Car Test Centre, England

Dudley Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BDudleyModerate

At Dudley, 45.7% of candidates pass, one of the 323 test centres we rank from the DVSA data. Below you will find the full pass-rate history, the demographic split, the official DVSA waiting time and a comparison with the nearest centres.

Pass rate (2024-25)
45.7%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
11.4K
2024-25
National rank
#261
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
45.9%
below UK avg

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

Dudley sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 20%, rank #261 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Birmingham (Kings Heath), about 10.9 miles away.

Birmingham (Kings Heath)Best nearby
10.9 mi away
47%
+1.3 pp

Pass vs fail at a glance

45.7%passed
failed54.3%

All-time 28.9K passed, 39.0K failed, 67.9K total

How Dudley compares

Dudley
45.7%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-3 pp

At 3 points below the UK figure (ranked 261 of 323 in its category), Dudley is on the harder side without being extreme; familiarity with the local junctions closes much of the gap.

Where Dudley ranks among 323 centres

Bottom 20%
Dudley sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates
Rank
#261
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

Dudley has held a narrow 5.7-point range across the whole series (40% at the low in 2021-22, 45.7% at the high in 2024-25); what you see is what you get.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 6.9 pp
Male46.1%
0%UK avg 52.0%100%
Female39.2%
0%UK avg 48.0%100%
Zero faults0.2%
243 candidates have passed without a single recorded fault across all DVSA periods

Waiting time at Dudley

Median wait, booking to test
9.6 weeks
What the typical learner who tested here had waited
Weeks to 10% availability
24 weeks
The older headline measure
Window appointments free
4.8%
Share of the 24-week window still open

The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 24 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Dudley in May 2026 had waited 9.6 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

Newton House
The Pensnett Estate
Kingswinford
DY6 7YE
England

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

Tests offered at Dudley

  • car
  • 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 DY6 7YE, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Dudley is in Dudley, West Midlands and runs DVSA car tests for learners across the local area. Your examiner picks the route on the day without telling you which, and the DVSA does not publish them. Volume is not the issue at Dudley. 67.9K tests sit on the record across 2018-19-2024-25, so the trend line below reflects real movement, not sample noise.

Out of 323 UK car test centres, Dudley ranks 261, which lands it in the bottom quarter nationally. The 45.7% pass rate is 3 points below the UK figure of 48.7%. Dudley is one of the tougher venues for a first attempt. The DVSA reports 45.9% first-time pass against a UK average of 49%, 3.1 points down on the national figure.

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 Dudley

  • Centre difficulty is roughly average at Dudley. The same fault categories that fail candidates nationally (junctions, mirrors, observation) are what fail candidates here, in similar proportions.
  • Dudley is a high-volume centre. Booking pressure is real, check the DVSA booking service daily for earlier slots rather than relying on the headline available date.
  • Ask any instructor working Dudley 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 Dudley. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Dudley

Ten minutes early is the right target at Dudley. Parking differs between DVSA centres, so it pays to scout the route on the DVSA centre finder the day before. This centre sees very high demand, modelled at roughly 19 to 23 weeks to a slot; booking well ahead and watching for cancellations both help. Bring the provisional photocard licence, the examiner checks for it first, and make sure your car is roadworthy with L plates and a working interior mirror. If Wednesbury is fully booked, Dudley is the next closest centre, roughly 4 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 tell-me question to you, then accompanies the drive and asks one show-me question while you are driving. About 20 minutes is independent driving, sat nav or road signs to a named destination, with one of the set manoeuvres and an emergency stop on roughly one test in seven. 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 45.7% of candidates at Dudley meet under current DVSA marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Dudley?
The current pass rate at Dudley driving test centre is 45.7%, calculated from 11.4K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 45.9%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 42.6% (from 67.9K tests).
Is Dudley an easy or hard test centre?
Dudley is ranked #261 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 45.7% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Higher pass rates often correlate with quieter rural or suburban routes; lower rates with dense urban centres featuring complex junctions and multi-lane roundabouts.
How does Dudley compare to the UK average?
Dudley's pass rate is 3 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. At 3 points below the UK figure (ranked 261 of 323 in its category), Dudley is on the harder side without being extreme; familiarity with the local junctions closes much of the gap.
How many driving tests does Dudley record?
Dudley has recorded 67.9K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 28.9K passed and 39.0K 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 Dudley?
The closest DVSA test centres to Dudley are Wednesbury (36.4%), Wolverhampton (33.4%), Birmingham (Kingstanding) (44.6%) and Birmingham (Kings Heath) (47%). Of these, Birmingham (Kings Heath) has a higher current pass rate than Dudley's 45.7%. Wednesbury, Wolverhampton, Birmingham (Kingstanding) 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 Dudley?
Dudley currently sees very high demand with an estimated wait of about 19 to 23 weeks. Across the UK, 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 Dudley and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Dudley 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 Dudley?
In the latest DVSA figures (May 2026), the median learner who took their test at Dudley had waited about 9.6 weeks between booking and test day. DVSA's older measure, the number of weeks until at least 10% of slots are free, was 24 weeks. About 4.8% of appointments in the 24-week booking window were still available. 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.