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
6.2K passed, 2.3K failed, 8.5K total
How Aberdeen South (Cove) compares
Aberdeen South (Cove) 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 South (Cove) ranks among 80 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 13 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
Of the DVSA motorcycle module 1 centres across England, Aberdeen South (Cove) is the one covering The Old Town, York and North Yorkshire and the surrounding YO11 1BP area. The routes are built around the roads the centre's examiners can reach inside the test's time budget. Across 2017-18-2024-25 the DVSA recorded 8.5K tests at Aberdeen South (Cove). A solid mid-range sample, the data is reliable enough that the rank position below isn't an artefact of small numbers.
If you've been told Aberdeen South (Cove) is "an easy centre" or "a hard one", the data won't fully back that. 81.2% is 32.5 points clear of the UK motorcycle module 1 average of 48.7%, which is rank #25 out of 80. First-attempt data for Aberdeen South (Cove) is missing from the DVSA's DRT122C release. It's not a low number, it's no number, the centre is small enough that DVSA omits it from that particular table.
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)
- Don't read a higher pass rate as a softer test. Aberdeen South (Cove)'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.
- Ask any instructor working Aberdeen South (Cove) about the centre's "usual fails", they'll have two or three specific junctions or manoeuvres in mind. Practise those until they're automatic before your date.
- If you missed the earlier slots at Aberdeen South (Cove), 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 South (Cove)
Give yourself ten minutes in hand when you head to Aberdeen South (Cove), and look up where to park beforehand, facilities differ from one DVSA site to the next. The DVSA centre finder (postcode YO11 1BP) shows the exact location. Modelled waits here sit around 13 weeks at moderate demand, which tends to mean less competition for a date that suits you. You must have your provisional photocard licence on you, plus a car with L plates and a working interior mirror for the examiner.
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 South (Cove). 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 81.2% of candidates here meet it under current DVSA 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.