Car Test Centre, England

Boston Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BBostonModerate

The Boston driving test centre is located in Boston, 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)
50.7%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
4.5K
2024-25
National rank
#158
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
51.6%
above UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

50.7%passed
failed46%

31.6K passed, 26.9K failed, 58.5K total

How Boston compares

Boston
50.7%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+2 pp

Boston sits close to the UK average pass rate.

Where Boston ranks among 323 centres

Top 49%
Boston ranks higher than 51% of UK car test centres
Rank
#158
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 4.3 pp
Male56.2%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female51.9%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults0.6%
574 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
18 weeks
High demand
Weekly capacity
~152
estimated test slots per week
Trend
worsening
availability direction

Wait times at Boston have been lengthening as demand outpaces examiner capacity. Booking requires patience: learners booking at Boston typically wait around 18 weeks from booking to test day.

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

Redstone Industrial Estate
Unit 2
Plot 3
Boston
PE21 8AL
England

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

Tests offered at Boston

  • car
  • motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
  • 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 PE21 8AL, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Boston is in Boston, Greater Lincolnshire and runs DVSA car tests for learners across the local area. The routes are the same fixed set every day; your examiner picks one without telling you which. Boston runs at high cadence: 58.5K 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.

Out of 323 UK car test centres, Boston ranks 158, which lands it in the upper half nationally. The 50.7% pass rate is 2 points above the UK figure of 48.7%. First-time pass rate: 51.6%. UK average: 49%. Boston is 2.6 points to the good on first attempts, a meaningful gap, not a rounding artefact.

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
boston

What learners should know about Boston

  • Pass rate at Boston sits close to the UK average. Prepare for an ordinary level of difficulty: examiners apply the standard DVSA marking sheet, and the routes are a representative mix of local conditions.
  • Boston is a high-volume centre. Booking pressure is real, check the DVSA cancellation feed daily for earlier slots rather than relying on the headline available date.
  • Practising the test routes is the single thing that most reliably moves a candidate's pass odds. Most ADI instructors in Boston will have a working knowledge of which routes Boston uses.
  • Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Boston. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Boston

Plan to arrive at Boston about ten minutes before your slot. Parking varies between DVSA centres, so check the route and the surrounding streets on the DVSA centre finder a day or two ahead. With demand running high here and waits near 18 weeks, it is worth holding any earlier cancellation slot you are offered. Bring your provisional photocard licence; the examiner will not start without it, and you will need a roadworthy car with L plates and a working interior mirror.

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 find out there and then, back at Boston. The examiner runs through the faults on the DL25 feedback form and, on a pass, keeps your provisional licence so a full licence follows in the post. Clearing the test means staying under 16 driving faults, that is 15 or fewer, with no serious or dangerous fault; 50.7% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Boston?
The current pass rate at Boston driving test centre is 50.7%, calculated from 4.5K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 51.6%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 54% (from 58.5K tests).
Is Boston an easy or hard test centre?
Boston is ranked #158 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 50.7% 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 Boston compare to the UK average?
Boston's pass rate is 2 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. Boston sits close to the UK average pass rate.
How many tests are taken at Boston each year?
Boston has recorded 58.5K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 31.6K passed and 26.9K failed. See the yearly trend chart above to track how test volume and pass rate have shifted over recent reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Boston?
The closest DVSA test centres to Boston are Boston (75.9%), Boston LGV Training (Marsh Lane) (64.8%), Skegness (57.6%) and Louth (55.8%). Of these, Boston, Boston LGV Training (Marsh Lane), Skegness, Louth have higher current pass rates than Boston's 50.7%. 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 Boston?
Boston currently sees high demand with an estimated wait of around 18 weeks. Waits tend to ease in November, December, January, when fewer learners are booking, and peak in June, July, August. A flexible test date helps: booking into a quieter month often shortens the wait and opens up more available slots. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at Boston and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Boston 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 Boston?
The estimated wait at Boston is around 18 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 58.5K 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.