Cambridge (Hardwick) Driving Test Centre
The Cambridge (Hardwick) driving test centre is located in Cambridge, 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
13.1K passed, 4.9K failed, 18.1K total
How Cambridge (Hardwick) compares
Cambridge (Hardwick) performs well above the UK average. Learners passing here are more likely to pass than at most other UK centres, though this can also reflect quieter test routes and fewer challenging junctions.
Where Cambridge (Hardwick) ranks among 80 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 Cambridge (Hardwick) have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Cambridge (Hardwick) typically wait around 12 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 Cambridge (Hardwick)
- car
- ADI part 2
- ADI part 3
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 CB4 2QH, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Cambridge (Hardwick) is one of the DVSA's motorcycle module 1 test sites in England, located in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The choice of routes reflects the local mix of road types rather than any standard national template. Cambridge (Hardwick) sees moderate volume: 18.1K practical tests through 2017-18-2024-25. Year-on-year percentages here are meaningful, but watch the trend line rather than fixating on any single period.
Cambridge (Hardwick) passes higher than most. At 78% versus a UK average of 48.7%, it ranks #29 of 80 motorcycle module 1 centres, the upper half of the network. For Cambridge (Hardwick) the DVSA suppresses first-attempt figures in DRT122C. Smaller centres get rolled up; this is one of them. The overall pass rate above is the only published 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.
What learners should know about Cambridge (Hardwick)
- Cambridge (Hardwick) 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.
- Practising the test routes is the single thing that most reliably moves a candidate's pass odds. Most ADI instructors in Cambridge will have a working knowledge of which routes Cambridge (Hardwick) uses.
- If you missed the earlier slots at Cambridge (Hardwick), 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 Cambridge (Hardwick)
Turn up at Cambridge (Hardwick) 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. At moderate demand and roughly 12 weeks' wait, getting a date that works for you is usually straightforward. 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.
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 covers the local mix of road types within roughly a twenty-minute radius of the centre. 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 Cambridge (Hardwick). 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; 78% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Cambridge (Hardwick)?
Is Cambridge (Hardwick) an easy or hard test centre?
How does Cambridge (Hardwick) compare to the UK average?
How many tests are taken at Cambridge (Hardwick) each year?
Which driving test centres are near Cambridge (Hardwick)?
When is the best time to book a test at Cambridge (Hardwick)?
How do I book a test at Cambridge (Hardwick) and what do I need?
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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.