Gairloch Driving Test Centre
The Gairloch driving test centre is located in Gairloch, Scotland (IV21 2DU). 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.
Pass vs fail at a glance
479 passed, 185 failed, 664 total
How Gairloch compares
Gairloch 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 Gairloch ranks among 323 centres
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.
- 1Junctions - observation10
- 2Mirrors - change direction9
- 3Move off - safely8
- 4Junctions - turning right7
- 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
Estimated wait time and demand
Wait times at Gairloch have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is comparatively quick: learners booking at Gairloch typically wait around 8 weeks from booking to test day.
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
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Gairloch
- 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 IV21 2BX, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Gairloch is in Gairloch, Highland (IV21 2DU) 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. Be careful with the per-period numbers at Gairloch. With just 664 tests over 2017-18-2024-25, one or two unlucky candidates in a slow quarter can move the rate by five points.
Out of 323 UK car test centres, Gairloch ranks 4, which lands it in the top ten percent nationally. The 72.1% pass rate is 23.4 points clear of the UK figure of 48.7%. Across 438 first-attempt tests, Gairloch passes 76% 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 Gairloch
- Don't read a higher pass rate as a softer test. Gairloch's rate reflects route geography more than examiner discretion, DVSA marking is centrally trained. Prepare for the same fault categories you'd prepare for anywhere.
- First-time pass rate of 76% at Gairloch 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.
- With 664 tests on record at Gairloch, the per-quarter pass rates are noisy. The trend chart on this page is more informative than any specific number from a specific period.
- If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Gairloch routes. Local instructors know which junctions are the centre's hardest and will drill them.
- Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Gairloch. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Gairloch
Plan to arrive at Gairloch 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 IV21 2DU) a day or two ahead. Demand here is low with waits around 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 Kyle of Lochalsh is fully booked, Gairloch is the next closest centre, roughly 31 miles away.
The practical lasts about 40 minutes and uses the standard DVSA format nationwide. After an eyesight check at 20 metres and one show-me and one tell-me question, the examiner sits in for the drive. Roughly 20 minutes of that is independent driving, either following a sat nav set by the examiner or following road signs, and you will complete one of four set manoeuvres; about one in three tests includes 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.
You will know the result before you leave Gairloch. The examiner explains the faults marked on your DL25 feedback form and, if you have passed, takes the provisional licence so a full one can be posted out. The pass standard is fixed nationally, 15 driving faults maximum and zero serious or dangerous faults, and 72.1% of candidates here meet it under current DVSA marking. Candidates on their first attempt clear that bar more often here, 76% against the 72.1% overall figure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Gairloch?
Is Gairloch an easy or hard test centre?
How does Gairloch compare to the UK average?
How many tests are taken at Gairloch each year?
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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.
Edited by Vikas. DVSA data period: 2024-25.