Car Test Centre, England

Loughborough Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BStation BoulevardLE11 1FJTougher than average

Loughborough in Station Boulevard, England has a current pass rate of 43.7%, 5 points below the UK average of 48.7%. This page breaks down the multi-year trend, the first-time and gender pass rates, the waiting time and how it compares with the rest of the UK, all from the DVSA quarterly data.

Pass rate (2024-25)
43.7%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
5.8K
2024-25
National rank
#283
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
43.6%
below UK avg

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

Loughborough sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 13%, rank #283 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Watnall, about 15.7 miles away.

WatnallBest nearby
15.7 mi away
53.9%
+10.2 pp

Pass vs fail at a glance

43.7%passed
failed56.3%

All-time 40.1K passed, 42.9K failed, 83.0K total

How Loughborough compares

Loughborough
43.7%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-5 pp

Loughborough sits 5 points under the national average, ranked 283 of 323 in its category. Routes here are likely more demanding than at rural centres; extra time on the local roads pays back directly.

Where Loughborough ranks among 323 centres

Bottom 13%
Loughborough sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates
Rank
#283
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

Across the recorded years Loughborough has drifted from 50.8% to 43.7%, down 7.1 points, with the best year at 50.8% in 2017-18.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 6.1 pp
Male51.4%
0%UK avg 52.0%100%
Female45.3%
0%UK avg 48.0%100%
Zero faults0.8%
381 candidates have passed without a single recorded fault across all DVSA periods

Waiting time at Loughborough

Median wait, booking to test
17.1 weeks
What the typical learner who tested here had waited
Weeks to 10% availability
24 weeks
The older headline measure
Window appointments free
5.7%
Share of the 24-week window still open

The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 24 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Loughborough in May 2026 had waited 17.1 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

Ark Business Centre
Gordon Road
Loughborough
LE11 1JP
England

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

Tests offered at Loughborough

  • 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 LE11 1JP, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

If you've got a test booked at LE11 1FJ, that's Loughborough in Station Boulevard, Leicestershire. Examiners drive a mix of the roads immediately surrounding the centre; the DVSA does not publish its test routes. Loughborough runs at high volume: 83.0K 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.

Rank: #283 of 323. Pass rate: 43.7%. UK average: 48.7%. That's a bottom quartile centre by the DVSA's own published figures. First-attempt figure: 43.6%. UK first-attempt average: 49%. Loughborough runs 5.4 points behind, candidates who succeed here on the first try are usually the ones who've practised the local road mix.

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 Loughborough

  • Loughborough is in the lower tier of pass rates nationally. That isn't an indictment of the examiners, it reflects road layout, traffic density, and route mix. Prepare specifically for the centre, not generically.
  • Volume at Loughborough 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 Loughborough area. Local instructors know which nearby junctions are demanding and will drill them.
  • Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Loughborough. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Loughborough

Ten minutes early is the right target at Loughborough. Parking differs between DVSA centres, so it pays to scout the route on the DVSA centre finder (postcode LE11 1FJ) the day before. This centre sees high demand, modelled at roughly 16 to 20 weeks to a slot; booking well ahead and watching for cancellations both help. Bring the provisional photocard licence, the examiner checks for it first, and make sure your car is roadworthy with L plates and a working interior mirror. If Nottingham (Chilwell) is fully booked, Loughborough is the next closest centre, roughly 9 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 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 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 Loughborough. 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 43.7% of candidates here meet it under current DVSA marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Loughborough?
The current pass rate at Loughborough driving test centre is 43.7%, calculated from 5.8K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 43.6%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 48.3% (from 83.0K tests).
Is Loughborough an easy or hard test centre?
Loughborough is ranked #283 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 43.7% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Centres with calmer suburban or rural routes tend to sit higher, while busy urban sites with tight junctions and multi-lane roundabouts usually sit lower.
How does Loughborough compare to the UK average?
Loughborough's pass rate is 5 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. Loughborough sits 5 points under the national average, ranked 283 of 323 in its category. Routes here are likely more demanding than at rural centres; extra time on the local roads pays back directly.
How many driving tests does Loughborough record?
Loughborough has recorded 83.0K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 40.1K passed and 42.9K failed. The trend chart on this page plots how both volume and pass rate have changed across the recent DVSA reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Loughborough?
The closest DVSA test centres to Loughborough are Nottingham (Chilwell) (43.9%), Leicester (Wigston) (43.9%), Nottingham (Colwick) (45.5%) and Watnall (53.9%). Of these, Nottingham (Chilwell), Leicester (Wigston), Nottingham (Colwick), Watnall have higher current pass rates than Loughborough's 43.7%. 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 Loughborough?
Loughborough currently sees high demand with an estimated wait of about 16 to 20 weeks. Across the UK, waits tend to ease in November, December, January, when fewer learners are booking, and peak in June, July, August. If your test date is flexible, aiming for a quieter month can mean a shorter wait and more slot choice. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at Loughborough and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Loughborough 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 Loughborough?
In the latest DVSA figures (May 2026), the median learner who took their test at Loughborough had waited about 17.1 weeks between booking and test day. DVSA's older measure, the number of weeks until at least 10% of slots are free, was 24 weeks. About 5.7% 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.