Aberdeen South (Cove) Driving Test Centre
The Aberdeen South (Cove) driving test centre is located in The Old Town, England (YO11 1BP). 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
30.3K passed, 27.5K failed, 57.7K total
How Aberdeen South (Cove) compares
Aberdeen South (Cove) sits close to the UK average pass rate.
Where Aberdeen South (Cove) ranks among 323 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 South (Cove) have been gradually shortening as DVSA recovers post-pandemic capacity. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Aberdeen South (Cove) typically wait around 17 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 South (Cove)
- car
- motorcycle module 1 (off-road)
- motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
- 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 AB12 3GQ, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Aberdeen South (Cove): a DVSA car test centre in The Old Town, York and North Yorkshire. Local routes, local traffic patterns, no national standard for what "harder" or "easier" looks like beyond what the numbers below show. If you're cross-checking this pass rate against other sources, the sample size matters. 57.7K tests over 2017-18-2024-25 is large enough that any rounding you see between sites is just rounding, not disagreement on the underlying data.
The upper half of the UK by pass rate: Aberdeen South (Cove) ranks #142 of 323 car centres at 51.4%, 2.7 points above the national figure of 48.7%. Across 2.4K first-attempt tests, Aberdeen South (Cove) passes 52.2% of candidates, against 49% nationally. The centre is a relatively forgiving venue for a first booking, by the DVSA's own data.
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 South (Cove)
- Pass rate at Aberdeen South (Cove) sits close to the UK average. Prepare for an ordinary level of difficulty: examiners apply the standard DVSA marking sheet, and the routes are a representative mix of local conditions.
- 57.7K tests through this centre over the published window. At that throughput, competition for short-notice slots is constant, set up a cancellation alert and check often.
- Practising the test routes is the single thing that most reliably moves a candidate's pass odds. Most ADI instructors in The Old Town will have a working knowledge of which routes Aberdeen South (Cove) uses.
- The only legitimate booking route is gov.uk. Anything calling itself a "test booking concierge" is reselling the same slots at a markup, the slots aren't theirs to control.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Aberdeen South (Cove)
Arrive at Aberdeen South (Cove) 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 YO11 1BP) maps the centre and its surroundings. With high demand and waits near 17 weeks, take any earlier slot the booking service offers rather than holding out. 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 LGV is fully booked, Aberdeen South (Cove) is the next closest centre, roughly 4 miles away.
Plan for a drive of roughly 40 minutes, identical in structure to every other DVSA centre. First comes the 20-metre eyesight check and a pair of vehicle-safety questions, one show-me, one tell-me, then the examiner joins you for the road section. About 20 minutes is independent driving by sat nav or by following signs to a named target, you tackle one of four set manoeuvres, and around a third of candidates get an emergency stop. The drive works through whatever mix of urban and outlying roads sits within about a twenty-minute radius, and at a centre this busy that usually means heavier traffic to read. 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 find out there and then, back at Aberdeen South (Cove). The examiner runs through the faults on the DL25 feedback form and, on a pass, keeps your provisional licence so a full licence follows in the post. Clearing the test means staying under 16 driving faults, that is 15 or fewer, with no serious or dangerous fault; 51.4% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Aberdeen South (Cove)?
Is Aberdeen South (Cove) an easy or hard test centre?
How does Aberdeen South (Cove) compare to the UK average?
How many tests are taken at Aberdeen South (Cove) each year?
Which driving test centres are near Aberdeen South (Cove)?
When is the best time to book a test at Aberdeen South (Cove)?
How do I book a test at Aberdeen South (Cove) and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Aberdeen South (Cove)?
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: 2024-25.