Car Test Centre, Scotland

Forfar Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BForfarHigh pass rate

The Forfar driving test centre is located in Forfar, Scotland. 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)
70.8%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
1.4K
2022-23 to 2024-25 (3yr avg)
National rank
#6
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
69.1%
above UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

70.8%passed
failed38.3%

6.0K passed, 3.7K failed, 9.7K total

How Forfar compares

Forfar
70.8%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+22.1 pp

Forfar performs well above the UK average. Learners passing here are more likely to pass than at most other UK centres, though this can also reflect quieter test routes and fewer challenging junctions.

Where Forfar ranks among 323 centres

Top 2%
Forfar ranks higher than 98% of UK car test centres
Rank
#6
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 5.7 pp
Male64.7%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female59.0%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults3.8%
288 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
9 weeks
Moderate demand
Weekly capacity
~25
estimated test slots per week
Trend
stable
availability direction

Wait times at Forfar have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is comparatively quick: learners booking at Forfar typically wait around 9 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
longest waits in Forfar
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

Forfar
Angus
Scotland

Tests offered at Forfar

  • Car

For other test types at this location, search the DVSA centre finder.

Accessibility & facilities

Parking, toilets, and disabled-access details vary by centre. Check the official DVSA find a driving test centre tool, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Forfar is one of the DVSA's car test sites in Scotland, located in Forfar, Angus. The choice of routes reflects the local mix of road types rather than any standard national template. Forfar sees moderate volume: 9.7K practical tests through 2017-18-2024-25. Year-on-year percentages here are meaningful, but watch the trend line rather than fixating on any single period.

Forfar passes higher than most. At 70.8% versus a UK average of 48.7%, it ranks #6 of 323 car centres, the top ten percent of the network. Across 903 first-attempt tests, Forfar passes 69.1% 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.

Country
Scotland
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
forfar

What learners should know about Forfar

  • Above-average pass rate at Forfar 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.
  • 69.1% of first-timers pass at Forfar. If your instructor is signing you off as test-ready, that figure is a fair guide, the centre isn't the variable, your preparation is.
  • Ask any instructor working Forfar 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.
  • If you missed the earlier slots at Forfar, the DVSA's official cancellation pool refreshes constantly. Check at off-peak times (early morning, late evening) for better odds.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Forfar

Give yourself ten minutes in hand when you head to Forfar, and look up where to park beforehand, facilities differ from one DVSA site to the next. The DVSA centre finder shows the exact location. Modelled waits here sit around 9 weeks at moderate demand, which tends to mean less competition for a date that suits you. You must have your provisional photocard licence on you, plus a car with L plates and a working interior mirror for the examiner. If Dundee is fully booked, Forfar is the next closest centre, roughly 13 miles away.

Expect about 40 minutes once you set off, to the same national DVSA script. It opens with an eyesight check at 20 metres and one show-me plus one tell-me question, after which the examiner rides along for the drive. Around 20 minutes of that is independent driving, guided either by a sat nav the examiner provides or by road signs to a named destination, with one of four set manoeuvres and a one-in-three chance of an emergency stop. The drive covers the local mix of road types within roughly a twenty-minute radius of the centre. 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 70.8% of candidates at Forfar meet under current DVSA marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Forfar?
The current pass rate at Forfar driving test centre is 70.8%, calculated from 1.4K tests in 2022-23 to 2024-25 (3yr avg). The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 69.1%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 61.7% (from 9.7K tests).
Is Forfar an easy or hard test centre?
Forfar is ranked #6 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top 10% of UK car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 70.8% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. 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 Forfar compare to the UK average?
Forfar's pass rate is 22.1 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. Forfar performs well above the UK average. Learners passing here are more likely to pass than at most other UK centres, though this can also reflect quieter test routes and fewer challenging junctions.
How many tests are taken at Forfar each year?
Forfar has recorded 9.7K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 6.0K passed and 3.7K failed. The trend chart on this page plots how both volume and pass rate have changed across the recent DVSA reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Forfar?
The closest DVSA test centres to Forfar are Dundee (60.3%), Dundee (77.2%), Dundee (75.8%) and Arbroath (72.6%). Of these, Dundee, Dundee, Arbroath have higher current pass rates than Forfar's 70.8%. Dundee sits 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 Forfar?
Forfar currently sees moderate demand with an estimated wait of around 9 weeks. 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 Forfar and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Forfar 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 Forfar?
The estimated wait at Forfar is around 9 weeks (moderate 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 9.7K 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.