Car Test Centre, England

Blyth Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BBlythModerate

The Blyth driving test centre is located in Blyth, 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.

By VikasReviewed by VikasMethodologySources
Pass rate (2024-25)
47.2%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
6.5K
2024-25
National rank
#231
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
51.9%
above UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

47.2%passed
failed47.1%

52.3K passed, 46.5K failed, 98.8K total

How Blyth compares

Blyth
47.2%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-1.5 pp

Blyth sits close to the UK average pass rate.

Where Blyth ranks among 323 centres

Top 29%
Blyth sits in the bottom half of car pass rates
Rank
#231
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 5.2 pp
Male55.6%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female50.4%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults1.4%
1.0K candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
14 weeks
High demand
Weekly capacity
~257
estimated test slots per week
Trend
stable
availability direction

Wait times at Blyth have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Blyth typically wait around 14 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
longest waits in Blyth
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

Unit 3 Sextant House
Freehold Street
Blyth
NE24 3BA
England

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

Tests offered at Blyth

  • car
  • ADI part 2
  • 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 NE24 3BA, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Drivers booked at Blyth report to a DVSA centre in Blyth, North East. The car routes used here are drawn from the streets the centre's examiners drive every week, so the test reflects local conditions rather than a generic syllabus. Blyth runs at high cadence: 98.8K tests across 2017-18-2024-25 put it among the busier DVSA centres in the country. The headline numbers carry weight because the sample carries weight.

By raw pass rate Blyth sits at 47.2%, with the DVSA's national car average over the same window running at 48.7%. The gap (1.5 points below the UK figure) places the centre at rank #231 of 323, inside the lower half of the country's car test centres. The DVSA's first-attempt figure for Blyth sits at 51.9%, 2.9 points clear of the 49% UK average. The gap is wide enough to matter when you're deciding which local centre to book.

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
England
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
blyth

What learners should know about Blyth

  • Blyth doesn't deviate much from the national curve, so generic preparation advice (mock tests, mirror discipline, junction observation) applies here in the same shape it would anywhere.
  • Volume at Blyth is among the highest in the network. Don't take the first available date on faith, refreshing the DVSA booking page across a few days regularly turns up cancellations.
  • If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Blyth routes. Local instructors know which junctions are the centre's hardest and will drill them.
  • 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 Blyth

Aim to be at Blyth ten minutes early. Because parking and waiting facilities are not the same at every DVSA centre, check the approach on the DVSA centre finder before the day. Demand is high and the modelled wait is close to 14 weeks, so an early booking and a cancellation alert are both worth setting up. The examiner needs to see your provisional photocard licence to begin, and the car you bring must be roadworthy, fitted with L plates and a working interior mirror. If Gosforth is fully booked, Blyth is the next closest centre, roughly 7 miles away.

The practical lasts about 40 minutes and uses the standard DVSA format nationwide. After an eyesight check at 20 metres and one show-me and one tell-me question, the examiner sits in for the drive. Roughly 20 minutes of that is independent driving, either following a sat nav set by the examiner or following road signs, and you will complete one of four set manoeuvres; about one in three tests includes 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 Blyth. 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 47.2% of candidates here meet it under current DVSA marking. Candidates on their first attempt clear that bar more often here, 51.9% against the 47.2% overall figure.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Blyth?
The current pass rate at Blyth driving test centre is 47.2%, calculated from 6.5K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 51.9%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 52.9% (from 98.8K tests).
Is Blyth an easy or hard test centre?
Blyth is ranked #231 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 47.2% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Much of the spread comes down to route geography: lighter traffic and simpler junctions lift a centre, dense city driving and complex roundabouts pull it down.
How does Blyth compare to the UK average?
Blyth's pass rate is 1.5 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. Blyth sits close to the UK average pass rate.
How many tests are taken at Blyth each year?
Blyth has recorded 98.8K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 52.3K passed and 46.5K 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 Blyth?
The closest DVSA test centres to Blyth are Gosforth (67.8%), Gateshead (37.4%), Gateshead (70.9%) and Gateshead (64.5%). Of these, Gosforth, Gateshead, Gateshead have higher current pass rates than Blyth's 47.2%. Gateshead 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 Blyth?
Blyth currently sees high demand with an estimated wait of around 14 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 Blyth and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Blyth 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 Blyth?
The estimated wait at Blyth is around 14 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 98.8K 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.