Car Test Centre, England

Hendon (London) Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BHendonNW4 1BPModerate

Hendon (London) in Hendon, England has a current pass rate of 49.5%, 0.8 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.

Pass rate (2024-25)
49.5%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
11.6K
2024-25
National rank
#186
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
48.7%
below UK avg

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

Hendon (London) sits in the bottom half of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 43%, rank #186 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Mill Hill (London), about 1.8 miles away.

Mill Hill (London)Best nearby
1.8 mi away
51.1%
+1.6 pp

Pass vs fail at a glance

49.5%passed
failed50.5%

All-time 61.6K passed, 76.0K failed, 137.6K total

How Hendon (London) compares

Hendon (London)
49.5%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+0.8 pp

With a gap of under one point to the national average, Hendon (London) (ranked 186 of 323 in its category) neither helps nor hurts; treat any difference you have heard about as noise.

Where Hendon (London) ranks among 323 centres

Bottom 43%
Hendon (London) sits in the bottom half of car pass rates
Rank
#186
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

Hendon (London) has climbed 4.9 points across the series, 44.6% in 2017-18 to 49.5% now; the weakest year on record was 39.8% in 2019-20.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 6.8 pp
Male48.1%
0%UK avg 52.0%100%
Female41.3%
0%UK avg 48.0%100%
Zero faults0.5%
670 candidates have passed without a single recorded fault across all DVSA periods

Waiting time at Hendon (London)

Median wait, booking to test
9.1 weeks
What the typical learner who tested here had waited
Weeks to 10% availability
24 weeks
The older headline measure
Window appointments free
4.9%
Share of the 24-week window still open

The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 24 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Hendon (London) in May 2026 had waited 9.1 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

3 Aviation Drive
Beaufort Park
Hendon
NW9 5TZ
England

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

Tests offered at Hendon (London)

  • car

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 NW9 5TZ, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Where do you actually take your car test if you book Hendon (London)? You start in Hendon, Greater London (NW4 1BP), and the examiner takes you through whatever mix of urban and outlying roads sits within a roughly twenty-minute drive of the centre. Hendon (London) runs at high volume: 137.6K tests across 2017-18-2024-25 put it among the busier DVSA centres in the country. The headline numbers carry weight because the sample carries weight.

How does Hendon (London) compare nationally? 49.5% pass rate, #186 of 323 car centres in the DVSA network, within a point of the UK average of 48.7%. The lower half of the country, in other words. The first-time pass figure here is 48.7%, which lines up almost exactly with the UK average of 49%. If you're a first-timer, the centre is neither lucky nor unlucky ground, it's average.

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 Hendon (London)

  • Centre difficulty is roughly average at Hendon (London). The same fault categories that fail candidates nationally (junctions, mirrors, observation) are what fail candidates here, in similar proportions.
  • Volume at Hendon (London) is among the highest in the network. Don't take the first available date on faith, refreshing the DVSA booking page across a few days regularly turns up cancellations.
  • Practising the roads around the centre is the preparation that most reliably pays off. Most ADI instructors in Hendon will know the road types and junctions learners commonly meet near the centre.
  • Book through the official DVSA service (gov.uk/book-driving-test). Third-party "fast-track" sites charge a premium for the same booking; the official DVSA booking service is free.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Hendon (London)

Ten minutes early is the right target at Hendon (London). Parking differs between DVSA centres, so it pays to scout the route on the DVSA centre finder (postcode NW4 1BP) the day before. This centre sees very high demand, modelled at roughly 24 to 28 weeks to a slot; booking well ahead and watching for cancellations both help. 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 Mill Hill (London) is fully booked, Hendon (London) is the next closest centre, roughly 2 miles away.

Plan for a drive of roughly 40 minutes, identical in structure to every other DVSA centre. First comes the 20-metre eyesight check and a tell-me vehicle-safety question, then the examiner joins you for the road section, with one show-me question while you drive. About 20 minutes is independent driving by sat nav or by following signs to a named target, you tackle one of four set manoeuvres, and around one in seven candidates get an emergency stop. 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; 49.5% of candidates at Hendon (London) currently clear that.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Hendon (London)?
The current pass rate at Hendon (London) driving test centre is 49.5%, calculated from 11.6K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 48.7%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 44.8% (from 137.6K tests).
Is Hendon (London) an easy or hard test centre?
Hendon (London) is ranked #186 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 49.5% 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 Hendon (London) compare to the UK average?
Hendon (London)'s pass rate is 0.8 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. With a gap of under one point to the national average, Hendon (London) (ranked 186 of 323 in its category) neither helps nor hurts; treat any difference you have heard about as noise.
How many driving tests does Hendon (London) record?
Hendon (London) has recorded 137.6K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 61.6K passed and 76.0K failed. See the yearly trend chart above to track how test volume and pass rate have shifted over recent reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Hendon (London)?
The closest DVSA test centres to Hendon (London) are Mill Hill (London) (51.1%), Barnet (London) (49.9%), Borehamwood (London) (46.8%) and Greenford (Horsenden Lane) (40.5%). Of these, Mill Hill (London), Barnet (London) have higher current pass rates than Hendon (London)'s 49.5%. Borehamwood (London), Greenford (Horsenden Lane) 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 Hendon (London)?
Hendon (London) currently sees very high demand with an estimated wait of about 24 to 28 weeks. Across the UK, 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 Hendon (London) and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Hendon (London) 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 Hendon (London)?
In the latest DVSA figures (May 2026), the median learner who took their test at Hendon (London) had waited about 9.1 weeks between booking and test day. DVSA's older measure, the number of weeks until at least 10% of slots are free, was 24 weeks. About 4.9% of appointments in the 24-week booking window were still available. 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.