Atherton (Manchester) Driving Test Centre
The Atherton (Manchester) driving test centre is located in Atherton, England (M46 0DU). 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
6.3K passed, 3.2K failed, 9.5K total
How Atherton (Manchester) compares
Atherton (Manchester) 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 Atherton (Manchester) 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 Atherton (Manchester) have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Atherton (Manchester) typically wait around 16 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 Atherton (Manchester)
- car
- motorcycle module 1 (off-road)
- motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
- 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 M46 0SU, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Atherton (Manchester): a DVSA motorcycle module 1 test centre in Atherton, Greater Manchester. Local routes, local traffic patterns, no national standard for what "harder" or "easier" looks like beyond what the numbers below show. Atherton (Manchester) sees moderate volume: 9.5K practical tests through 2017-18-2024-25. Year-on-year percentages here are meaningful, but watch the trend line rather than fixating on any single period.
The bottom quarter of the UK by pass rate: Atherton (Manchester) ranks #63 of 80 motorcycle module 1 centres at 67%, 18.3 points clear of the national figure of 48.7%. For Atherton (Manchester) the DVSA suppresses first-attempt figures in DRT122C. Smaller centres get rolled up; this is one of them. The overall pass rate above is the only published figure.
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 Atherton (Manchester)
- Atherton (Manchester) passes higher than the UK average, but the marking sheet is identical to every other DVSA centre. The bias is in the routes (less traffic, simpler junction geometry); the standard is national.
- If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Atherton (Manchester) routes. Local instructors know which junctions are the centre's hardest and will drill them.
- 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 Atherton (Manchester)
Arrive at Atherton (Manchester) 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 M46 0DU) maps the centre and its surroundings. With high demand and waits near 16 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.
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 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.
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; 67% of candidates at Atherton (Manchester) currently clear that.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Atherton (Manchester)?
Is Atherton (Manchester) an easy or hard test centre?
How does Atherton (Manchester) compare to the UK average?
How many tests are taken at Atherton (Manchester) each year?
Which driving test centres are near Atherton (Manchester)?
When is the best time to book a test at Atherton (Manchester)?
How do I book a test at Atherton (Manchester) and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Atherton (Manchester)?
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.