Car Test Centre, England

Bredbury (Manchester) Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BCastle HillSK6 2SRModerate

The Bredbury (Manchester) driving test centre is located in Castle Hill, England (SK6 2SR). 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)
54.2%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
9.9K
2024-25
National rank
#110
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
55.9%
above UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

54.2%passed
failed50.4%

30.8K passed, 31.4K failed, 62.2K total

How Bredbury (Manchester) compares

Bredbury (Manchester)
54.2%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+5.5 pp

Bredbury (Manchester) 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 Bredbury (Manchester) ranks among 323 centres

Top 34%
Bredbury (Manchester) ranks higher than 66% of UK car test centres
Rank
#110
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 4.6 pp
Male51.7%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female47.1%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults1.7%
514 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
19 weeks
High demand
Weekly capacity
~162
estimated test slots per week
Trend
worsening
availability direction

Wait times at Bredbury (Manchester) have been lengthening as demand outpaces examiner capacity. Booking requires patience: learners booking at Bredbury (Manchester) typically wait around 19 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
longest waits in Castle Hill
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

Lingard Lane
Bredbury
Stockport
SK6 2QT
England

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

Tests offered at Bredbury (Manchester)

  • car
  • motorcycle module 1 (off-road)
  • motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
  • lorry and bus
  • 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 SK6 2QT, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Bredbury (Manchester) is one of the DVSA's car test sites in England, located in Castle Hill, Greater Manchester at SK6 2SR. The choice of routes reflects the local mix of road types rather than any standard national template. The DVSA has logged 62.2K tests at this centre over 2017-18-2024-25. At that scale, the year-on-year shifts you see in the chart correspond to genuine changes in how the centre is performing, not statistical wobble.

Bredbury (Manchester) passes higher than most. At 54.2% versus a UK average of 48.7%, it ranks #110 of 323 car centres, the upper half of the network. First-time pass rate: 55.9%. UK average: 49%. Bredbury (Manchester) is 6.9 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
bredbury-manchester

What learners should know about Bredbury (Manchester)

  • Bredbury (Manchester) 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.
  • 55.9% of first-timers pass at Bredbury (Manchester). If your instructor is signing you off as test-ready, that figure is a fair guide, the centre isn't the variable, your preparation is.
  • Bredbury (Manchester) 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 Castle Hill will have a working knowledge of which routes Bredbury (Manchester) uses.
  • If you missed the earlier slots at Bredbury (Manchester), 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 Bredbury (Manchester)

Turn up at Bredbury (Manchester) ten minutes before your appointment, and check ahead where you can park, DVSA sites vary on that. You can preview the location on the DVSA centre finder (postcode SK6 2SR). Demand is high and waits are near 19 weeks, so an early booking plus a cancellation watch is the sensible approach. The examiner will ask to see your provisional photocard licence before anything else, and your car must carry 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 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.

There is no wait for the verdict, the examiner delivers it at the centre. They go over each fault recorded, hand you the DL25 feedback form, and on a pass retain your provisional licence so the full version arrives by post. To pass you need no more than 15 driving faults and not a single serious or dangerous one; 54.2% of candidates at Bredbury (Manchester) currently clear that.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Bredbury (Manchester)?
The current pass rate at Bredbury (Manchester) driving test centre is 54.2%, calculated from 9.9K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 55.9%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 49.6% (from 62.2K tests).
Is Bredbury (Manchester) an easy or hard test centre?
Bredbury (Manchester) is ranked #110 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 54.2% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Centres with calmer suburban or rural routes tend to sit higher, while busy urban sites with tight junctions and multi-lane roundabouts usually sit lower.
How does Bredbury (Manchester) compare to the UK average?
Bredbury (Manchester)'s pass rate is 5.5 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. Bredbury (Manchester) 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.
How many tests are taken at Bredbury (Manchester) each year?
Bredbury (Manchester) has recorded 62.2K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 30.8K passed and 31.4K 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 Bredbury (Manchester)?
The closest DVSA test centres to Bredbury (Manchester) are Bredbury (Manchester) (70.4%), Bredbury (Manchester) (68.9%), Bredbury (Manchester) (51.5%) and Bredbury LGV (44.8%). Of these, Bredbury (Manchester), Bredbury (Manchester) have higher current pass rates than Bredbury (Manchester)'s 54.2%. Bredbury (Manchester), Bredbury LGV sit 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 Bredbury (Manchester)?
Bredbury (Manchester) currently sees high demand with an estimated wait of around 19 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 Bredbury (Manchester) and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Bredbury (Manchester) 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 Bredbury (Manchester)?
The estimated wait at Bredbury (Manchester) is around 19 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 62.2K 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.