Aberdeen North Driving Test Centre
The Aberdeen North driving test centre is located in Aberdeen City, Scotland (AB23 8FE). Below are the official pass-rate statistics, multi-year trend, demographic breakdown, and how this centre compares against the UK average and its neighbours, all drawn from the DVSA quarterly statistical release.
Pass vs fail at a glance
2.2K passed, 1.3K failed, 3.5K total
How Aberdeen North compares
Aberdeen North performs well above the UK average. Learners passing here are more likely to pass than at most other UK centres, though this can also reflect quieter test routes and fewer challenging junctions.
Where Aberdeen North ranks among 152 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Most common faults at this centre
The fault categories most frequently recorded against learners on test. Knowing them lets you target practice on the things examiners are most likely to penalise.
- 1Junctions - observation10
- 2Mirrors - change direction9
- 3Move off - safely8
- 4Junctions - turning right7
- 5Response to signs - traffic lights6
Per-centre fault breakdowns are derived from the DVSA national fault distribution applied to centre-level test outcomes.
Pass rate by demographic
Estimated wait time and demand
Wait times at Aberdeen North have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is comparatively quick: learners booking at Aberdeen North typically wait around 4 weeks from booking to test day.
Wait time is estimated from regional demand patterns reported in the National Audit Office investigation into car driving test waiting times (Dec 2024) and the DVSA Despatch blog updates, combined with this centre's test volume. Real availability fluctuates with examiner staffing and cancellations, always check the official DVSA booking service for live slots.
Centre details
Address
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Aberdeen North
- car
- lorry and bus
- ADI part 2
- ADI part 3
Accessibility & facilities
Parking and toilet details aren't included in DVSA's published feed. For the current on-site facilities, check the DVSA find a driving test centre tool with postcode AB22 8GT, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Of the DVSA hgv/lgv centres across Scotland, Aberdeen North is the one covering Aberdeen City and the surrounding AB23 8FE area. The routes are built around the roads the centre's examiners can reach inside the test's time budget. Aberdeen North is a smaller centre by volume, 3.5K tests through 2016-17-2023-24. The figures hold up for headline comparisons but lose granularity once you slice them by quarter.
If you've been told Aberdeen North is "an easy centre" or "a hard one", the data won't fully back that. 75.5% is 26.8 points clear of the UK hgv/lgv average of 48.7%, which is rank #62 out of 152. DVSA doesn't break out first-attempt figures for Aberdeen North in DRT122C, so the split between first-time and retake pass rates isn't published for this centre.
All figures shown are aggregated from the DVSA quarterly statistical release covering the most recent reporting periods available. Pass-rate calculations exclude tests cancelled by the candidate or examiner. Sample sizes and methodology are described in the source attribution at the foot of this page.
What learners should know about Aberdeen North
- Don't read a higher pass rate as a softer test. Aberdeen North's rate reflects route geography more than examiner discretion, DVSA marking is centrally trained. Prepare for the same fault categories you'd prepare for anywhere.
- Practising the test routes is the single thing that most reliably moves a candidate's pass odds. Most ADI instructors in Aberdeen City will have a working knowledge of which routes Aberdeen North uses.
- If you missed the earlier slots at Aberdeen North, the DVSA's official cancellation pool refreshes constantly. Check at off-peak times (early morning, late evening) for better odds.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Aberdeen North
Arrive at Aberdeen North with about ten minutes to spare and know your parking options in advance, they vary site to site across the DVSA network. The DVSA centre finder (postcode AB23 8FE) maps the centre and its surroundings. Waits here run around 4 weeks at low demand, so you can usually pick a date without a long wait. Don't set off without your provisional photocard licence; the test cannot start without it, and your car needs L plates and a working interior mirror. If Aberdeen North is fully booked, Aberdeen North is the next closest centre, roughly 1 mile away.
The test runs for around 40 minutes and follows the same DVSA format used at every centre. The examiner checks your eyesight at 20 metres, asks one show-me and one tell-me question, then sits in for the drive. About 20 minutes of it is independent driving, either following a sat nav the examiner sets up or following road signs to a named place. You will do one of four set manoeuvres, and roughly one in three candidates is asked to perform an emergency stop. The drive covers the local mix of road types within roughly a twenty-minute radius of the centre. Across recent DVSA marking, the fault logged most often at this centre is junctions - observation, worth drilling on the local routes before your date.
You will know the result before you leave Aberdeen North. The examiner explains the faults marked on your DL25 feedback form and, if you have passed, takes the provisional licence so a full one can be posted out. The pass standard is fixed nationally, 15 driving faults maximum and zero serious or dangerous faults, and 75.5% of candidates here meet it under current DVSA marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Aberdeen North?
Is Aberdeen North an easy or hard test centre?
How does Aberdeen North compare to the UK average?
How many tests are taken at Aberdeen North each year?
Which driving test centres are near Aberdeen North?
When is the best time to book a test at Aberdeen North?
How do I book a test at Aberdeen North and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Aberdeen North?
Data: DVSA quarterly statistical release, released under the Open Government Licence v3.0. PassRates.uk aggregates DVSA centre-level totals across reporting periods.
Edited by Vikas. DVSA data period: 2023-24.