Car Test Centre, Scotland

Kirkcaldy Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BBorelandKY1 2YXModerate

The Kirkcaldy driving test centre is located in Boreland, Scotland (KY1 2YX). 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 (2024-25)
47.5%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
5.2K
2024-25
National rank
#227
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
47%
below UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

47.5%passed
failed50.8%

33.9K passed, 35.0K failed, 68.9K total

How Kirkcaldy compares

Kirkcaldy
47.5%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-1.2 pp

Kirkcaldy sits close to the UK average pass rate.

Where Kirkcaldy ranks among 323 centres

Top 31%
Kirkcaldy sits in the bottom half of car pass rates
Rank
#227
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 4.3 pp
Male51.4%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female47.1%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults1.6%
911 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
13 weeks
Moderate demand
Weekly capacity
~179
estimated test slots per week
Trend
stable
availability direction

Wait times at Kirkcaldy have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Kirkcaldy typically wait around 13 weeks from booking to test day.

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

10 Randolph Place
Kirkcaldy
Fife
KY1 2YX
Scotland

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

Tests offered at Kirkcaldy

  • car
  • motorcycle module 1 (off-road)
  • motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
  • ADI part 2
  • ADI part 3

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 KY1 2YX, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Kirkcaldy is one of the DVSA's car test sites in Scotland, located in Boreland, Fife at KY1 2YX. 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. 68.9K 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.

Kirkcaldy runs close to the national curve: 47.5% pass rate, 1.2 points below the UK average of 48.7%. The rank is #227 of 323 car centres. 47% of first-timers pass at Kirkcaldy, 2 points below the UK figure of 49%. If your booking is your first attempt, factor that into how many lessons you take on local routes specifically.

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
Scotland
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
kirkcaldy

What learners should know about Kirkcaldy

  • Pass rate at Kirkcaldy 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.
  • Volume at Kirkcaldy 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 test routes is the single thing that most reliably moves a candidate's pass odds. Most ADI instructors in Boreland will have a working knowledge of which routes Kirkcaldy uses.
  • If you missed the earlier slots at Kirkcaldy, the DVSA's official cancellation pool refreshes constantly. Check at off-peak times (early morning, late evening) for better odds.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Kirkcaldy

Give yourself ten minutes in hand when you head to Kirkcaldy, and look up where to park beforehand, facilities differ from one DVSA site to the next. The DVSA centre finder (postcode KY1 2YX) shows the exact location. Modelled waits here sit around 13 weeks at moderate 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.

The practical lasts about 40 minutes and uses the standard DVSA format nationwide. After an eyesight check at 20 metres and one show-me and one tell-me question, the examiner sits in for the drive. Roughly 20 minutes of that is independent driving, either following a sat nav set by the examiner or following road signs, and you will complete one of four set manoeuvres; about one in three tests includes 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 recent DVSA marking, the fault logged most often at this centre is junctions - observation, worth drilling on the local routes before your date.

The result is given immediately when you get back. Whatever the outcome, the examiner reads through the marked faults and prints your DL25 feedback form; pass and they take the provisional licence to trigger your full one by post. The threshold is the national one, 15 driving faults at most and zero serious or dangerous, which 47.5% of Kirkcaldy's candidates reach right now.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Kirkcaldy?
The current pass rate at Kirkcaldy driving test centre is 47.5%, calculated from 5.2K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 47%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 49.2% (from 68.9K tests).
Is Kirkcaldy an easy or hard test centre?
Kirkcaldy is ranked #227 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 47.5% 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 Kirkcaldy compare to the UK average?
Kirkcaldy's pass rate is 1.2 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. Kirkcaldy sits close to the UK average pass rate.
How many tests are taken at Kirkcaldy each year?
Kirkcaldy has recorded 68.9K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 33.9K passed and 35.0K failed. The trend chart on this page plots how both volume and pass rate have changed across the recent DVSA reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Kirkcaldy?
The closest DVSA test centres to Kirkcaldy are Kirkcaldy (67.7%), Kirkcaldy (62.6%), System Training (Widnes) (68.1%) and Edinburgh (Musselburgh) (47%). Of these, Kirkcaldy, Kirkcaldy, System Training (Widnes) have higher current pass rates than Kirkcaldy's 47.5%. Edinburgh (Musselburgh) 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 Kirkcaldy?
Kirkcaldy currently sees moderate demand with an estimated wait of around 13 weeks. 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 Kirkcaldy and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Kirkcaldy 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 Kirkcaldy?
The estimated wait at Kirkcaldy is around 13 weeks (moderate 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 68.9K 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: 2024-25.