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
5.8K passed, 2.9K failed, 8.8K 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 194 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
Where do you actually take your motorcycle module 2 test if you book Atherton (Manchester)? You start in Atherton, Greater Manchester (M46 0DU), and the examiner takes you through whatever mix of urban and outlying roads sits within a roughly twenty-minute drive of the centre. 8.8K tests across 2017-18-2024-25. That's a working sample, enough to take the pass rate at face value but not so large that a single quiet quarter passes unnoticed.
How does Atherton (Manchester) compare nationally? 60.8% pass rate, #156 of 194 motorcycle module 2 centres in the DVSA network, 12.1 points clear of the UK average of 48.7%. The bottom quarter of the country, in other words. First-attempt data for Atherton (Manchester) 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 Atherton (Manchester)
- Above-average pass rate at Atherton (Manchester) doesn't mean above-average ease. The fundamentals examiners mark are the same nationally: junctions, mirrors, observation, signal timing. A 65%+ pass rate means more candidates clear those, not that the bar is lower.
- Ask any instructor working Atherton (Manchester) 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.
- Book through the official DVSA service (gov.uk/book-driving-test). Third-party "fast-track" sites charge a premium for the same booking; the DVSA's own cancellation feed is free.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Atherton (Manchester)
Ten minutes early is the right target at Atherton (Manchester). Parking differs between DVSA centres, so it pays to scout the route on the DVSA centre finder (postcode M46 0DU) the day before. This centre sees high demand, modelled at roughly 16 weeks to a slot; booking well ahead and watching for cancellations both help. Bring the provisional photocard licence, the examiner checks for it first, and make sure your car is roadworthy with 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.
Results come immediately on return to the centre. The examiner talks you through any faults marked, prints the DL25 feedback form, and (if you passed) takes your provisional licence so the full one can be issued by post. A pass needs no more than 15 driving faults and zero serious or dangerous faults, the standard 60.8% of candidates at Atherton (Manchester) meet under current DVSA marking.
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.