Car Test Centre, England

Dudley Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BDudleyModerate

The Dudley driving test centre is located in Dudley, England. Below are the official pass-rate statistics, multi-year trend, demographic breakdown, and how this centre compares against the UK average and its neighbours, all drawn from the DVSA quarterly statistical release.

By VikasReviewed by VikasMethodologySources
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

Pass vs fail at a glance

45.7%passed
failed57.4%

28.9K passed, 39.0K failed, 67.9K total

How Dudley compares

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

Dudley has a slightly tougher pass rate than the UK average. Routes here may be more demanding than rural centres.

Where Dudley ranks among 323 centres

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

Pass-rate trend by year

Most common faults at this centre

The fault categories most frequently recorded against learners on test. Knowing them lets you target practice on the things examiners are most likely to penalise.

  1. 1Junctions - observation10
  2. 2Mirrors - change direction9
  3. 3Move off - safely8
  4. 4Junctions - turning right7
  5. 5Response to signs - traffic lights6

Per-centre fault breakdowns are derived from the DVSA national fault distribution applied to centre-level test outcomes.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 6.9 pp
Male46.1%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female39.2%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults0.2%
243 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
19 weeks
High demand
Weekly capacity
~202
estimated test slots per week
Trend
worsening
availability direction

Wait times at Dudley have been lengthening as demand outpaces examiner capacity. Booking requires patience: learners booking at Dudley typically wait around 19 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
longest waits in Dudley
Best to book
November, December, January, February
shortest expected waits

Wait time is estimated from regional demand patterns reported in the National Audit Office investigation into car driving test waiting times (Dec 2024) and the DVSA Despatch blog updates, combined with this centre's test volume. Real availability fluctuates with examiner staffing and cancellations, always check the official DVSA booking service for live slots.

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. The routes are the same fixed set every day; your examiner picks one without telling you which. 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.

Country
England
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
dudley

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 cancellation feed 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 high demand, modelled at roughly 19 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 show-me and one tell-me question to you, then accompanies the drive. About 20 minutes is independent driving, sat nav or road signs to a named destination, with one of four set manoeuvres and an emergency stop on roughly one test in three. 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 recent DVSA marking, the fault logged most often at this centre 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%. Dudley has a slightly tougher pass rate than the UK average. Routes here may be more demanding than rural centres.
How many tests are taken at Dudley each year?
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%), Wolverhampton (62.1%) and Wolverhampton (60.6%). Of these, Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton have higher current pass rates than Dudley's 45.7%. Wednesbury, Wolverhampton 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 high demand with an estimated wait of around 19 weeks. 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?
The estimated wait at Dudley is around 19 weeks (high demand). That figure 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 67.9K lifetime tests. Wait times 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: 2024-25.