Dunoon Driving Test Centre
Dunoon in Dunoon currently passes 57.8% of tests, 9.1 points above the UK average of 48.7%. 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.
DVSA data last updated July 2026
Dunoon sits in the top quarter of car pass rates nationally (Top 24%, rank #76 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Inveraray, about 20.3 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 1.7K passed, 1.2K failed, 2.9K total
How Dunoon compares
At 9.1 points above the UK figure and ranked 76 of 323 in its category, Dunoon offers a modest but real edge, typically a product of its local road layout rather than the venue itself.
Where Dunoon ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Dunoon has climbed 3.3 points across the series, 59.5% in 2017-18 to 62.8% now; the weakest year on record was 55.4% in 2023-24.
Pass rate by demographic
Estimated wait time and demand
Booking is comparatively quick: on this estimate, learners booking at Dunoon would typically wait around 4 to 8 weeks from booking to test day.
These figures are an estimate, not live data. We model them from published demand reports and this centre's test volume; the method is on our methodology page. Check the DVSA booking service for current slots.
Centre details
Address
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Dunoon
- car
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 PA23 8BP, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Dunoon is in Dunoon, Argyll and Bute (PA23 7HG) 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 here sits at 2.9K over 2017-18-2024-25. That's the territory where a noisy quarter can shift the rate by two or three percentage points, so read the trend chart in context rather than reacting to any single bar.
Out of 323 UK car test centres, Dunoon ranks 76, which lands it in the top quarter nationally. The 57.8% pass rate is 9.1 points clear of the UK figure of 48.7%. Across 345 first-attempt tests, Dunoon passes 58.8% of candidates, against 49% nationally. The centre is a relatively forgiving venue for a first booking, by the DVSA's own data.
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 Dunoon
- Above-average pass rate at Dunoon doesn't mean above-average ease. The fundamentals examiners mark are the same nationally: junctions, mirrors, observation, signal timing. A 65%+ pass rate means more candidates clear those, not that the bar is lower.
- First-time pass rate of 58.8% at Dunoon is on the forgiving side. A well-prepared first booking has a reasonable shot; don't over-correct by booking a "practice" test you don't actually need.
- Practising the roads around the centre is the preparation that most reliably pays off. Most ADI instructors in Dunoon will know the road types and junctions learners commonly meet near the centre.
- Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Dunoon. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Dunoon
Plan to arrive at Dunoon about ten minutes before your slot. Parking varies between DVSA centres, so check the route and the surrounding streets on the DVSA centre finder (postcode PA23 7HG) a day or two ahead. Demand here is low with waits around 4 to 8 weeks, so there is usually a little more slot choice than at the busiest urban centres. Bring your provisional photocard licence; the examiner will not start without it, and you will need a roadworthy car with L plates and a working interior mirror. If Greenock is fully booked, Dunoon is the next closest centre, roughly 7 miles away.
Plan for a drive of roughly 40 minutes, identical in structure to every other DVSA centre. First comes the 20-metre eyesight check and a tell-me vehicle-safety question, then the examiner joins you for the road section, with one show-me question while you drive. About 20 minutes is independent driving by sat nav or by following signs to a named target, you tackle one of four set manoeuvres, and around one in seven candidates get an emergency stop. The drive covers the local mix of road types within roughly a twenty-minute radius of the centre. Across DVSA marking nationally, the fault recorded most often on car tests is junctions - observation, worth drilling on the local routes before your date.
There is no wait for the verdict, the examiner delivers it at the centre. They go over each fault recorded, hand you the DL25 feedback form, and on a pass retain your provisional licence so the full version arrives by post. To pass you need no more than 15 driving faults and not a single serious or dangerous one; 57.8% of candidates at Dunoon currently clear that.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Dunoon?
Is Dunoon an easy or hard test centre?
How does Dunoon compare to the UK average?
How many driving tests does Dunoon record?
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How long is the wait for a driving test at Dunoon?
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.