Car Test Centre, England

Lincoln Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BLincolnModerate

The Lincoln driving test centre is located in Lincoln, England. 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)
49.8%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
6.3K
2024-25
National rank
#178
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
51.1%
above UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

49.8%passed
failed50.1%

43.4K passed, 43.5K failed, 87.0K total

How Lincoln compares

Lincoln
49.8%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+1.1 pp

Lincoln sits close to the UK average pass rate.

Where Lincoln ranks among 323 centres

Top 46%
Lincoln sits in the bottom half of car pass rates
Rank
#178
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 6.2 pp
Male53.1%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female46.9%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults1.8%
645 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
20 weeks
Very high demand
Weekly capacity
~226
estimated test slots per week
Trend
worsening
availability direction

Wait times at Lincoln have been lengthening as demand outpaces examiner capacity. Booking requires patience: learners booking at Lincoln typically wait around 20 weeks from booking to test day.

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

Earlsfield Close
Off Sadler Road
Lincoln
LN6 3RT
England

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

Tests offered at Lincoln

  • 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 LN6 3RT, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Lincoln is in Lincoln, Greater Lincolnshire and runs DVSA car tests for learners across the local area. The routes are the same fixed set every day; your examiner picks one without telling you which. Lincoln runs at high cadence: 87.0K tests across 2017-18-2024-25 put it among the busier DVSA centres in the country. The headline numbers carry weight because the sample carries weight.

Out of 323 UK car test centres, Lincoln ranks 178, which lands it in the lower half nationally. The 49.8% pass rate is 1.1 points above the UK figure of 48.7%. 51.1% of first-timers pass at Lincoln, 2.1 points above the UK figure of 49%. A prepared first attempt has a real shot here in a way it doesn't at every 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.

Country
England
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
lincoln

What learners should know about Lincoln

  • Pass rate at Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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.
  • If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Lincoln routes. Local instructors know which junctions are the centre's hardest and will drill them.
  • Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Lincoln. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Lincoln

Aim to be at Lincoln ten minutes early. Because parking and waiting facilities are not the same at every DVSA centre, check the approach on the DVSA centre finder before the day. Demand is very high and the modelled wait is close to 20 weeks, so an early booking and a cancellation alert are both worth setting up. 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.

Expect about 40 minutes once you set off, to the same national DVSA script. It opens with an eyesight check at 20 metres and one show-me plus one tell-me question, after which the examiner rides along for the drive. Around 20 minutes of that is independent driving, guided either by a sat nav the examiner provides or by road signs to a named destination, with one of four set manoeuvres and a one-in-three chance of 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 49.8% of Lincoln's candidates reach right now.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Lincoln?
The current pass rate at Lincoln driving test centre is 49.8%, calculated from 6.3K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 51.1%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 49.9% (from 87.0K tests).
Is Lincoln an easy or hard test centre?
Lincoln is ranked #178 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 49.8% 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 Lincoln compare to the UK average?
Lincoln's pass rate is 1.1 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. Lincoln sits close to the UK average pass rate.
How many tests are taken at Lincoln each year?
Lincoln has recorded 87.0K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 43.4K passed and 43.5K 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 Lincoln?
The closest DVSA test centres to Lincoln are Lincoln (72%), Lincoln (75%), Grantham (Somerby) (81.9%) and Grantham (Somerby) (58.1%). Of these, Lincoln, Lincoln, Grantham (Somerby), Grantham (Somerby) have higher current pass rates than Lincoln's 49.8%. 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 Lincoln?
Lincoln currently sees very high demand with an estimated wait of around 20 weeks. 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 Lincoln and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Lincoln 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 Lincoln?
The estimated wait at Lincoln is around 20 weeks (very high 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 87.0K 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.