Barnstaple Driving Test Centre
The Barnstaple driving test centre is located in Barnstaple, England. 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
27.5K passed, 24.7K failed, 52.1K total
How Barnstaple compares
Barnstaple performs notably better than the UK average. This often correlates with rural or suburban routes that have fewer multi-lane roundabouts and complex urban scenarios.
Where Barnstaple 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 Barnstaple have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is comparatively quick: learners booking at Barnstaple typically wait around 7 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 Barnstaple
- Car
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 EX31 1AB, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Of the DVSA car centres across England, Barnstaple is the one covering Barnstaple, Devon and Torbay. The routes are built around the roads the centre's examiners can reach inside the test's time budget. By volume, Barnstaple is at the upper end of the DVSA's network. With 52.1K tests across 2017-18-2024-25, the figures on this page are about as statistically settled as DVSA data gets.
If you've been told Barnstaple is "an easy centre" or "a hard one", the data won't fully back that. 54.7% is 6 points clear of the UK car average of 48.7%, which is rank #105 out of 323. 53.5% of first-timers pass at Barnstaple, 4.5 points above the UK figure of 49%. A prepared first attempt has a real shot here in a way it doesn't at every centre.
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 Barnstaple
- Barnstaple 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.
- 52.1K 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 Barnstaple will have a working knowledge of which routes Barnstaple uses.
- If you missed the earlier slots at Barnstaple, 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 Barnstaple
Give yourself ten minutes in hand when you head to Barnstaple, and look up where to park beforehand, facilities differ from one DVSA site to the next. The DVSA centre finder shows the exact location. Modelled waits here sit around 7 weeks at low 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 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 will know the result before you leave Barnstaple. 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 54.7% of candidates here meet it under current DVSA marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Barnstaple?
Is Barnstaple an easy or hard test centre?
How does Barnstaple compare to the UK average?
How many tests are taken at Barnstaple each year?
Which driving test centres are near Barnstaple?
When is the best time to book a test at Barnstaple?
How do I book a test at Barnstaple and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Barnstaple?
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.