PassRates.uk
Motorcycle Module 1 Test Centre, England

Cardington Driving Test Centre

Moto, Mod 1CardingtonHigh pass rate

At Cardington, 73.8% of candidates pass, one of the 72 test centres we rank from the DVSA data. Below you will find the full pass-rate history, the demographic split, the estimated waiting time and a comparison with the nearest centres.

By Vikas DulgundeUpdated MethodologySources
Pass rate (2020-21)
73.8%
vs 73% UK avg
Tests in period
1.1K
2018-19 to 2020-21 (3yr avg)
National rank
#37
of 72 centres
1st-time pass
N/A
DVSA omits this centre from DRT122C

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

Cardington sits in the bottom half of motorcycle module 1 pass rates nationally (Bottom 50%, rank #37 of 72). The strongest motorcycle module 1 alternative nearby is Cambridge (Hardwick), about 23.4 miles away.

Cambridge (Hardwick)Best nearby
23.4 mi away
78%
+4.2 pp
All centres in Cardington→See every centre on the map→Best centre for me→

Pass vs fail at a glance

73.8%passed
failed26.2%

All-time 3.7K passed, 1.6K failed, 5.3K total

How Cardington compares

Cardington
73.8%
UK national average
73%
Difference
+0.8 pp

Statistically Cardington is about as neutral as a venue gets, under a point from the national average and ranked 37 of 72 in its category. Preparation, not postcode, decides the outcome here.

Where Cardington ranks among 72 centres

Bottom 50%
Cardington sits in the bottom half of motorcycle module 1 pass rates
Rank
#37
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

Cardington has climbed 13.2 points across the series, 68.9% in 2013-14 to 82.1% now; the weakest year on record was 66.1% in 2014-15.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 19.5 pp
Male71.4%
0%100%
Female51.9%
0%100%
Zero faults0%
0 candidates have passed without a single recorded fault across all DVSA periods

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
8 to 12 weeks
Moderate demand
Weekly capacity
~14
estimated test slots per week
Demand
Moderate
around the middle of the range

Booking is achievable but not immediate: on this estimate, learners booking at Cardington would typically wait around 8 to 12 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

These figures are an estimate, not live data. We model them from published demand reports and this centre's test volume; the method is on our methodology page. Check the DVSA booking service for current slots.

Centre details

Address

Cardington
Bedford
England

Tests offered at Cardington

  • Motorcycle Module 1

For other test types at this location, search the DVSA centre finder.

Accessibility & facilities

Parking, toilets, and disabled-access details vary by centre. Check the official DVSA find a driving test centre tool, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Cardington is the DVSA motorcycle module 1 test centre in Cardington, Bedford. Examiners drive a mix of the roads immediately surrounding the centre; the DVSA does not publish its test routes. Over 2013-14-2020-21, 5.3K candidates sat tests here. The figures are statistically usable for centre-to-centre comparisons, which is most of what people land on this page wanting to do.

Rank: #37 of 72. Pass rate: 73.8%. UK average: 73%. That's a lower half centre by the DVSA's own published figures. First-attempt data for Cardington is missing from the DVSA's DRT122C release. It's not a low number, it's no number, the centre is small enough that DVSA omits it from that particular table.

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
Motorcycle Module 1

What learners should know about Cardington

  • Centre difficulty is roughly average at Cardington. The same fault categories that fail candidates nationally (junctions, mirrors, observation) are what fail candidates here, in similar proportions.
  • Ask any instructor working Cardington 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.
  • Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Cardington. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.

Other test centres nearby

Leighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road)
17.5 mi, 2.7K tests, Rank #56
68.7%
-5.1 pp
Kettering
22.3 mi, 12.6K tests, Rank #26
76.2%
+2.4 pp
Weedon LGV
25.0 mi, 1.7K tests, Rank #61
66.1%
-7.7 pp
Peterborough
32.2 mi, 8.7K tests, Rank #29
75.9%
+2.1 pp
Cambridge (Hardwick)Best nearby
23.4 mi, 18.1K tests, Rank #14
78%
+4.2 pp
Enfield
35.2 mi, 11.4K tests, Rank #58
67.3%
-6.5 pp
See all centres in Cardington→Easiest UK centres→Hardest UK centres→Best for first-time pass→Busiest UK centres→

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Cardington?
The current pass rate at Cardington driving test centre is 73.8%, calculated from 1.1K tests in 2018-19 to 2020-21 (3yr avg). DVSA does not publish first-attempt figures for this centre. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 69.5% (from 5.3K tests).
Is Cardington an easy or hard test centre?
Cardington is ranked #37 of 72 UK motorcycle module 1 test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom half of motorcycle module 1 pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 73.8% compares to a UK average of 73%. 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 Cardington compare to the UK average?
Cardington's pass rate is 0.8 percentage points above the UK national average of 73%. Statistically Cardington is about as neutral as a venue gets, under a point from the national average and ranked 37 of 72 in its category. Preparation, not postcode, decides the outcome here.
How many driving tests does Cardington record?
Cardington has recorded 5.3K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 3.7K passed and 1.6K 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 Cardington?
The closest DVSA test centres to Cardington are Leighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road) (68.7%), Kettering (76.2%), Weedon LGV (66.1%) and Peterborough (75.9%). Of these, Kettering, Peterborough have higher current pass rates than Cardington's 73.8%. Leighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road), Weedon 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 Cardington?
Cardington currently sees moderate demand with an estimated wait of about 8 to 12 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 Cardington and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Cardington as your centre. You will need your provisional licence number and your theory test pass certificate number. Our guides cover how to book step by step and how faults are marked.
How long is the wait for a driving test at Cardington?
The estimated wait at Cardington is about 8 to 12 weeks (moderate 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 5.3K 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: 2020-21.