Car Test Centre, England

Bradford (Thornbury) Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BBradfordBD1 1PHModerate

The Bradford (Thornbury) driving test centre is located in Bradford, England (BD1 1PH). 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)
47.1%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
7.1K
2024-25
National rank
#234
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
45.5%
below UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

47.1%passed
failed56.4%

31.7K passed, 41.0K failed, 72.7K total

How Bradford (Thornbury) compares

Bradford (Thornbury)
47.1%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-1.6 pp

Bradford (Thornbury) sits close to the UK average pass rate.

Where Bradford (Thornbury) ranks among 323 centres

Top 29%
Bradford (Thornbury) sits in the bottom half of car pass rates
Rank
#234
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

The most common driving test faults nationally

These are the fault types DVSA examiners record most often across all car tests in Great Britain, ranked most to least common. They are a national pattern, not a measurement taken at this centre, but they are the faults worth targeting in practice wherever you sit your test.

  1. 1
    Junctions - observationNot looking properly before pulling out at junctions.
  2. 2
    Mirrors - change directionNot checking mirrors before signalling, changing speed or direction.
  3. 3
    Move off - safelyPulling away without safe control or proper observation.
  4. 4
    Junctions - turning rightPoor positioning or judgement when turning right at junctions.
  5. 5
    Response to signs - traffic lightsMissing or misreading traffic signs, signals or road markings.

This ranking is DVSA national fault data, shown here for context. DVSA does not publish a separate fault breakdown for individual test centres.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 8.2 pp
Male47.5%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female39.3%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults0.6%
254 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
16 to 20 weeks
High demand
Weekly capacity
~189
estimated test slots per week
Demand
High
busier than average

Booking requires patience: on this estimate, learners booking at Bradford (Thornbury) would typically wait around 16 to 20 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
when UK waits tend to be longest
Best to book
November, December, January, February
when UK waits tend to be shortest

This wait is an estimate modelled from regional demand and this centre's test volume, not a live booking figure. See how it is worked out on our methodology page, and check the DVSA booking service for live slots.

Centre details

Address

The Courtyard
Midpoint
Thornbury
Bradford
BD3 7AY
England

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

Tests offered at Bradford (Thornbury)

  • 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 BD3 7AY, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Bradford (Thornbury) is one of the DVSA's car test sites in England, located in Bradford, West Yorkshire at BD1 1PH. The choice of routes reflects the local mix of road types rather than any standard national template. If you're cross-checking this pass rate against other sources, the sample size matters. 72.7K tests over 2017-18-2024-25 is large enough that any rounding you see between sites is just rounding, not disagreement on the underlying data.

Bradford (Thornbury) runs close to the national curve: 47.1% pass rate, 1.6 points below the UK average of 48.7%. The rank is #234 of 323 car centres. Bradford (Thornbury) is one of the tougher venues for a first attempt. The DVSA reports 45.5% first-time pass against a UK average of 49%, 3.5 points down on the national 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.

Country
England
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
bradford-thornbury

What learners should know about Bradford (Thornbury)

  • Bradford (Thornbury) 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.
  • Bradford (Thornbury) 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.
  • Ask any instructor working Bradford (Thornbury) 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.
  • If you missed the earlier slots at Bradford (Thornbury), 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 Bradford (Thornbury)

Arrive at Bradford (Thornbury) 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 BD1 1PH) maps the centre and its surroundings. With high demand and waits near 16 to 20 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.

Plan for a drive of roughly 40 minutes, identical in structure to every other DVSA centre. First comes the 20-metre eyesight check and a pair of vehicle-safety questions, one show-me, one tell-me, then the examiner joins you for the road section. About 20 minutes is independent driving by sat nav or by following signs to a named target, you tackle one of four set manoeuvres, and around a third of candidates get 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 DVSA marking nationally, the fault recorded most often on car tests is junctions - observation, worth drilling on the local routes before your date.

You find out there and then, back at Bradford (Thornbury). 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; 47.1% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Bradford (Thornbury)?
The current pass rate at Bradford (Thornbury) driving test centre is 47.1%, calculated from 7.1K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 45.5%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 43.6% (from 72.7K tests).
Is Bradford (Thornbury) an easy or hard test centre?
Bradford (Thornbury) is ranked #234 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 47.1% 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 Bradford (Thornbury) compare to the UK average?
Bradford (Thornbury)'s pass rate is 1.6 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. Bradford (Thornbury) sits close to the UK average pass rate.
How many tests are taken at Bradford (Thornbury) each year?
Bradford (Thornbury) has recorded 72.7K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 31.7K passed and 41.0K 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 Bradford (Thornbury)?
The closest DVSA test centres to Bradford (Thornbury) are Bradford (Heaton) (49.5%), Bradford (Thornbury) (73.3%), Heckmondwike (46.7%) and Horsforth (51.3%). Of these, Bradford (Heaton), Bradford (Thornbury), Horsforth have higher current pass rates than Bradford (Thornbury)'s 47.1%. Heckmondwike 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 Bradford (Thornbury)?
Bradford (Thornbury) currently sees high demand with an estimated wait of about 16 to 20 weeks. Across the UK, waits tend to ease in November, December, January, when fewer learners are booking, and peak in June, July, August. If your test date is flexible, aiming for a quieter month can mean a shorter wait and more slot choice. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at Bradford (Thornbury) and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Bradford (Thornbury) 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 Bradford (Thornbury)?
The estimated wait at Bradford (Thornbury) is about 16 to 20 weeks (high demand). That range 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 72.7K lifetime tests, so treat it as an estimate rather than a live figure. Across the UK, waits 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.