HGV/LGV Test Centre, England

Harlescott LGV Driving Test Centre

HGV, Cat CHarlescottSY1 3AAModerate

The Harlescott LGV driving test centre is located in Harlescott, England (SY1 3AA). 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 (2019-20)
54.8%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
2.5K
2017-18 to 2019-20 (3yr avg)
National rank
#75
of 152 centres
1st-time pass
N/A
DVSA omits this centre from DRT122C

Pass vs fail at a glance

54.8%passed
failed40.5%

5.6K passed, 3.8K failed, 9.5K total

How Harlescott LGV compares

Harlescott LGV
54.8%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+6.1 pp

Harlescott LGV performs notably better than the UK average. This often correlates with rural or suburban routes that have fewer multi-lane roundabouts and complex urban scenarios.

Where Harlescott LGV ranks among 152 centres

Top 49%
Harlescott LGV ranks higher than 51% of UK hgv/lgv test centres
Rank
#75
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 4.2 pp
Male59.3%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female63.5%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults0%
0 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
17 weeks
High demand
Weekly capacity
~25
estimated test slots per week
Trend
improving
availability direction

Wait times at Harlescott LGV have been gradually shortening as DVSA recovers post-pandemic capacity. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Harlescott LGV typically wait around 17 weeks from booking to test day.

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

Catherinefield Industrial Est
Heathhall
Dumfries
DG1 3PQ
England

Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.

Tests offered at Harlescott LGV

  • HGV/LGV

Accessibility & facilities

Wheelchair accessible per DVSA

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 DG1 3PQ, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Harlescott LGV is in Harlescott, Shropshire (SY1 3AA) and runs DVSA hgv/lgv tests for learners across the local area. The routes are the same fixed set every day; your examiner picks one without telling you which. Over 2012-13-2019-20, 9.5K candidates sat tests here. The figures are statistically usable for centre-to-centre comparisons, which is most of what people land on this page wanting to do.

Out of 152 UK hgv/lgv test centres, Harlescott LGV ranks 75, which lands it in the upper half nationally. The 54.8% pass rate is 6.1 points clear of the UK figure of 48.7%. For Harlescott LGV the DVSA suppresses first-attempt figures in DRT122C. Smaller centres get rolled up; this is one of them. The overall pass rate above is the only published figure.

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
England
Test category
HGV/LGV
DVSA centre ID
harlescott-lgv-heavy

What learners should know about Harlescott LGV

  • Above-average pass rate at Harlescott LGV 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.
  • Ask any instructor working Harlescott LGV 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.
  • Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Harlescott LGV. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Harlescott LGV

Aim to be at Harlescott LGV ten minutes early. Because parking and waiting facilities are not the same at every DVSA centre, check the approach on the DVSA centre finder (postcode SY1 3AA) before the day. Demand is high and the modelled wait is close to 17 weeks, so an early booking and a cancellation alert are both worth setting up. The examiner needs to see your provisional photocard licence to begin, and the car you bring must be roadworthy, fitted with L plates and a working interior mirror. If Shrewsbury is fully booked, Harlescott LGV is the next closest centre, roughly 2 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 show-me and one tell-me question to you, then accompanies the drive. About 20 minutes is independent driving, sat nav or road signs to a named destination, with one of four set manoeuvres and an emergency stop on roughly one test in three. 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 54.8% of candidates at Harlescott LGV meet under current DVSA marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Harlescott LGV?
The current pass rate at Harlescott LGV driving test centre is 54.8%, calculated from 2.5K tests in 2017-18 to 2019-20 (3yr avg). DVSA does not publish first-attempt figures for this centre. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 59.5% (from 9.5K tests).
Is Harlescott LGV an easy or hard test centre?
Harlescott LGV is ranked #75 of 152 UK hgv/lgv test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top half of hgv/lgv pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 54.8% 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 Harlescott LGV compare to the UK average?
Harlescott LGV's pass rate is 6.1 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. Harlescott LGV performs notably better than the UK average. This often correlates with rural or suburban routes that have fewer multi-lane roundabouts and complex urban scenarios.
How many tests are taken at Harlescott LGV each year?
Harlescott LGV has recorded 9.5K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 5.6K passed and 3.8K failed. The yearly trend chart on this page shows how volume and pass rate have moved across recent reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Harlescott LGV?
The closest DVSA test centres to Harlescott LGV are Shrewsbury (49.2%), Shrewsbury (72.2%), Shrewsbury (79.2%) and Telford (43.9%). Of these, Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury have higher current pass rates than Harlescott LGV's 54.8%. Shrewsbury, Telford sit 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 Harlescott LGV?
Harlescott LGV currently sees high demand with an estimated wait of around 17 weeks. Waits tend to ease in November, December, January, when fewer learners are booking, and peak in June, July, August. Where you can be flexible on dates, targeting one of the quieter months tends to bring a shorter wait and a wider choice of slots. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at Harlescott LGV and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Harlescott LGV 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 Harlescott LGV?
The estimated wait at Harlescott LGV is around 17 weeks (high 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 9.5K 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: 2019-20.