Launceston Driving Test Centre
Launceston in Launceston records a 48.3% pass rate against a UK average of 48.7%, with a median wait of 5.6 weeks. This page covers the multi-year trend, the first-time and gender pass rates, and a like-for-like comparison with other centres.
DVSA data last updated July 2026
Launceston sits in the bottom half of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 35%, rank #211 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Barnstaple, about 33.4 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 20.7K passed, 19.5K failed, 40.2K total
How Launceston compares
With a gap of under one point to the national average, Launceston (ranked 211 of 323 in its category) neither helps nor hurts; treat any difference you have heard about as noise.
Where Launceston ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Launceston has given up 5.4 points since 2017-18 (53.7% then, 48.3% now); the low water mark was 41.9% in 2023-24.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Launceston
The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 16 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Launceston in May 2026 had waited 5.6 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
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Launceston
- car
- motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
- ADI part 3
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 PL15 9NJ, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Launceston: a DVSA car test centre in Launceston, Cornwall. Local routes, local traffic patterns, no national standard for what "harder" or "easier" looks like beyond what the numbers below show. Sample size: 40.2K tests over 2017-18-2024-25. Enough that comparisons hold up; small enough that a quiet month or a route being temporarily diverted can show in the data.
The lower half of the UK by pass rate: Launceston ranks #211 of 323 car centres at 48.3%, within a point of the national figure of 48.7%. Launceston is one of the tougher venues for a first attempt. The DVSA reports 45.2% first-time pass against a UK average of 49%, 3.8 points down on the national figure.
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 Launceston
- Centre difficulty is roughly average at Launceston. The same fault categories that fail candidates nationally (junctions, mirrors, observation) are what fail candidates here, in similar proportions.
- If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Launceston 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 Launceston
Turn up at Launceston ten minutes before your appointment, and check ahead where you can park, DVSA sites vary on that. You can preview the location on the DVSA centre finder. Demand is high and waits are near 13 to 17 weeks, so an early booking plus a cancellation watch is the sensible approach. The examiner will ask to see your provisional photocard licence before anything else, and your car must carry L plates and a working interior mirror. If Norris Green (Liverpool) is fully booked, Launceston is the next closest centre, roughly 11 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 Launceston. 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; 48.3% of candidates here manage it on the current marking. First-time candidates pass less often than the headline suggests, 45.2% versus 48.3% overall, so a first booking is worth preparing thoroughly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Launceston?
Is Launceston an easy or hard test centre?
How does Launceston compare to the UK average?
How many driving tests does Launceston record?
Which driving test centres are near Launceston?
When is the best time to book a test at Launceston?
How do I book a test at Launceston and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Launceston?
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.