Lochgilphead Driving Test Centre
Lochgilphead in Lochgilphead currently passes 67.7% of tests, 19 points above the UK average of 48.7%. The sections below cover the year-by-year trend, who passes most often, how long learners wait, and how it stacks up against neighbouring centres.
DVSA data last updated July 2026
Lochgilphead sits in the top 10% of UK car pass rates nationally (Top 4%, rank #14 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Inveraray, about 19.2 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 1.4K passed, 646 failed, 2.0K total
How Lochgilphead compares
The 19-point gap in candidates' favour at Lochgilphead (ranked 14 of 323 in its category) is among the wider spreads in the network, consistent with quieter local roads rather than any difference in how examiners mark.
Where Lochgilphead ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Lochgilphead has climbed 4.1 points across the series, 58.4% in 2017-18 to 62.5% now; the weakest year on record was 58.4% in 2017-18.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Lochgilphead
The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 24 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Lochgilphead in May 2026 had waited 17.6 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 Lochgilphead
- 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 PA31 8QX, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Of the DVSA car centres across Scotland, Lochgilphead is the one covering Lochgilphead, Argyll and Bute and the surrounding PA31 8LZ area. The routes are built around the roads the centre's examiners can reach inside the test's time budget. Lochgilphead is a smaller centre by volume, 2.0K tests through 2017-18-2024-25. The figures hold up for headline comparisons but lose granularity once you slice them by quarter.
If you've been told Lochgilphead is "an easy centre" or "a hard one", the data won't fully back that. 67.7% is 19 points clear of the UK car average of 48.7%, which is rank #14 out of 323. First-attempt pass rate at Lochgilphead: 67.5%, against 49% nationally. That's a 18.5-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 Lochgilphead
- Don't read a higher pass rate as a softer test. Lochgilphead's rate reflects route geography more than examiner discretion, DVSA marking is centrally trained. Prepare for the same fault categories you'd prepare for anywhere.
- 67.5% of first-timers pass at Lochgilphead, so the centre is on the forgiving side. If your instructor is signing you off as test-ready, your own preparation matters far more than the venue.
- If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Lochgilphead area. Local instructors know which nearby junctions are demanding and will drill them.
- If you missed the earlier slots at Lochgilphead, cancellations appear on the official DVSA booking service throughout the day. Check at off-peak times (early morning, late evening) for the best chance of catching one.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Lochgilphead
Arrive at Lochgilphead with about ten minutes to spare and know your parking options in advance, they vary site to site across the DVSA network. The DVSA centre finder (postcode PA31 8LZ) maps the centre and its surroundings. Waits here run around 4 to 8 weeks at low demand, so you can usually pick a date without a long wait. Don't set off without your provisional photocard licence; the test cannot start without it, and your car needs L plates and a working interior mirror. If Oban is fully booked, Lochgilphead is the next closest centre, roughly 26 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 Lochgilphead. 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; 67.7% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Lochgilphead?
Is Lochgilphead an easy or hard test centre?
How does Lochgilphead compare to the UK average?
How many driving tests does Lochgilphead record?
Which driving test centres are near Lochgilphead?
When is the best time to book a test at Lochgilphead?
How do I book a test at Lochgilphead and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Lochgilphead?
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.