Macclesfield Driving Test Centre
Macclesfield in Macclesfield currently passes 49.9% of tests, 1.2 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
Macclesfield sits in the bottom half of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 46%, rank #174 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Buxton, about 8.9 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 26.6K passed, 26.4K failed, 53.0K total
How Macclesfield compares
Macclesfield is 1.2 points ahead of the national figure and ranked 174 of 323 in its category, a difference most candidates will not feel on the day.
Where Macclesfield ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Stability is the story at Macclesfield: 48.8% in 2017-18, 49.9% now, and every year in between inside a 6.1-point band.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Macclesfield
The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 22 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Macclesfield in May 2026 had waited 8.1 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
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Macclesfield
- car
- motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
- 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 SK10 1JQ, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Macclesfield is one of the DVSA's car test sites in England, located in Macclesfield, Cheshire East. The choice of routes reflects the local mix of road types rather than any standard national template. If you're cross-checking this pass rate against other sources, the sample size matters. 53.0K tests over 2017-18-2024-25 is large enough that any rounding you see between sites is just rounding, not disagreement on the underlying data.
Macclesfield runs close to the national curve: 49.9% pass rate, 1.2 points above the UK average of 48.7%. The rank is #174 of 323 car centres. First-attempt pass rate: 50.6%, against the UK figure of 49%. Effectively level, the gap between candidates who pass first time at Macclesfield and those who pass first time nationally is preparation, not the 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.
What learners should know about Macclesfield
- Centre difficulty is roughly average at Macclesfield. The same fault categories that fail candidates nationally (junctions, mirrors, observation) are what fail candidates here, in similar proportions.
- Volume at Macclesfield 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 Macclesfield area. Local instructors know which nearby junctions are demanding and will drill them.
- If you missed the earlier slots at Macclesfield, 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 Macclesfield
Give yourself ten minutes in hand when you head to Macclesfield, and look up where to park beforehand, facilities differ from one DVSA site to the next. The DVSA centre finder shows the exact location. This is a high-demand centre, modelled at roughly 16 to 20 weeks to a slot, so book as far ahead as you can and keep an eye on cancellations. You must have your provisional photocard licence on you, plus a car with L plates and a working interior mirror for the examiner. If Bredbury (Manchester) is fully booked, Macclesfield is the next closest centre, roughly 12 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.
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 49.9% of Macclesfield's candidates reach right now.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Macclesfield?
Is Macclesfield an easy or hard test centre?
How does Macclesfield compare to the UK average?
How many driving tests does Macclesfield record?
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When is the best time to book a test at Macclesfield?
How do I book a test at Macclesfield and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Macclesfield?
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.