Car Test Centre, Scotland

Inverness (Seafield Road) Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BInvernessIV1 1ANModerate

Inverness (Seafield Road) in Inverness currently passes 48.1% of tests, 0.6 points below 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 (2023-24)
48.1%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
1.7K
2023-24
National rank
#217
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
48.1%
below UK avg

DVSA data last updated August 2026

Compare and decide

Inverness (Seafield Road) sits in the bottom half of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 33%, rank #217 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Golspie, about 34.7 miles away.

GolspieBest nearby
34.7 mi away
64.1%
+16.0 pp

Pass vs fail at a glance

48.1%passed
failed51.9%

All-time 4.8K passed, 5.3K failed, 10.1K total

How Inverness (Seafield Road) compares

Inverness (Seafield Road)
48.1%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-0.6 pp

Statistically Inverness (Seafield Road) is about as neutral as a venue gets, under a point from the national average and ranked 217 of 323 in its category. Preparation, not postcode, decides the outcome here.

Where Inverness (Seafield Road) ranks among 323 centres

Bottom 33%
Inverness (Seafield Road) sits in the bottom half of car pass rates
Rank
#217
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

Since 2018-19 the rate at Inverness (Seafield Road) has risen from 42.5% to 48.1%, a 5.6-point gain, peaking at 49.8% in 2022-23.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 3.6 pp
Male49.4%
0%UK avg 52.0%100%
Female45.8%
0%UK avg 48.0%100%
Zero faults1.1%
117 candidates have passed without a single recorded fault across all DVSA periods

Waiting time at Inverness (Seafield Road)

Median wait, booking to test
5.2 weeks
What the typical learner who tested here had waited
Weeks to 10% availability
13.2 weeks
The older headline measure
Window appointments free
38.9%
Share of the 24-week window still open

The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 13.2 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Inverness (Seafield Road) in May 2026 had waited 5.2 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

Longman Industrial Estate
Seafield Road
Inverness
IV1 1SG
Scotland

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

Tests offered at Inverness (Seafield Road)

  • lorry and bus
  • ADI part 2
  • ADI part 3

Accessibility & facilities

Not 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 IV1 1SG, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Inverness (Seafield Road): a DVSA car test centre in Inverness, Highland. Local routes, local traffic patterns, no national standard for what "harder" or "easier" looks like beyond what the numbers below show. Inverness (Seafield Road) sees moderate volume: 10.1K practical tests through 2018-19-2023-24. Year-on-year percentages here are meaningful, but watch the trend line rather than fixating on any single period.

The lower half of the UK by pass rate: Inverness (Seafield Road) ranks #217 of 323 car centres at 48.1%, within a point of the national figure of 48.7%. First-attempt pass rate: 48.1%, against the UK figure of 49%. Effectively level, the gap between candidates who pass first time at Inverness (Seafield Road) and those who pass first time nationally is preparation, not the 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 Inverness (Seafield Road)

  • Centre difficulty is roughly average at Inverness (Seafield Road). The same fault categories that fail candidates nationally (junctions, mirrors, observation) are what fail candidates here, in similar proportions.
  • Ask any instructor working Inverness (Seafield Road) 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.
  • 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 Inverness (Seafield Road)

Give yourself ten minutes in hand when you head to Inverness (Seafield Road), and look up where to park beforehand, facilities differ from one DVSA site to the next. The DVSA centre finder (postcode IV1 1AN) shows the exact location. Modelled waits here sit around 6 to 10 weeks at low demand, which tends to mean less competition for a date that suits you. You must have your provisional photocard licence on you, plus a car with L plates and a working interior mirror for the examiner. If Inverness (Longman Drive) is fully booked, Inverness (Seafield Road) is the next closest centre, roughly 1 mile 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 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.

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; 48.1% of candidates at Inverness (Seafield Road) currently clear that.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Inverness (Seafield Road)?
The current pass rate at Inverness (Seafield Road) driving test centre is 48.1%, calculated from 1.7K tests in 2023-24. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 48.1%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 47.6% (from 10.1K tests).
Is Inverness (Seafield Road) an easy or hard test centre?
Inverness (Seafield Road) is ranked #217 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 48.1% 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 Inverness (Seafield Road) compare to the UK average?
Inverness (Seafield Road)'s pass rate is 0.6 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. Statistically Inverness (Seafield Road) is about as neutral as a venue gets, under a point from the national average and ranked 217 of 323 in its category. Preparation, not postcode, decides the outcome here.
How many driving tests does Inverness (Seafield Road) record?
Inverness (Seafield Road) has recorded 10.1K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 4.8K passed and 5.3K 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 Inverness (Seafield Road)?
The closest DVSA test centres to Inverness (Seafield Road) are Inverness (Longman Drive) (45.9%), Alness (62.2%), Kingussie (57.3%) and Golspie (64.1%). Of these, Alness, Kingussie, Golspie have higher current pass rates than Inverness (Seafield Road)'s 48.1%. Inverness (Longman Drive) sits 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 Inverness (Seafield Road)?
Inverness (Seafield Road) currently sees low demand with an estimated wait of about 6 to 10 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 Inverness (Seafield Road) and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Inverness (Seafield Road) 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 Inverness (Seafield Road)?
In the latest DVSA figures (May 2026), the median learner who took their test at Inverness (Seafield Road) had waited about 5.2 weeks between booking and test day. DVSA's older measure, the number of weeks until at least 10% of slots are free, was 13.2 weeks. About 38.9% 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.

DVSA data period: 2023-24.

By Vikas DulgundeUpdated MethodologySources