212 |
| Benbecula IslandScotland · 107 tests | 72.9% | 1.37 | £85 | £88 | £174 | 10.6 wk+3.9 wk queued | -£209 |
| GirvanScotland · 250 tests | 72.0% | 1.39 | £86 | £93 | £179 | 19.9 wk+7.7 wk queued | -£204 |
| CampbeltownScotland · 109 tests | 71.6% | 1.40 | £87 | £95 | £181 | 26.9 wk+10.7 wk queued | -£202 |
| DunoonScotland · 193 tests | 71.5% | 1.40 | £87 | £95 | £182 | 21.1 wk+8.4 wk queued | -£201 |
| StranraerScotland · 215 tests | 71.2% | 1.41 | £87 | £96 | £184 | 19.2 wk+7.8 wk queued | -£199 |
| Barrow In FurnessNorth West · 1,699 tests | 69.6% | 1.44 | £89 | £98 | £187 | 4.4 wk+1.9 wk queued | -£196 |
| DunsScotland · 171 tests | 70.2% | 1.42 | £88 | £101 | £189 | 22.4 wk+9.5 wk queued | -£194 |
| MontroseScotland · 621 tests | 70.0% | 1.43 | £89 | £102 | £190 | 20.2 wk+8.6 wk queued | -£193 |
| Melton MowbrayEast Midlands · 1,984 tests | 69.7% | 1.44 | £89 | £104 | £193 | 23.3 wk+10.1 wk queued | -£190 |
| InverarayScotland · 124 tests | 69.3% | 1.44 | £89 | £105 | £195 | 20.9 wk+9.2 wk queued | -£188 |
| PwllheliWales · 737 tests | 68.1% | 1.47 | £91 | £105 | £196 | 12.7 wk+5.9 wk queued | -£187 |
| AberfeldyScotland · 149 tests | 68.5% | 1.46 | £91 | £110 | £200 | 20.3 wk+9.4 wk queued | -£183 |
| DorchesterSouth West · 4,353 tests | 69.0% | 1.45 | £90 | £113 | £203 | 10.9 wk+4.9 wk queued | -£180 |
| LerwickScotland · 379 tests | 67.8% | 1.47 | £91 | £113 | £204 | 9.1 wk+4.3 wk queued | -£179 |
Top 15 of 308. Narrow to a region, or open the region pages for the full list.
Expected attempts is one divided by the centre's DVSA pass rate for April 2025 to March 2026. Fees are that many £62 weekday tests; retake lessons are 7 hours per expected retake at the local regional rate an hour from this site's own lesson survey. Cost to pass is the two added together; the full learner bill also carries the provisional, the theory test and the base block of tuition. DVSA publishes no prices and no distances, so the pounds are ours and the grouping is DVSA's own region rather than a radius. A centre's pass rate describes the candidates who booked there, and moving to an unfamiliar one usually costs two settling-in lessons plus travel, so a gap of a few pounds is not a reason to switch.
Eleven DVSA regions, 7.0 points between top and bottom.
South East leads on 53.2%, West Midlands trails on 46.2%. Lesson rates move in almost the opposite direction, which is why the cheapest place to pass is rarely the easiest place to pass.
South East
32 centres · 243,284 tests
- Median wait
- 10 wk
- Lesson rate
- £34-£42
Wales
21 centres · 96,367 tests
- Median wait
- 8.9 wk
- Lesson rate
- £28-£35
South West
22 centres · 153,125 tests
- Median wait
- 8 wk
- Lesson rate
- £32-£40
East of England
24 centres · 195,108 tests
- Median wait
- 11.1 wk
- Lesson rate
- £32-£40
East Midlands
20 centres · 151,674 tests
- Median wait
- 11 wk
- Lesson rate
- £30-£38
Yorkshire and The Humber
29 centres · 186,490 tests
- Median wait
- 10 wk
- Lesson rate
- £28-£35
Scotland
74 centres · 140,572 tests
- Median wait
- 17.4 wk
- Lesson rate
- £30-£38
North West
32 centres · 256,786 tests
- Median wait
- 12.1 wk
- Lesson rate
- £28-£36
London
26 centres · 266,700 tests
- Median wait
- 12.3 wk
- Lesson rate
- £38-£48
North East
11 centres · 77,123 tests
- Median wait
- 14.3 wk
- Lesson rate
- £26-£32
West Midlands
26 centres · 231,032 tests
- Median wait
- 11.4 wk
- Lesson rate
- £30-£38
Cheapest and dearest centres to get through.
Two columns, because they answer different questions. Test cycle cost is fees plus retake lessons, and the pass rate dominates it, so that ranking tracks the pass-rate table closely. Full learner bill adds the parts that do not depend on the centre: £34 provisional, £23 theory and 45 hours of tuition at the local rate. That second column reorders the list, because the gap between £26 an hour and £48 an hour on 45 hours is worth more than almost any pass-rate difference.
Lowest test cycle cost
| Centre | Region | Pass rate | Cycle cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitlochry | Scotland | 73.3% | £171 |
| Benbecula Island | Scotland | 72.9% | £174 |
| Girvan | Scotland | 72.0% | £179 |
| Campbeltown | Scotland | 71.6% | £181 |
| Dunoon | Scotland | 71.5% | £182 |
| Stranraer | Scotland | 71.2% | £184 |
| Barrow In Furness | North West | 69.6% | £187 |
| Duns | Scotland | 70.2% | £189 |
| Montrose | Scotland | 70.0% | £190 |
| Melton Mowbray | East Midlands | 69.7% | £193 |
Highest test cycle cost
| Centre | Region | Pass rate | Cycle cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barking (Tanner Street) | London | 36.3% | £700 |
| Wolverhampton | West Midlands | 34.3% | £638 |
| Wednesbury | West Midlands | 35.0% | £620 |
| Chingford (London) | London | 39.9% | £609 |
| Belvedere (London) | London | 40.5% | £595 |
| Dunfermline (Vine) | Scotland | 36.4% | £586 |
| Featherstone | West Midlands | 36.4% | £585 |
| Greenford (Horsenden Lane) | London | 41.4% | £575 |
| Luton | East of England | 39.2% | £549 |
| Norris Green (Liverpool) | North West | 37.9% | £532 |
Now the full learner bill, and the order changes.
Provisional, theory, 45 hours of tuition at the local rate, then the test cycle. Nothing from the left-hand table survives into the cheapest column, because 45 hours at a North East rate outweighs any pass-rate advantage.
| Centre | Region | Lesson rate | Full bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alnwick | North East | £29 | £1,636 |
| Berwick-On-Tweed | North East | £29 | £1,651 |
| Durham | North East | £29 | £1,657 |
| Hexham | North East | £29 | £1,659 |
| Sunderland | North East | £29 | £1,677 |
| Hartlepool | North East | £29 | £1,678 |
| Blyth | North East | £29 | £1,679 |
| Barrow In Furness | North West | £32 | £1,684 |
| Pwllheli | Wales | £32 | £1,693 |
| Gosforth | North East | £29 | £1,706 |
| Centre | Region | Lesson rate | Full bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barking (Tanner Street) | London | £43 | £2,692 |
| Chingford (London) | London | £43 | £2,601 |
| Belvedere (London) | London | £43 | £2,587 |
| Greenford (Horsenden Lane) | London | £43 | £2,567 |
| Goodmayes (London) | London | £43 | £2,522 |
| Wanstead (London) | London | £43 | £2,508 |
| Southall (London) | London | £43 | £2,501 |
| Enfield (Brancroft Way) | London | £43 | £2,478 |
| Hornchurch (London) | London | £43 | £2,476 |
| Wood Green (London) | London | £43 | £2,466 |
Highest and lowest pass rates, April 2025 to March 2026.
Centres running fewer than 100 tests in the year are excluded: DVSA warns their figures are not robust for comparison, and a small centre can swing twenty points on a handful of results.
| # | Centre | Region | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pitlochry | Scotland | 73.3% | 146 |
| 2 | Benbecula Island | Scotland | 72.9% | 107 |
| 3 | Girvan | Scotland | 72.0% | 250 |
| 4 | Campbeltown | Scotland | 71.6% | 109 |
| 5 | Dunoon | Scotland | 71.5% | 193 |
| 6 | Stranraer | Scotland | 71.2% | 215 |
| 7 | Duns | Scotland | 70.2% | 171 |
| 8 | Montrose | Scotland | 70.0% | 621 |
| 9 | Melton Mowbray | East Midlands | 69.7% | 1,984 |
| 10 | Barrow In Furness | North West | 69.6% | 1,699 |
| # | Centre | Region | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolverhampton | West Midlands | 34.3% | 11,561 |
| 2 | Wednesbury | West Midlands | 35.0% | 7,508 |
| 3 | Barking (Tanner Street) | London | 36.3% | 5,543 |
| 4 | Dunfermline (Vine) | Scotland | 36.4% | 5,529 |
| 5 | Featherstone | West Midlands | 36.4% | 13,193 |
| 6 | Gateshead | North East | 37.5% | 9,512 |
| 7 | Norris Green (Liverpool) | North West | 37.9% | 13,472 |
| 8 | Luton | East of England | 39.2% | 7,759 |
| 9 | Chingford (London) | London | 39.9% | 13,120 |
| 10 | Glasgow (Shieldhall) | Scotland | 39.9% | 7,019 |
27.1 weeks at one centre, 2.4 at another.
Median weeks between booking a car test and taking it, DVSA table DRT122F, July 2026. A long queue is the hidden half of a fail: the fee is £62, the delay can be months of insurance and lesson top-ups.
Longest waits
- Bedford27.1 wk
- Callander26.9 wk
- Campbeltown26.9 wk
- Arbroath25.9 wk
- Letchworth25 wk
- Hawick24.9 wk
- Forfar24.1 wk
- Rothesay23.6 wk
Shortest waits
- Enfield (Brancroft Way)2.4 wk
- Birmingham (Cocks Moors)3.1 wk
- Bodmin3.6 wk
- Brentwood (London)3.6 wk
- Scunthorpe4 wk
- Barrow In Furness4.4 wk
- Redditch4.4 wk
- Boston4.5 wk
Which centres got easier, and which got harder.
Change in pass rate between 2021/22 and 2025/26. A five-point move is worth roughly £71 to the average candidate on national lesson rates.
| Centre | 2021/22 | 2025/26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erith (London) | 28.4% | 51.6% | +23.3 |
| Wallasey | 39.3% | 54.3% | +15.1 |
| Guildford | 42.8% | 57.1% | +14.3 |
| Yeading (London) | 38.6% | 52.8% | +14.1 |
| Dunoon | 58.6% | 71.5% | +12.9 |
| Birmingham (Kingstanding) | 35.9% | 48.5% | +12.6 |
| Centre | 2021/22 | 2025/26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lochgilphead | 80.5% | 56.4% | -24.1 |
| Galashiels | 67.9% | 47.4% | -20.5 |
| Rothesay | 70.5% | 52.0% | -18.5 |
| Newtown | 74.5% | 58.0% | -16.5 |
| Dunfermline (Vine) | 52.3% | 36.4% | -15.9 |
| Kyle of Lochalsh | 72.5% | 57.4% | -15.2 |
Busiest centres in Great Britain
Which region you test in matters. How old you are when you test matters more.
17-year-olds passed at 63.6% across 301,662 tests. 25-year-olds passed at 48.6% across 55,802. That 14.9-point spread is more than twice the 7.0 points separating the best DVSA region from the worst, though it is still smaller than the spread between individual centres in the table above. Each centre page below carries its own age split where DVSA published enough of it to read.
The national age curve, pricedGreat Britain, pass rate by age
DVSA table DRT122D, April 2025 to March 2026. Withheld cells excluded, never estimated.
Test centres and cost, answered.
Which UK driving test centre has the highest pass rate?+
Pitlochry in Scotland recorded the highest pass rate of any DVSA car test centre with at least 100 tests in April 2025 to March 2026: 73.3% from 146 tests. The lowest was Wolverhampton at 34.3% from 11,561 tests. Centres running under 100 tests a year are excluded from the ranking because DVSA warns their figures are not reliable for comparison.
How much does the pass rate change what learning to drive costs?+
A pass rate is an expected number of attempts: one divided by the rate. At the 50.03% national average that is 2.00 attempts, £124 in £62 DVSA fees plus about £259 of retake lessons. At Pitlochry's 73.3% it falls to 1.36 attempts and £179; at Wolverhampton's 34.3% it rises to 2.92 attempts and £678. That is a spread of roughly £499 on identical national lesson rates.
How long is the wait for a driving test?+
Across the 307 centres DVSA publishes a waiting time for, the median gap between booking a car test and taking it was 11.9 weeks in July 2026. The longest was 27.1 weeks at Bedford, the shortest 2.4 weeks at Enfield (Brancroft Way). Wait times matter to cost because each failed attempt pushes the licence back by roughly the local median.
Should I book a test centre with a higher pass rate?+
Only where the gap is large. Switching to an unfamiliar centre usually means a new instructor or extra travel for route familiarity, typically £60 to £120 plus two settling-in lessons, which cancels out a gap of under about eight percentage points. The centre pages here show comparable centres in the same region with the expected cost difference worked out, so the sum is visible rather than guessed.
Are these pass rates official?+
Yes. Every pass rate, volume and waiting time on this site's test-centre pages is DVSA published statistics, taken from the "Driving test and theory test data: cars" data sets under the Open Government Licence v3.0, tables DRT122A, DRT122C, DRT122D, DRT122E, DRT122F, DRT121A, DRT121B. Centre figures cover April 2025 to March 2026. drivingtestcost.com is not affiliated with the DVSA. The cost figures are ours, from the GOV.UK fee schedule and our own regional lesson survey; DVSA publishes no prices.
How many driving test centres are there in Great Britain?+
DVSA published car practical test figures for 317 test centres in April 2025 to March 2026, spread across 11 regions. 308 of them ran at least 100 tests and have a page here; the remaining 9 are listed with their figures on their regional page. Northern Ireland is not included: those tests are run by the DVA, not the DVSA.
Source and provenance
Pass rates, test volumes, gender splits and waiting times on this page are published statistics from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), taken from Driving test and theory test data: cars, tables DRT122A (Car driving test pass rates by gender and month: test centres, updated 2026-06-25), DRT122C (Car driving test pass rates by first driving attempt and gender, including zero faults: test centres, updated 2026-06-25), DRT122D (Car driving test pass rates by age (17 to 25 year olds), year and test centre, updated 2026-06-25), DRT122E (Automatic car driving test pass rates by gender: test centres, updated 2026-06-25), DRT122F (Car driving test waiting times and availability by driving test centre, updated 2026-08-12), DRT121A (Car driving tests conducted, passed and pass rates by financial quarter and financial year: Great Britain, updated 2026-09-03) and DRT121B (Car driving tests conducted, passed and pass rates by month, financial quarter, financial year and gender: Great Britain, updated 2026-09-03). Centre-level figures cover the April 2025 to March 2026 financial year; the national quarterly series runs to June 2026. Snapshot taken 2026-09-04.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Cost figures are drivingtestcost.com’s own, from the GOV.UK fee schedule and our regional lesson survey; DVSA publishes no prices and none of the money on this page comes from DVSA.
drivingtestcost.com is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the DVSA, the DVA or GOV.UK. Pass rates are DVSA published statistics reproduced under the Open Government Licence, not our assessment of any centre. Great Britain only; Northern Ireland tests are run separately by the DVA. DVSA cautions that centre figures below about 100 tests a year are not robust for comparison.
Great Britain totals for the quarter to June 2026 come from DRT121A, published 3 September 2026: 543,773 tests at 51.28% in 2026 to 2027 Q1 April to June. Centre-level tables are updated annually each June, so centre figures and the national quarterly series run to different dates by design.