PassRates.uk
Car Test Centre, Scotland

Newton Stewart Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BNewton StewartDG8 6DAHigh pass rate

At Newton Stewart, 64.2% of candidates pass, one of the 323 test centres we rank from the DVSA data. Below you will find the full pass-rate history, the demographic split, the estimated waiting time and a comparison with the nearest centres.

By Vikas DulgundeUpdated MethodologySources
Pass rate (2024-25)
64.2%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
584
2022-23 to 2024-25 (3yr avg, low volume)
National rank
#26
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
58.5%
above UK avg

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

Newton Stewart sits in the top 10% of UK car pass rates nationally (Top 8%, rank #26 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Stranraer, about 21.9 miles away.

StranraerBest nearby
21.9 mi away
67.6%
+3.4 pp
All centres in Newton Stewart→See every centre on the map→Best centre for me→

Pass vs fail at a glance

64.2%passed
failed35.8%

All-time 2.0K passed, 1.5K failed, 3.5K total

How Newton Stewart compares

Newton Stewart
64.2%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+15.5 pp

Newton Stewart clears the UK average by 15.5 points and sits ranked 26 of 323 in its category. That margin says more about its route mix than about marking, the DVSA standard is identical everywhere.

Where Newton Stewart ranks among 323 centres

Top 8%
Newton Stewart ranks higher than 92% of UK car test centres
Rank
#26
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

The direction of travel here is upward: Newton Stewart has added 13.7 points since 2017-18, from 49.5% to 63.2%, with its strongest year at 69.8% in 2020-21.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 6.1 pp
Male60.2%
0%UK avg 52.0%100%
Female54.1%
0%UK avg 48.0%100%
Zero faults0.9%
14 candidates have passed without a single recorded fault across all DVSA periods

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
4 to 8 weeks
Lower demand
Weekly capacity
~10
estimated test slots per week
Demand
Lower
quieter than average

Booking is comparatively quick: on this estimate, learners booking at Newton Stewart would typically wait around 4 to 8 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
when UK waits tend to be longest
Best to book
November, December, January, February
when UK waits tend to be shortest

Treat this as a modelled estimate rather than a booking quote. It is built from regional demand patterns and test volume, explained in full on our methodology page. Always confirm real slots on the DVSA booking service.

Centre details

Address

Driving Test Centre Newton Stewart
The Crown Hotel
Newton Stewart
DG8 6JW
Scotland

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

Tests offered at Newton Stewart

  • 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 DG8 6JW, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Newton Stewart: a DVSA car test centre in Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway. Local routes, local traffic patterns, no national standard for what "harder" or "easier" looks like beyond what the numbers below show. 3.5K tests over 2017-18-2024-25. Newton Stewart runs at a lower volume than the major metro centres, which means the data on this page rewards looking at the long-run trend rather than any single quarter.

The top ten percent of the UK by pass rate: Newton Stewart ranks #26 of 323 car centres at 64.2%, 15.5 points clear of the national figure of 48.7%. Across 313 first-attempt tests, Newton Stewart passes 58.5% 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
Scotland
Test category
Car

What learners should know about Newton Stewart

  • Don't read a higher pass rate as a softer test. Newton Stewart'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.
  • 58.5% of first-timers pass at Newton Stewart, 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 Newton Stewart area. Local instructors know which nearby junctions are demanding and will drill them.
  • The only legitimate booking route is gov.uk. Anything calling itself a "test booking concierge" is reselling the same slots at a markup, the slots aren't theirs to control.

Other test centres nearby

Girvan
24.4 mi, 3.1K tests, Rank #21
66.3%
+2.1 pp
Ayr
35.3 mi, 29.4K tests, Rank #87
56.8%
-7.4 pp
Cumnock
35.3 mi, 14.7K tests, Rank #59
59.2%
-5.0 pp
StranraerBest nearby
21.9 mi, 4.3K tests, Rank #15
67.6%
+3.4 pp
Castle Douglas
22.0 mi, 7.0K tests, Rank #129
52.1%
-12.1 pp
Irvine
45.8 mi, 56.9K tests, Rank #192
49.2%
-15.0 pp
See all centres in Newton Stewart→Easiest UK centres→Hardest UK centres→Best for first-time pass→Busiest UK centres→

On the day at Newton Stewart

Arrive at Newton Stewart 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 DG8 6DA) 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 Girvan is fully booked, Newton Stewart is the next closest centre, roughly 24 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.

Results come immediately on return to the centre. The examiner talks you through any faults marked, prints the DL25 feedback form, and (if you passed) takes your provisional licence so the full one can be issued by post. A pass needs no more than 15 driving faults and zero serious or dangerous faults, the standard 64.2% of candidates at Newton Stewart meet under current DVSA marking. First-time candidates pass less often than the headline suggests, 58.5% versus 64.2% overall, so a first booking is worth preparing thoroughly.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Newton Stewart?
The current pass rate at Newton Stewart driving test centre is 64.2%, calculated from 584 tests in 2022-23 to 2024-25 (3yr avg, low volume). The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 58.5%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 57.2% (from 3.5K tests).
Is Newton Stewart an easy or hard test centre?
Newton Stewart is ranked #26 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top 10% of UK car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 64.2% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Much of the spread comes down to route geography: lighter traffic and simpler junctions lift a centre, dense city driving and complex roundabouts pull it down.
How does Newton Stewart compare to the UK average?
Newton Stewart's pass rate is 15.5 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. Newton Stewart clears the UK average by 15.5 points and sits ranked 26 of 323 in its category. That margin says more about its route mix than about marking, the DVSA standard is identical everywhere.
How many driving tests does Newton Stewart record?
Newton Stewart has recorded 3.5K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 2.0K passed and 1.5K 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 Newton Stewart?
The closest DVSA test centres to Newton Stewart are Girvan (66.3%), Ayr (56.8%), Cumnock (59.2%) and Stranraer (67.6%). Of these, Girvan, Stranraer have higher current pass rates than Newton Stewart's 64.2%. Ayr, Cumnock 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 Newton Stewart?
Newton Stewart currently sees low demand with an estimated wait of about 4 to 8 weeks. Across the UK, 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 Newton Stewart and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Newton Stewart 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 Newton Stewart?
The estimated wait at Newton Stewart is about 4 to 8 weeks (low demand). That range 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 3.5K lifetime tests, so treat it as an estimate rather than a live figure. Across the UK, waits 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.