Car Test Centre, England

Ludlow Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BLudlowHigh pass rate

The Ludlow driving test centre is located in Ludlow, 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)
59.6%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
3.5K
2024-25
National rank
#56
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
60.2%
above UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

59.6%passed
failed46%

21.2K passed, 18.1K failed, 39.3K total

How Ludlow compares

Ludlow
59.6%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+10.9 pp

Ludlow performs well above the UK average. Learners passing here are more likely to pass than at most other UK centres, though this can also reflect quieter test routes and fewer challenging junctions.

Where Ludlow ranks among 323 centres

Top 17%
Ludlow ranks higher than 83% of UK car test centres
Rank
#56
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 5.4 pp
Male56.8%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female51.4%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults2.1%
303 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
16 weeks
High demand
Weekly capacity
~102
estimated test slots per week
Trend
stable
availability direction

Wait times at Ludlow have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Ludlow typically wait around 16 weeks from booking to test day.

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

Unit 1
The Business Quarter
Eco Park Road
Ludlow
SY8 1FD
England

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

Not 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 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 use a small set of fixed routes built around the roads immediately surrounding the centre. 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.

Country
England
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
ludlow

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 16 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 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 covers the local mix of road types within roughly a twenty-minute radius of the centre. 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 59.6% of Ludlow's candidates reach right now.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Ludlow?
The current pass rate at Ludlow driving test centre is 59.6%, calculated from 3.5K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 60.2%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 54% (from 39.3K tests).
Is Ludlow an easy or hard test centre?
Ludlow is ranked #56 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top quarter of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 59.6% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Higher pass rates often correlate with quieter rural or suburban routes; lower rates with dense urban centres featuring complex junctions and multi-lane roundabouts.
How does Ludlow compare to the UK average?
Ludlow's pass rate is 10.9 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. Ludlow performs well above the UK average. Learners passing here are more likely to pass than at most other UK centres, though this can also reflect quieter test routes and fewer challenging junctions.
How many tests are taken at Ludlow each year?
Ludlow has recorded 39.3K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 21.2K passed and 18.1K 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 Ludlow?
The closest DVSA test centres to Ludlow are Hereford (59.4%), Hereford (86.8%), Shrewsbury (49.2%) and Shrewsbury (72.2%). Of these, Hereford, Shrewsbury have higher current pass rates than Ludlow's 59.6%. Hereford, Shrewsbury sit lower. 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 Ludlow?
Ludlow currently sees high demand with an estimated wait of around 16 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 Ludlow and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Ludlow 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 Ludlow?
The estimated wait at Ludlow is around 16 weeks (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 39.3K 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.