PassRates.uk
Car Test Centre, Wales

Cardiff (Llanishen) Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BCardiffCF10 2AFModerate

The Cardiff (Llanishen) driving test centre is located in Cardiff, Wales (CF10 2AF). 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)
51.3%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
14.9K
2024-25
National rank
#144
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
53.3%
above UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

51.3%passed
failed48.8%

64.3K passed, 61.2K failed, 125.5K total

How Cardiff (Llanishen) compares

Cardiff (Llanishen)
51.3%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+2.6 pp

Cardiff (Llanishen) sits close to the UK average pass rate.

Where Cardiff (Llanishen) ranks among 323 centres

Top 45%
Cardiff (Llanishen) ranks higher than 55% of UK car test centres
Rank
#144
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 6.1 pp
Male54.2%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female48.1%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults1.9%
1.7K candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
14 weeks
High demand
Weekly capacity
~327
estimated test slots per week
Trend
stable
availability direction

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

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

Cardiff (Llanishen)
Cardiff Business Park
Cardiff
CF14 5GF
Wales

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

Tests offered at Cardiff (Llanishen)

  • car
  • ADI part 2
  • ADI part 3

Accessibility & facilities

Not 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 CF14 5GF, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Cardiff (Llanishen) is one of the DVSA's car test sites in Wales, located in Cardiff at CF10 2AF. The choice of routes reflects the local mix of road types rather than any standard national template. The DVSA has logged 125.5K 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.

Cardiff (Llanishen) runs close to the national curve: 51.3% pass rate, 2.6 points above the UK average of 48.7%. The rank is #144 of 323 car centres. The DVSA's first-attempt figure for Cardiff (Llanishen) sits at 53.3%, 4.3 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
Wales
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
cardiff-llanishen

What learners should know about Cardiff (Llanishen)

  • Centre difficulty is roughly average at Cardiff (Llanishen). The same fault categories that fail candidates nationally (junctions, mirrors, observation) are what fail candidates here, in similar proportions.
  • 125.5K tests through this centre over the published window. At that throughput, competition for short-notice slots is constant, set up a cancellation alert and check often.
  • Ask any instructor working Cardiff (Llanishen) 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 Cardiff (Llanishen), the DVSA's official cancellation pool refreshes constantly. Check at off-peak times (early morning, late evening) for better odds.

Other test centres nearby

Paul Williams (Gloucester)
2.3K tests, Rank #28
71.3%
Barry
21.2K tests, Rank #45
61.8%
Llantrisant
9.7K tests, Rank #61
60%
Llantrisant
32.6K tests, Rank #160
50.6%
Newport (Gwent)
15.1K tests, Rank #50
74.7%
Newport (Gwent) LGV
3.2K tests, Rank #39
69.1%
See all centres in Cardiff→Easiest UK centres→Hardest UK centres→Best for first-time pass→Busiest UK centres→

On the day at Cardiff (Llanishen)

Turn up at Cardiff (Llanishen) 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 CF10 2AF). Demand is high and waits are near 14 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. If Paul Williams (Gloucester) is fully booked, Cardiff (Llanishen) is the next closest centre, roughly 2 miles away.

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; 51.3% of candidates at Cardiff (Llanishen) currently clear that.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Cardiff (Llanishen)?
The current pass rate at Cardiff (Llanishen) driving test centre is 51.3%, calculated from 14.9K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 53.3%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 51.2% (from 125.5K tests).
Is Cardiff (Llanishen) an easy or hard test centre?
Cardiff (Llanishen) is ranked #144 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 51.3% 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 Cardiff (Llanishen) compare to the UK average?
Cardiff (Llanishen)'s pass rate is 2.6 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. Cardiff (Llanishen) sits close to the UK average pass rate.
How many tests are taken at Cardiff (Llanishen) each year?
Cardiff (Llanishen) has recorded 125.5K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 64.3K passed and 61.2K 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 Cardiff (Llanishen)?
The closest DVSA test centres to Cardiff (Llanishen) are Paul Williams (Gloucester) (71.3%), Barry (61.8%), Llantrisant (60%) and Llantrisant (50.6%). Of these, Paul Williams (Gloucester), Barry, Llantrisant have higher current pass rates than Cardiff (Llanishen)'s 51.3%. Llantrisant 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 Cardiff (Llanishen)?
Cardiff (Llanishen) 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. 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 Cardiff (Llanishen) and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Cardiff (Llanishen) 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 Cardiff (Llanishen)?
The estimated wait at Cardiff (Llanishen) 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 125.5K 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.