Grantham (Somerby) Driving Test Centre
The Grantham (Somerby) driving test centre is located in Grantham, England (NG31 6LJ). 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
1.4K passed, 350 failed, 1.7K total
How Grantham (Somerby) compares
Grantham (Somerby) 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 Grantham (Somerby) ranks among 194 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 Grantham (Somerby) have been gradually shortening as DVSA recovers post-pandemic capacity. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Grantham (Somerby) typically wait around 11 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 Grantham (Somerby)
- car
- motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
- ADI part 3
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 NG31 7TX, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
If you've got a test booked at NG31 6LJ, that's Grantham (Somerby) in Grantham, Greater Lincolnshire. Examiners use a small set of fixed routes built around the roads immediately surrounding the centre. Across 2016-17-2024-25 the centre handled 1.7K tests, a modest sample. The aggregated multi-year figure on this page is the most reliable read; quarterly swings deserve more skepticism here than at a high-volume centre.
Rank: #26 of 194. Pass rate: 81.9%. UK average: 48.7%. That's a top quartile centre by the DVSA's own published figures. DVSA doesn't break out first-attempt figures for Grantham (Somerby) in DRT122C, so the split between first-time and retake pass rates isn't published for this centre.
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 Grantham (Somerby)
- Don't read a higher pass rate as a softer test. Grantham (Somerby)'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.
- If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Grantham (Somerby) 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 Grantham (Somerby). Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Grantham (Somerby)
Ten minutes early is the right target at Grantham (Somerby). Parking differs between DVSA centres, so it pays to scout the route on the DVSA centre finder (postcode NG31 6LJ) the day before. Demand sits at moderate with a modelled wait of about 11 weeks, which generally leaves more room to choose a date. 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 Grantham (Somerby) is fully booked, Grantham (Somerby) is the next closest centre, roughly 2 miles away.
The test runs for around 40 minutes and follows the same DVSA format used at every centre. The examiner checks your eyesight at 20 metres, asks one show-me and one tell-me question, then sits in for the drive. About 20 minutes of it is independent driving, either following a sat nav the examiner sets up or following road signs to a named place. You will do one of four set manoeuvres, and roughly one in three candidates is asked to perform 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 find out there and then, back at Grantham (Somerby). The examiner runs through the faults on the DL25 feedback form and, on a pass, keeps your provisional licence so a full licence follows in the post. Clearing the test means staying under 16 driving faults, that is 15 or fewer, with no serious or dangerous fault; 81.9% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Grantham (Somerby)?
Is Grantham (Somerby) an easy or hard test centre?
How does Grantham (Somerby) compare to the UK average?
How many tests are taken at Grantham (Somerby) each year?
Which driving test centres are near Grantham (Somerby)?
When is the best time to book a test at Grantham (Somerby)?
How do I book a test at Grantham (Somerby) and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Grantham (Somerby)?
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.