Car Test Centre, Scotland

Huntly Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BHuntlyAB54 8AEHigh pass rate

Huntly in Huntly currently passes 62.1% of tests, 13.4 points above the UK average of 48.7%. The sections below cover the year-by-year trend, who passes most often, how long learners wait, and how it stacks up against neighbouring centres.

Pass rate (2024-25)
62.1%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
762
2022-23 to 2024-25 (3yr avg, low volume)
National rank
#41
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
60.6%
above UK avg

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

Huntly sits in the top quarter of car pass rates nationally (Top 13%, rank #41 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Ballater, about 29.1 miles away.

BallaterBest nearby
29.1 mi away
70.8%
+8.7 pp

Pass vs fail at a glance

62.1%passed
failed37.9%

All-time 2.5K passed, 1.8K failed, 4.3K total

How Huntly compares

Huntly
62.1%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+13.4 pp

Huntly clears the UK average by 13.4 points and sits ranked 41 of 323 in its category. That margin says more about its route mix than about marking, the DVSA standard is identical everywhere.

Where Huntly ranks among 323 centres

Top 13%
Huntly ranks higher than 87% of UK car test centres
Rank
#41
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

Across the recorded years Huntly has drifted from 68.9% to 62.5%, down 6.4 points, with the best year at 68.9% in 2017-18.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 3.5 pp
Male60.1%
0%UK avg 52.0%100%
Female56.6%
0%UK avg 48.0%100%
Zero faults4.1%
56 candidates have passed without a single recorded fault across all DVSA periods

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
4 to 8 weeks
Lower demand
Weekly capacity
~11
estimated test slots per week
Demand
Lower
quieter than average

Booking is comparatively quick: on this estimate, learners booking at Huntly would typically wait around 4 to 8 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
when UK waits tend to be longest
Best to book
November, December, January, February
when UK waits tend to be shortest

Treat this as a modelled estimate rather than a booking quote. It is built from regional demand patterns and test volume, explained in full on our methodology page. Always confirm real slots on the DVSA booking service.

Centre details

Address

Huntly Fire Station
Depot Road
Huntly
AB54 8JX
Scotland

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

Tests offered at Huntly

  • 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 AB54 8JX, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Huntly: a DVSA car test centre in Huntly, Aberdeenshire. Local routes, local traffic patterns, no national standard for what "harder" or "easier" looks like beyond what the numbers below show. 4.3K tests over 2017-18-2024-25. Huntly runs at a lower volume than the major metro centres, which means the data on this page rewards looking at the long-run trend rather than any single quarter.

The top quarter of the UK by pass rate: Huntly ranks #41 of 323 car centres at 62.1%, 13.4 points clear of the national figure of 48.7%. 60.6% of first-timers pass at Huntly, 11.6 points above the UK figure of 49%. A prepared first attempt has a real shot here in a way it doesn't at every 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 Huntly

  • Don't read a higher pass rate as a softer test. Huntly'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.
  • 60.6% of first-timers pass at Huntly, so the centre is on the forgiving side. If your instructor is signing you off as test-ready, your own preparation matters far more than the venue.
  • If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Huntly area. Local instructors know which nearby junctions are demanding and will drill them.
  • The only legitimate booking route is gov.uk. Anything calling itself a "test booking concierge" is reselling the same slots at a markup, the slots aren't theirs to control.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Huntly

Arrive at Huntly with about ten minutes to spare and know your parking options in advance, they vary site to site across the DVSA network. The DVSA centre finder (postcode AB54 8AE) maps the centre and its surroundings. Waits here run around 4 to 8 weeks at low demand, so you can usually pick a date without a long wait. Don't set off without your provisional photocard licence; the test cannot start without it, and your car needs L plates and a working interior mirror. If Buckie is fully booked, Huntly is the next closest centre, roughly 17 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 covers the local mix of road types within roughly a twenty-minute radius of the centre. Across DVSA marking nationally, the fault recorded most often on car tests is junctions - observation, worth drilling on the local routes before your date.

You find out there and then, back at Huntly. 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; 62.1% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Huntly?
The current pass rate at Huntly driving test centre is 62.1%, calculated from 762 tests in 2022-23 to 2024-25 (3yr avg, low volume). The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 60.6%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 58.2% (from 4.3K tests).
Is Huntly an easy or hard test centre?
Huntly is ranked #41 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top quarter of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 62.1% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Higher pass rates often correlate with quieter rural or suburban routes; lower rates with dense urban centres featuring complex junctions and multi-lane roundabouts.
How does Huntly compare to the UK average?
Huntly's pass rate is 13.4 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. Huntly clears the UK average by 13.4 points and sits ranked 41 of 323 in its category. That margin says more about its route mix than about marking, the DVSA standard is identical everywhere.
How many driving tests does Huntly record?
Huntly has recorded 4.3K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 2.5K passed and 1.8K 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 Huntly?
The closest DVSA test centres to Huntly are Buckie (49%), Banff (53.9%), Inverurie (54.3%) and Ballater (70.8%). Of these, Ballater has a higher current pass rate than Huntly's 62.1%. Buckie, Banff, Inverurie 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 Huntly?
Huntly currently sees low demand with an estimated wait of about 4 to 8 weeks. Across the UK, waits tend to ease in November, December, January, when fewer learners are booking, and peak in June, July, August. A flexible test date helps: booking into a quieter month often shortens the wait and opens up more available slots. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at Huntly and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Huntly 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 Huntly?
The estimated wait at Huntly is about 4 to 8 weeks (low demand). That range 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 4.3K lifetime tests, so treat it as an estimate rather than a live figure. Across the UK, waits 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: 2024-25.