Guildford Driving Test Centre
Guildford in Guildford, England has a current pass rate of 51.8%, 3.1 points above the UK average of 48.7%. This page breaks down the multi-year trend, the first-time and gender pass rates, the waiting time and how it compares with the rest of the UK, all from the DVSA quarterly data.
DVSA data last updated July 2026
Guildford sits in the top half of car pass rates nationally (Top 42%, rank #137 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Farnborough, about 8.7 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 49.4K passed, 50.8K failed, 100.2K total
How Guildford compares
Guildford runs 3.1 points ahead of the national average, ranked 137 of 323 in its category. Margins in this range usually track route difficulty: fewer multi-lane roundabouts and less dense traffic.
Where Guildford ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Year-to-year volatility is the story at Guildford: 9.9 points separate 2017-18 (52.7%) from 2021-22 (42.8%), even though the endpoints nearly match.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Guildford
The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 24 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Guildford in May 2026 had waited 3 weeks from booking to test day.
Official DVSA data, May 2026. The median is the time between booking and taking the test; for live availability use the DVSA booking service.
Centre details
Address
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Guildford
- car
- lorry and bus
- ADI part 2
- 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 GU1 1SA, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Guildford is one of the DVSA's car test sites in England, located in Guildford, Surrey. The choice of routes reflects the local mix of road types rather than any standard national template. If you're cross-checking this pass rate against other sources, the sample size matters. 100.2K tests over 2017-18-2024-25 is large enough that any rounding you see between sites is just rounding, not disagreement on the underlying data.
Guildford runs close to the national curve: 51.8% pass rate, 3.1 points above the UK average of 48.7%. The rank is #137 of 323 car centres. First-time pass rate: 51.9%. UK average: 49%. Guildford is 2.9 points to the good on first attempts, a meaningful gap, not a rounding artefact.
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 Guildford
- Pass rate at Guildford sits close to the UK average. Prepare for an ordinary level of difficulty: examiners apply the standard DVSA marking sheet, and the routes are a representative mix of local conditions.
- 100.2K tests through this centre over the published window. At that throughput, competition for short-notice slots is constant, so make a habit of checking the official booking page often.
- Practising the roads around the centre is the preparation that most reliably pays off. Most ADI instructors in Guildford will know the road types and junctions learners commonly meet near the centre.
- If you missed the earlier slots at Guildford, cancellations appear on the official DVSA booking service throughout the day. Check at off-peak times (early morning, late evening) for the best chance of catching one.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Guildford
Give yourself ten minutes in hand when you head to Guildford, and look up where to park beforehand, facilities differ from one DVSA site to the next. The DVSA centre finder shows the exact location. This is a very high-demand centre, modelled at roughly 20 to 24 weeks to a slot, so book as far ahead as you can and keep an eye on cancellations. You must have your provisional photocard licence on you, plus a car with L plates and a working interior mirror for the examiner. If Chertsey (London) is fully booked, Guildford is the next closest centre, roughly 11 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 tell-me question to you, then accompanies the drive and asks one show-me question while you are driving. About 20 minutes is independent driving, sat nav or road signs to a named destination, with one of the set manoeuvres and an emergency stop on roughly one test in seven. 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 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; 51.8% of candidates at Guildford currently clear that.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Guildford?
Is Guildford an easy or hard test centre?
How does Guildford compare to the UK average?
How many driving tests does Guildford record?
Which driving test centres are near Guildford?
When is the best time to book a test at Guildford?
How do I book a test at Guildford and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Guildford?
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.