Darlington Driving Test Centre
Darlington posts a 70.1% pass rate, with Gateshead the nearest alternative about 31 miles away. Read on for its full DVSA history, first-time pass rate, waiting time and demographic breakdown.
DVSA data last updated September 2026
Darlington sits in the bottom half of motorcycle module 1 pass rates nationally (Bottom 31%, rank #51 of 72). The strongest motorcycle module 1 alternative nearby is Blackburn with Darwen, about 68.6 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 9.5K passed, 4.2K failed, 13.7K total
How Darlington compares
Darlington is 2.9 points behind the national figure and ranked 51 of 72 in its category, a difference most candidates will not feel on the day.
Where Darlington ranks among 72 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Darlington has climbed 9.1 points across the series, 62.6% in 2017-18 to 71.7% now; the weakest year on record was 62.6% in 2017-18.
Pass rate by demographic
Estimated wait time and demand
Booking is achievable but not immediate: on this estimate, learners booking at Darlington would typically wait around 8 to 12 weeks from booking to test day.
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
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Darlington
- car
- motorcycle module 1 (off-road)
- motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
- lorry and bus
- 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 DL1 4PW, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Darlington sits in Morton Palms, Tees Valley, just inside the DL1 4BS postcode. It's a DVSA-run motorcycle module 1 test centre, and the routes from here work outward into the streets and arterial roads that learners from Morton Palms tend to know already. Sample size: 13.7K tests over 2017-18-2024-25. Enough that comparisons hold up; small enough that a quiet month or a route being temporarily diverted can show in the data.
70.1% at Darlington, against a UK motorcycle module 1 average of 73%. That puts the centre 2.9 points below the national figure and ranks it #51 of 72 motorcycle module 1 centres in the DVSA's network. DVSA doesn't break out first-attempt figures for Darlington in DRT122C, so the split between first-time and retake pass rates isn't published for this centre.
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 Darlington
- Darlington 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.
- Practising the roads around the centre is the preparation that most reliably pays off. Most ADI instructors in Morton Palms will know the road types and junctions learners commonly meet near the centre.
- 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.
Whether you pass at Darlington is not decided by the centre. It is decided by the 15 things an examiner can mark you on, and response, traffic signs is one of the ones that ends attempts early.
DVSA publishes all 21 vehicle safety questions in advance, 14 tell me and 7 show me. You get 2 of them on the day, one at the roadside and one while you are driving. Get one wrong or both wrong and it counts as one driving fault, not two.
Drive your local test routes specifically scanning for signs. Have the instructor cover unusual signs on country roads (national speed limit on single carriageway = 60 mph, not 70). Free to use, no sign up. Everything for the day itself is on the practical test hub.
Other test centres nearby
You cannot book a practical test at Darlington until you hold a theory pass, and it has to still be valid on the day you sit it. Nationally 44.8% of candidates pass the theory.
Vehicle condition, tyres, lights, fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. All 14 DVSA topics are free to practise, with no sign up. See the theory pass rate by centre or the full practice hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Darlington?
Is Darlington an easy or hard test centre?
How does Darlington compare to the UK average?
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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.
DVSA data period: 2024-25.