UK driving test pass rate: 48.7% average, 33% to 67% by centre.
Where you sit the test moves your odds by up to 34 percentage points. PassRates ranks every DVSA centre from the official record, so you can pick yours by the numbers.
- 327
- centres ranked
- 48.7%
- national pass rate
- 49%
- first-time pass rate
- 26.6M
- tests analysed
Six ways in.
The work behind the numbers.
Everything on this site is computed from the official DVSA record. These are the studies and tools readers use most, with the full methodology open on every page.
- The UK pass rate reportThe headline national analysis: how pass rates split by country, region, age and test type, built from the full DVSA record.
- Pass rates by ageWhat actually happens to your chances between 17 and 60, and where the steepest drop sits.
- Which centres are genuinely hardSeparating tough test routes from statistical noise by clustering every centre on volume and rate.
- Best centre for meAnswer a few questions and get a ranked shortlist of centres near you, weighted by real pass rates and travel.
- Pass rate finderLook up the current pass rate, volume and trend for any UK test centre in seconds.
- Intensive course checklistVet an intensive course provider before paying: the checks that matter and a ready email template.
What the UK pass rate really tells you.
The national car practical pass rate is 49% and the first time rate is 49%. Behind that average sits a spread running from the low thirties at the busiest city centres to the mid sixties in quiet rural areas.
The top and bottom of the table.
Every centre listed clears our minimum test volume, so these are stable figures rather than the noise of a tiny sample.
See the complete tables: easiest UK centres and hardest UK centres.
How to read a pass rate.
What it measures
The share of car tests at that centre that ended in a pass, not your personal odds.
Why centres differ
Route difficulty, not examiner strictness. The DVSA standard is the same everywhere.
First time versus overall
The headline counts retakes as well, so check both before you judge a centre.
Periods, volume thresholds and rounding are set out in our methodology.
Explore the guides.
Plain-English guidance on passing first time, booking your test and choosing a centre.
How to pass first time
A complete guide to passing your UK driving test on the first attempt: preparation, common faults, route familiarisation, mock tests, and using pass-rate data wisely.
Easiest vs hardest
Easiest: Lerwick 67.4%, Dorchester 66.7%. Hardest: Wolverhampton 33.4%, Chingford 34.1%. Ranked table of all 327 UK test centres and whether it is worth travelling further.
How to book your test
Book your UK driving test on gov.uk for £62 weekday or £75 evening or weekend. What you need, the step-by-step flow, choosing a centre, and the 2026 rules.
First-time pass rate
48.9% of UK candidates pass their driving test first time (440,408 passes in 2024-25). Best centres reach 66%+. See how your local centre ranks on the first-time table.
Browse guides by topic
Find your local test centre.
Start with your nearest city or your part of the UK, then compare the individual centres side by side.
Major cities and UK nations
Frequently asked questions.
What is the UK driving test pass rate in 2026?
The national car practical pass rate is 48.7 percent, based on the most recent full year of DVSA data (2024-25), and the first-time pass rate is 48.9 percent. That national figure hides a wide spread: the busiest city centres pass roughly 33 percent of candidates, while the quietest rural and island centres reach around 67 percent.
Why do pass rates vary so much between centres?
The biggest factor is the test route, not the examiner. A centre in a busy city sends candidates through heavy traffic, complex roundabouts, cyclists and tight on street parking, while a rural centre runs quieter roads with fewer decision points per mile. Examiners across the country mark to the same DVSA standard.
Are these pass rates official?
Yes. Every figure on this site is built from the DVSA quarterly statistical release published on gov.uk and reused under the Open Government Licence. We aggregate the raw quarterly records into per centre and national figures, but we do not adjust or estimate the underlying numbers.
How often is the data updated?
The DVSA publishes new figures on a quarterly cycle and we refresh the site against each release. Official statistics carry a reporting lag, so the most recent complete period usually trails the present day by a few months. Our coverage runs from 2014 through to the latest published quarter.
Does it matter which test centre I choose?
It can, but less than good preparation. If two centres are a similar distance from home and one has consistently easier routes, the quieter one is a reasonable edge, though a quiet route also prepares you less well for real driving. Lesson quality, hours behind the wheel and familiarity with the local roads matter more than a few points on a headline rate.
Where these figures come from.
Every figure comes from the DVSA quarterly statistical release on gov.uk, used under the Open Government Licence and aggregated as set out on our methodology page.
Built and maintained by Vikas Dulgunde. Not affiliated with the DVSA or gov.uk. Report an error.