Ludlow Driving Test Centre
Ludlow in Ludlow records a 59.6% pass rate against a UK average of 48.7%, with a median wait of 9.4 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
Ludlow sits in the top quarter of car pass rates nationally (Top 17%, rank #56 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Monmouth, about 38.5 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 21.2K passed, 18.1K failed, 39.3K total
How Ludlow compares
A 10.9-point lead over the national figure puts Ludlow ranked 56 of 323 in its category. Gaps this large usually come from the roads, not the examiners: fewer complex junctions and lighter traffic on the local routes.
Where Ludlow ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Ludlow has climbed 7.9 points across the series, 51.7% in 2017-18 to 59.6% now; the weakest year on record was 50.7% in 2019-20.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Ludlow
The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 23.3 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Ludlow in May 2026 had waited 9.4 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 Ludlow
- car
- 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 SY8 1FD, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Ludlow is the DVSA car test centre in Ludlow, Shropshire. Examiners drive a mix of the roads immediately surrounding the centre; the DVSA does not publish its test routes. 39.3K tests across 2017-18-2024-25. That's a working sample, enough to take the pass rate at face value but not so large that a single quiet quarter passes unnoticed.
Rank: #56 of 323. Pass rate: 59.6%. UK average: 48.7%. That's a top quartile centre by the DVSA's own published figures. Across 1.9K first-attempt tests, Ludlow passes 60.2% of candidates, against 49% nationally. The centre is a relatively forgiving venue for a first booking, by the DVSA's own data.
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 Ludlow
- Don't read a higher pass rate as a softer test. Ludlow'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.
- First-time pass rate of 60.2% at Ludlow 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.
- Ask any instructor working Ludlow about the centre's "usual fails", they'll have two or three specific junctions or manoeuvres in mind. Practise those until they're automatic before your date.
- Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Ludlow. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Ludlow
Ten minutes early is the right target at Ludlow. Parking differs between DVSA centres, so it pays to scout the route on the DVSA centre finder the day before. This centre sees high demand, modelled at roughly 15 to 19 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 Hereford is fully booked, Ludlow is the next closest centre, roughly 22 miles away.
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 tell-me question, after which the examiner rides along for the drive and asks one show-me question on the move. 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-seven chance of 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.
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 59.6% of Ludlow's candidates reach right now.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Ludlow?
Is Ludlow an easy or hard test centre?
How does Ludlow compare to the UK average?
How many driving tests does Ludlow record?
Which driving test centres are near Ludlow?
When is the best time to book a test at Ludlow?
How do I book a test at Ludlow and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Ludlow?
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.