Car Test Centre, Scotland

Airdrie Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BAirdrieML6 6EQTougher than average

The Airdrie driving test centre is located in Airdrie, Scotland (ML6 6EQ). 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.

By VikasReviewed by VikasMethodologySources
Pass rate (2024-25)
41.3%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
6.7K
2024-25
National rank
#298
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
41.1%
below UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

41.3%passed
failed55.1%

35.2K passed, 43.3K failed, 78.5K total

How Airdrie compares

Airdrie
41.3%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-7.4 pp

Airdrie has a slightly tougher pass rate than the UK average. Routes here may be more demanding than rural centres.

Where Airdrie ranks among 323 centres

Top 9%
Airdrie sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates
Rank
#298
BestMedianHardest

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.

  1. 1Junctions - observation10
  2. 2Mirrors - change direction9
  3. 3Move off - safely8
  4. 4Junctions - turning right7
  5. 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

Male vs female pass rate gap 3.9 pp
Male46.8%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female42.9%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults0.8%
263 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
16 weeks
High demand
Weekly capacity
~205
estimated test slots per week
Trend
stable
availability direction

Wait times at Airdrie have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Airdrie typically wait around 16 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
longest waits in Airdrie
Best to book
November, December, January, February
shortest expected waits

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

7 Aitchison Street
Sword Street
Airdrie
ML6 0DA
Scotland

Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.

Tests offered at Airdrie

  • car
  • ADI part 3

Accessibility & facilities

Wheelchair accessible per DVSA

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 ML6 0DA, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Airdrie sits in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, just inside the ML6 6EQ postcode. It's a DVSA-run car test centre, and the routes from here work outward into the streets and arterial roads that learners from Airdrie tend to know already. By volume, Airdrie is at the upper end of the DVSA's network. With 78.5K tests across 2017-18-2024-25, the figures on this page are about as statistically settled as DVSA data gets.

41.3% at Airdrie, against a UK car average of 48.7%. That puts the centre 7.4 points below the national figure and ranks it #298 of 323 car centres in the DVSA's network. Across 2.8K first attempts, the pass rate at Airdrie is 41.1%, against 49% nationally. Booking your first test here is doable, but it's worth a few lessons on the actual test routes before the date.

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.

Country
Scotland
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
airdrie

What learners should know about Airdrie

  • Airdrie runs a tougher-than-average pass rate. If you've trained somewhere quieter, take at least 2-3 lessons on the actual Airdrie test routes before your date. The difficulty is in the routes, not the marking sheet.
  • 78.5K 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 Airdrie will have a working knowledge of which routes Airdrie 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 Airdrie

Give yourself ten minutes in hand when you head to Airdrie, and look up where to park beforehand, facilities differ from one DVSA site to the next. The DVSA centre finder (postcode ML6 6EQ) shows the exact location. This is a high-demand centre, modelled at roughly 16 weeks to a slot, so book as far ahead as you can and keep an eye on cancellations. You must have your provisional photocard licence on you, plus a car with L plates and a working interior mirror for the examiner. If Hamilton is fully booked, Airdrie is the next closest centre, roughly 7 miles away.

Once underway the test takes around 40 minutes and is the same wherever you sit it. The examiner verifies your eyesight at 20 metres, puts one show-me and one tell-me question to you, then accompanies the drive. About 20 minutes is independent driving, sat nav or road signs to a named destination, with one of four set manoeuvres and an emergency stop on roughly one test in three. 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.

There is no wait for the verdict, the examiner delivers it at the centre. They go over each fault recorded, hand you the DL25 feedback form, and on a pass retain your provisional licence so the full version arrives by post. To pass you need no more than 15 driving faults and not a single serious or dangerous one; 41.3% of candidates at Airdrie currently clear that.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Airdrie?
The current pass rate at Airdrie driving test centre is 41.3%, calculated from 6.7K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 41.1%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 44.9% (from 78.5K tests).
Is Airdrie an easy or hard test centre?
Airdrie is ranked #298 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 41.3% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Higher pass rates often correlate with quieter rural or suburban routes; lower rates with dense urban centres featuring complex junctions and multi-lane roundabouts.
How does Airdrie compare to the UK average?
Airdrie's pass rate is 7.4 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. Airdrie has a slightly tougher pass rate than the UK average. Routes here may be more demanding than rural centres.
How many tests are taken at Airdrie each year?
Airdrie has recorded 78.5K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 35.2K passed and 43.3K failed. The trend chart on this page plots how both volume and pass rate have changed across the recent DVSA reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Airdrie?
The closest DVSA test centres to Airdrie are Hamilton (39.5%), Hamilton (67.3%), Glasgow (Baillieston) (44.4%) and East Kilbride (46.4%). Of these, Hamilton, Glasgow (Baillieston), East Kilbride have higher current pass rates than Airdrie's 41.3%. Hamilton sits lower. You can compare every nearby centre in the "Other test centres nearby" section above, or see them all on the interactive PassRates map.
When is the best time to book a test at Airdrie?
Airdrie currently sees high demand with an estimated wait of around 16 weeks. Waits tend to ease in November, December, January, when fewer learners are booking, and peak in June, July, August. Where you can be flexible on dates, targeting one of the quieter months tends to bring a shorter wait and a wider choice of slots. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at Airdrie and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Airdrie as your centre. You will need your provisional licence number and your theory test pass certificate number. To pass, you must finish with no more than 15 driving (minor) faults and zero serious or dangerous faults. Our guides cover how to book step by step and how faults are marked.
How long is the wait for a driving test at Airdrie?
The estimated wait at Airdrie is around 16 weeks (high demand). That figure is modelled from regional demand patterns reported in the National Audit Office investigation into car driving test waiting times, the DVSA Despatch blog updates, and this centre's test volume of 78.5K lifetime tests. Wait times peak in June and July and ease in November and December. For live availability, check the official DVSA booking service.
Source

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.