Kyle of Lochalsh Driving Test Centre
The Kyle of Lochalsh driving test centre is located in Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland (IV40 8AE). 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.
Pass vs fail at a glance
763 passed, 472 failed, 1.2K total
How Kyle of Lochalsh compares
Kyle of Lochalsh performs well above the UK average. Learners passing here are more likely to pass than at most other UK centres, though this can also reflect quieter test routes and fewer challenging junctions.
Where Kyle of Lochalsh ranks among 323 centres
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.
- 1Junctions - observation10
- 2Mirrors - change direction9
- 3Move off - safely8
- 4Junctions - turning right7
- 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
Estimated wait time and demand
Wait times at Kyle of Lochalsh have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is comparatively quick: learners booking at Kyle of Lochalsh typically wait around 5 weeks from booking to test day.
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
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Kyle of Lochalsh
- car
Accessibility & facilities
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 IV40 8BP, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Kyle of Lochalsh: a DVSA car test centre in Kyle of Lochalsh, Highland. Local routes, local traffic patterns, no national standard for what "harder" or "easier" looks like beyond what the numbers below show. 1.2K tests over 2017-18-2024-25. Kyle of Lochalsh runs at a slower cadence 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: Kyle of Lochalsh ranks #43 of 323 car centres at 61.8%, 13.1 points clear of the national figure of 48.7%. First-time pass rate: 58.6%. UK average: 49%. Kyle of Lochalsh is 9.6 points to the good on first attempts, a meaningful gap, not a rounding artefact.
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 Kyle of Lochalsh
- Kyle of Lochalsh passes higher than the UK average, but the marking sheet is identical to every other DVSA centre. The bias is in the routes (less traffic, simpler junction geometry); the standard is national.
- 58.6% of first-timers pass at Kyle of Lochalsh. If your instructor is signing you off as test-ready, that figure is a fair guide, the centre isn't the variable, your preparation is.
- If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Kyle of Lochalsh routes. Local instructors know which junctions are the centre's hardest 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 Kyle of Lochalsh
Give yourself ten minutes in hand when you head to Kyle of Lochalsh, and look up where to park beforehand, facilities differ from one DVSA site to the next. The DVSA centre finder (postcode IV40 8AE) shows the exact location. Modelled waits here sit around 5 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 Mallaig is fully booked, Kyle of Lochalsh is the next closest centre, roughly 19 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 pair of vehicle-safety questions, one show-me, one tell-me, then the examiner joins you for the road section. 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 a third of candidates get an emergency stop. 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.
You find out there and then, back at Kyle of Lochalsh. 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; 61.8% of candidates here manage it on the current marking. First-time candidates pass less often than the headline suggests, 58.6% versus 61.8% overall, so a first booking is worth preparing thoroughly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Kyle of Lochalsh?
Is Kyle of Lochalsh an easy or hard test centre?
How does Kyle of Lochalsh compare to the UK average?
How many tests are taken at Kyle of Lochalsh each year?
Which driving test centres are near Kyle of Lochalsh?
When is the best time to book a test at Kyle of Lochalsh?
How do I book a test at Kyle of Lochalsh and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Kyle of Lochalsh?
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.