PassRates.uk
HGV/LGV Test Centre, England

Darlington LGV Driving Test Centre

HGV, Cat CMorton PalmsDL1 4BSHigh pass rate

Darlington LGV in Morton Palms currently passes 60.5% of tests, in line with the UK average of 60.2%. The sections below cover the year-by-year trend, who passes most often, how long learners wait, and how it stacks up against neighbouring centres.

By Vikas DulgundeUpdated MethodologySources
Pass rate (2023-24)
60.5%
vs 60.2% UK avg
Tests in period
1.1K
2023-24
National rank
#69
of 124 centres
1st-time pass
N/A
DVSA omits this centre from DRT122C

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

Darlington LGV sits in the bottom half of hgv/lgv pass rates nationally (Bottom 45%, rank #69 of 124). The strongest hgv/lgv alternative nearby is Tockwith Training (York), about 39.4 miles away.

Tockwith Training (York)Best nearby
39.4 mi away
85.5%
+25.0 pp
All centres in Morton Palms→See every centre on the map→Best centre for me→

Pass vs fail at a glance

60.5%passed
failed39.5%

All-time 11.6K passed, 9.2K failed, 20.8K total

How Darlington LGV compares

Darlington LGV
60.5%
UK national average
60.2%
Difference
+0.3 pp

Darlington LGV sits within a percentage point of the UK figure and is ranked 69 of 124 in its category: the venue itself is unlikely to move your odds either way.

Where Darlington LGV ranks among 124 centres

Bottom 45%
Darlington LGV sits in the bottom half of hgv/lgv pass rates
Rank
#69
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

Darlington LGV has climbed 5.4 points across the series, 55.1% in 2016-17 to 60.5% now; the weakest year on record was 55.1% in 2016-17.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 2.9 pp
Male55.4%
0%100%
Female58.3%
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
~54
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 Darlington LGV 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

Treat this as a modelled estimate rather than a booking quote. It is built from regional demand patterns and test volume, explained in full on our methodology page. Always confirm real slots on the DVSA booking service.

Centre details

Address

DVSA
High Point Business Park
Yarm Road
Darlington
DL1 4PW
England

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

Tests offered at Darlington LGV

  • car
  • motorcycle module 1 (off-road)
  • motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
  • lorry and bus
  • ADI part 2
  • 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 DL1 4PW, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Darlington LGV sits in Morton Palms, Tees Valley, just inside the DL1 4BS postcode. It's a DVSA-run hgv/lgv test centre, and the routes from here work outward into the streets and arterial roads that learners from Morton Palms tend to know already. Across 2016-17-2023-24 the DVSA recorded 20.8K tests at Darlington LGV. A solid mid-range sample, the data is reliable enough that the rank position below isn't an artefact of small numbers.

60.5% at Darlington LGV, against a UK hgv/lgv average of 60.2%. That puts the centre within a point of the national figure and ranks it #69 of 124 hgv/lgv centres in the DVSA's network. First-attempt data for Darlington LGV 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
HGV/LGV

What learners should know about Darlington LGV

  • Pass rate at Darlington LGV sits close to the UK average. Prepare for an ordinary level of difficulty: examiners apply the standard DVSA marking sheet, and the routes are a representative mix of local conditions.
  • Ask any instructor working Darlington LGV 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.
  • 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

Teesside LGV
3.4 mi, 2.3K tests, Rank #8
82.5%
+22.0 pp
Durham LGV
14.2 mi, 704 tests, Rank #65
61.8%
+1.3 pp
Sunderland LGV
27.4 mi, 1.7K tests, Rank #14
76.6%
+16.1 pp
Tyne & Wear LGV (Felling)
29.4 mi, 5.0K tests, Rank #34
69.5%
+9.0 pp
Gosforth
36.5 mi, 8.8K tests, Rank #45
67.8%
+7.3 pp
Tockwith Training (York)Best nearby
39.4 mi, 110 tests, Rank #3
85.5%
+25.0 pp
See all centres in Morton Palms→Easiest UK centres→Hardest UK centres→Best for first-time pass→Busiest UK centres→

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Darlington LGV?
The current pass rate at Darlington LGV driving test centre is 60.5%, calculated from 1.1K tests in 2023-24. DVSA does not publish first-attempt figures for this centre. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 55.6% (from 20.8K tests).
Is Darlington LGV an easy or hard test centre?
Darlington LGV is ranked #69 of 124 UK hgv/lgv test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom half of hgv/lgv pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 60.5% compares to a UK average of 60.2%. 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 Darlington LGV compare to the UK average?
Darlington LGV's pass rate is 0.3 percentage points above the UK national average of 60.2%. Darlington LGV sits within a percentage point of the UK figure and is ranked 69 of 124 in its category: the venue itself is unlikely to move your odds either way.
How many driving tests does Darlington LGV record?
Darlington LGV has recorded 20.8K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 11.6K passed and 9.2K 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 Darlington LGV?
The closest DVSA test centres to Darlington LGV are Teesside LGV (82.5%), Durham LGV (61.8%), Sunderland LGV (76.6%) and Tyne & Wear LGV (Felling) (69.5%). Of these, Teesside LGV, Durham LGV, Sunderland LGV, Tyne & Wear LGV (Felling) have higher current pass rates than Darlington LGV's 60.5%. 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 Darlington LGV?
Darlington LGV 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 Darlington LGV and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Darlington LGV 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 Darlington LGV?
The estimated wait at Darlington LGV 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 20.8K 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: 2023-24.