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Pass rates are worth checking before you book, but as one input into two decisions: which test centre to book, and which date you can realistically be ready by. DVSA publishes the car driving test pass rate for every test centre in Great Britain, free, on GOV.UK. The centre tables (DRT122A to DRT122E) were last updated on 25 June 2026 with data to March 2026, and they are now published once a year. This guide shows how to use them, alongside waiting-time data and the 2026 booking rules, to pick a centre and date that give you the best chance of passing.
Key facts (as of November 2026)
- Where: GOV.UK, “Driving test and theory test data: cars”, published by DVSA.
- Centre pass rates: tables DRT122A to DRT122E, updated 25 June 2026, data to March 2026.
- Since April 2025, all data by test centre is published annually rather than quarterly.
- Waiting times by centre: table DRT122F, updated monthly on the second Wednesday (last update 14 October 2026, data to September 2026).
- Covers Great Britain only. Northern Ireland tests are run by DVA and are not in these tables.
- Since 9 June 2026 you can only move a booked test to one of the 3 nearest centres, or back to the centre you first booked at.
The tables you need
Search GOV.UK for “Driving test and theory test data: cars”. The page lists spreadsheets you can download. The ones that matter for choosing a centre and date:
| Table | What it shows | Last updated | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| DRT122A | Car driving test pass rates by gender and month, per test centre | 25 June 2026 | Annual |
| DRT122B | Cancellation reasons, per test centre | 25 June 2026 | Annual |
| DRT122C | First-attempt pass rates by gender, including zero-fault passes, per test centre | 25 June 2026 | Annual |
| DRT122D | Pass rates for 17 to 25 year olds by age and year, per test centre | 25 June 2026 | Annual |
| DRT122E | Automatic car test pass rates by gender, per test centre | 25 June 2026 | Annual |
| DRT122F | Waiting times and availability, per test centre, January 2019 to date | 14 October 2026 | Monthly |
| DRT112A | Car theory test pass rates by gender and month, per theory test centre | 17 July 2026 | Annual |
National figures for Great Britain, including the top 10 faults (DRT121F) and the number of attempts (DRT121D), are on the same page. The top 10 faults table is worth reading as a revision list in its own right. Before 2025 the Department for Transport published this data; it now all comes from DVSA.
Picking a centre: five checks before you trust a pass rate
A pass rate is the share of tests conducted at that centre that ended in a pass. Check these before reading anything into it.
- How many tests sit behind it. A small centre with a few hundred tests a year can swing several points from one year to the next by chance. Compare centres on the yearly total, not one month.
- Who is taking tests there. A centre near a college town may test lots of 17 year olds on a first attempt. Another may test more people on a third or fourth try. Use DRT122C (first attempts) and DRT122D (17 to 25 year olds) to compare like with like.
- Manual or automatic. Automatic tests are split out in DRT122E. If you are taking an automatic test, look there rather than at the overall figure.
- Several years, not one. A real difference shows up year after year. A one-off jump usually does not.
- Your local knowledge. Independent driving takes you on the roads around the centre. A centre where you have never practised means unfamiliar junctions, roundabouts and speed limit changes on the day.
Picking a date: use waiting times, not hope
DRT122F tells you how long the wait is at each centre. Use it to work backwards from the date you will genuinely be ready. A centre with a slightly higher rate but a much longer wait may leave you waiting weeks, losing sharpness or paying for extra practice to stay at standard. Book a date you expect to be ready by, then confirm with a full mock driving test nearer the time. Not sure when that is? See how many lessons before you’re ready to pass.
Worked example
Two centres near you are 15 miles apart. Centre A shows a higher overall pass rate than Centre B. Before switching your plans:
- Open DRT122C. If first-attempt rates for your gender are close, much of the overall gap comes from who tests there, not how hard the test is.
- Open DRT122D and find your age. Again, look for the gap that is left.
- Open DRT122F. If Centre A has the longer wait, your earliest test there may be weeks later than at Centre B.
- Ask yourself which centre’s area you have actually practised in.
Most of the time the honest answer is: book the centre whose roads you know, at a date you will be ready by.
Why the “easiest test centre” is mostly a myth
- Same test everywhere. Every car test in Great Britain follows the same DVSA format and marking: the same manoeuvres, the same independent driving section and the same fault categories. See driving test faults.
- The candidates differ, not the standard. A centre’s figure reflects who tests there: age, attempt number, manual or automatic, how ready people are.
- Readiness matters far more. Whether you are consistently driving to test standard affects your result far more than which centre you pick.
Book carefully: the 2026 rules lock in your first choice
- From 31 March 2026 you get 2 changes to a booked test. Changing the date, time or centre each counts, though changing several at once counts as one.
- From 12 May 2026 only the learner can book, change or cancel their own test.
- From 9 June 2026 you can only move your test to one of the 3 test centres nearest to where it is booked, or back to the centre you first booked at on that booking.
DVSA’s advice is to book only at a test centre you intend to use. You cannot book a distant “high pass rate” centre and hop around later. GOV.UK has a “Check which driving test centres you can move your test to” list for every centre. Full detail: driving test booking rules 2026 and finding an earlier test legally.
Northern Ireland
DVA runs driving tests in Northern Ireland, so its centres do not appear in the DVSA tables. The Department for Infrastructure publishes monthly DVA statistics on the number of tests conducted. Check its website for any centre-level figures. Booking in Northern Ireland: booking the DVA practical driving test.
Common questions
Which driving test centre has the highest pass rate?
It changes from year to year, and the overall figure says more about who tests there than how hard the test is. Download DRT122A and DRT122C from GOV.UK and compare centres near you on first attempts.
When are pass rates by centre updated?
Once a year. The latest centre tables came out on 25 June 2026, covering tests to March 2026. Waiting-time data by centre is updated monthly.
Can I book a test far away because it has a better pass rate?
You can book any centre, but since 9 June 2026 you can only move that test to the 3 nearest centres to it, or back to where you first booked. You would also be tested on roads you do not know.
Are pass rates lower in cities?
Do not assume it. Compare actual centres in the tables, and remember that busy roads also mean more chances to practise the situations the test throws at you.
Do automatic tests have different pass rates?
DVSA publishes automatic pass rates separately for each centre (DRT122E). Compare like with like. Weighing up the choice: automatic or manual.
Is there pass rate data for the theory test by centre?
Yes, table DRT112A, updated 17 July 2026 with data to March 2026. The theory test is the same everywhere, so centre differences come down to who sits it.
Looking for lessons or an instructor? Our sister site Compare Driving Instructors covers lesson prices and choosing an instructor.
Back to the main guide: Learning to Drive in Great Britain. Failed and choosing where to rebook? Read failed your driving test: what next.
Sources
- DVSA, “Driving test and theory test data: cars” (gov.uk)
- DVSA, “Driving test, theory test and driving instructor data: tables index” (gov.uk)
- DVSA, “Changes to driving test booking rules in 2026” (gov.uk)
- DVSA, “Check which driving test centres you can move your test to” (gov.uk)
- Department for Infrastructure, “Driver and Vehicle Agency Monthly Tests Conducted Statistics” (infrastructure-ni.gov.uk)