Chadderton Driving Test Centre
Chadderton in Chadderton, England has a current pass rate of 44.9%, 3.8 points below the UK average of 48.7%. This page breaks down the multi-year trend, the first-time and gender pass rates, the waiting time and how it compares with the rest of the UK, all from the DVSA quarterly data.
DVSA data last updated July 2026
Chadderton sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 17%, rank #269 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Bredbury (Manchester), about 8.0 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 30.0K passed, 39.0K failed, 69.0K total
How Chadderton compares
At 3.8 points below the UK figure (ranked 269 of 323 in its category), Chadderton is on the harder side without being extreme; familiarity with the local junctions closes much of the gap.
Where Chadderton ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Chadderton has climbed 11.3 points across the series, 33.6% in 2017-18 to 44.9% now; the weakest year on record was 33.6% in 2017-18.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Chadderton
The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 21.8 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Chadderton in May 2026 had waited 7.3 weeks from booking to test day.
Official DVSA data, May 2026. The median is the time between booking and taking the test; for live availability use the DVSA booking service.
Centre details
Address
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Chadderton
- car
- 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 OL9 9XA, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Chadderton sits in Chadderton, Greater Manchester, just inside the OL9 0HX postcode. It's a DVSA-run car test centre, and the routes from here work outward into the streets and arterial roads that learners from Chadderton tend to know already. By volume, Chadderton is at the upper end of the DVSA's network. With 69.0K tests across 2017-18-2024-25, the figures on this page are about as statistically settled as DVSA data gets.
44.9% at Chadderton, against a UK car average of 48.7%. That puts the centre 3.8 points below the national figure and ranks it #269 of 323 car centres in the DVSA's network. First-attempt pass rate at Chadderton: 44.5%, against 49% nationally. That's 4.5 points below the UK average. Many candidates need a second go, and local-road familiarity is one of the most consistent things that improves the second attempt.
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 Chadderton
- Chadderton 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.
- 69.0K tests through this centre over the published window. At that throughput, competition for short-notice slots is constant, so make a habit of checking the official booking page often.
- If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Chadderton area. Local instructors know which nearby junctions are demanding and will drill them.
- The only legitimate booking route is gov.uk. Anything calling itself a "test booking concierge" is reselling the same slots at a markup, the slots aren't theirs to control.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Chadderton
Arrive at Chadderton 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 OL9 0HX) maps the centre and its surroundings. With very high demand and waits near 18 to 22 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. If Rochdale (Manchester) is fully booked, Chadderton is the next closest centre, roughly 5 miles away.
Expect about 40 minutes once you set off, to the same national DVSA script. It opens with an eyesight check at 20 metres and one tell-me question, after which the examiner rides along for the drive and asks one show-me question on the move. Around 20 minutes of that is independent driving, guided either by a sat nav the examiner provides or by road signs to a named destination, with one of four set manoeuvres and a one-in-seven chance of 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.
Results come immediately on return to the centre. The examiner talks you through any faults marked, prints the DL25 feedback form, and (if you passed) takes your provisional licence so the full one can be issued by post. A pass needs no more than 15 driving faults and zero serious or dangerous faults, the standard 44.9% of candidates at Chadderton meet under current DVSA marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Chadderton?
Is Chadderton an easy or hard test centre?
How does Chadderton compare to the UK average?
How many driving tests does Chadderton record?
Which driving test centres are near Chadderton?
When is the best time to book a test at Chadderton?
How do I book a test at Chadderton and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Chadderton?
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.