Car Test Centre, Scotland

Lanark Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BLanarkML11 7EXHigh pass rate

Lanark posts a 55% pass rate, with Airdrie the nearest alternative about 15 miles away. Read on for its full DVSA history, first-time pass rate, waiting time and demographic breakdown.

Pass rate (2024-25)
55%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
1.8K
2024-25
National rank
#102
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
55%
above UK avg

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

Lanark sits in the top half of car pass rates nationally (Top 32%, rank #102 of 323). No nearby car centre currently posts a higher pass rate.

LivingstonNearest alternative
17.7 mi away
50.7%
-4.3 pp

Pass vs fail at a glance

55%passed
failed45%

All-time 14.9K passed, 14.2K failed, 29.1K total

How Lanark compares

Lanark
55%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+6.3 pp

At 6.3 points above the UK figure and ranked 102 of 323 in its category, Lanark offers a modest but real edge, typically a product of its local road layout rather than the venue itself.

Where Lanark ranks among 323 centres

Top 32%
Lanark ranks higher than 68% of UK car test centres
Rank
#102
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

Year-to-year volatility is the story at Lanark: 8.9 points separate 2022-23 (60.2%) from 2019-20 (51.3%), even though the endpoints nearly match.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 6.1 pp
Male54.7%
0%UK avg 52.0%100%
Female48.6%
0%UK avg 48.0%100%
Zero faults1.5%
133 candidates have passed without a single recorded fault across all DVSA periods

Waiting time at Lanark

Median wait, booking to test
18.6 weeks
What the typical learner who tested here had waited
Weeks to 10% availability
23.3 weeks
The older headline measure
Window appointments free
1%
Share of the 24-week window still open

The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 23.3 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Lanark in May 2026 had waited 18.6 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

Lanark Agricultural Centre
Lanark
ML11 9AX
Scotland

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

Tests offered at Lanark

  • 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 ML11 9AX, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

If you've got a test booked at ML11 7EX, that's Lanark in Lanark, South Lanarkshire. Examiners drive a mix of the roads immediately surrounding the centre; the DVSA does not publish its test routes. 29.1K tests through 2017-18-2024-25 puts Lanark in the comfortable middle of the volume distribution. The pass rate moves with real signal, not noise.

Rank: #102 of 323. Pass rate: 55%. UK average: 48.7%. That's a upper half centre by the DVSA's own published figures. First-attempt pass rate at Lanark: 55%, against 49% nationally. That's a 6-point lead. Well-prepared candidates with no prior test attempts pass here at a noticeably higher rate than the UK 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 Lanark

  • Above-average pass rate at Lanark doesn't mean above-average ease. The fundamentals examiners mark are the same nationally: junctions, mirrors, observation, signal timing. A 65%+ pass rate means more candidates clear those, not that the bar is lower.
  • First-time pass rate of 55% at Lanark is on the forgiving side. A well-prepared first booking has a reasonable shot; don't over-correct by booking a "practice" test you don't actually need.
  • If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Lanark area. Local instructors know which nearby junctions are demanding and will drill them.
  • Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Lanark. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Lanark

Aim to be at Lanark ten minutes early. Because parking and waiting facilities are not the same at every DVSA centre, check the approach on the DVSA centre finder (postcode ML11 7EX) before the day. At moderate demand and about 8 to 12 weeks' wait, securing a convenient date here is usually less of a scramble. The examiner needs to see your provisional photocard licence to begin, and the car you bring must be roadworthy, fitted with L plates and a working interior mirror. If Airdrie is fully booked, Lanark is the next closest centre, roughly 15 miles away.

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 seven tests includes an emergency stop, a frequency the DVSA reduced in late 2025. 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 will know the result before you leave Lanark. The examiner explains the faults marked on your DL25 feedback form and, if you have passed, takes the provisional licence so a full one can be posted out. The pass standard is fixed nationally, 15 driving faults maximum and zero serious or dangerous faults, and 55% of candidates here meet it under current DVSA marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Lanark?
The current pass rate at Lanark driving test centre is 55%, calculated from 1.8K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 55%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 51.3% (from 29.1K tests).
Is Lanark an easy or hard test centre?
Lanark is ranked #102 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 55% 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 Lanark compare to the UK average?
Lanark's pass rate is 6.3 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. At 6.3 points above the UK figure and ranked 102 of 323 in its category, Lanark offers a modest but real edge, typically a product of its local road layout rather than the venue itself.
How many driving tests does Lanark record?
Lanark has recorded 29.1K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 14.9K passed and 14.2K 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 Lanark?
The closest DVSA test centres to Lanark are Airdrie (41.3%), Hamilton (39.5%), Livingston (50.7%) and Grangemouth (46.4%). Lanark's 55% is the highest current pass rate among them. Airdrie, Hamilton, Livingston, Grangemouth 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 Lanark?
Lanark currently sees moderate demand with an estimated wait of about 8 to 12 weeks. Across the UK, waits tend to ease in November, December, January, when fewer learners are booking, and peak in June, July, August. Where you can be flexible on dates, targeting one of the quieter months tends to bring a shorter wait and a wider choice of slots. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at Lanark and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Lanark 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 Lanark?
In the latest DVSA figures (May 2026), the median learner who took their test at Lanark had waited about 18.6 weeks between booking and test day. DVSA's older measure, the number of weeks until at least 10% of slots are free, was 23.3 weeks. About 1% 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.