Northallerton Driving Test Centre
The Northallerton driving test centre is located in Northallerton, 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.
Pass vs fail at a glance
27.7K passed, 21.1K failed, 48.8K total
How Northallerton compares
Northallerton performs notably better than the UK average. This often correlates with rural or suburban routes that have fewer multi-lane roundabouts and complex urban scenarios.
Where Northallerton ranks among 323 centres
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.
- 1Junctions - observation10
- 2Mirrors - change direction9
- 3Move off - safely8
- 4Junctions - turning right7
- 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
Estimated wait time and demand
Wait times at Northallerton have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Northallerton typically wait around 17 weeks from booking to test day.
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
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Northallerton
- car
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 DL6 1NU, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Northallerton is one of the DVSA's car test sites in England, located in Northallerton, York and North Yorkshire. The choice of routes reflects the local mix of road types rather than any standard national template. Across 2017-18-2024-25 the DVSA recorded 48.8K tests at Northallerton. A solid mid-range sample, the data is reliable enough that the rank position below isn't an artefact of small numbers.
Northallerton passes higher than most. At 58.6% versus a UK average of 48.7%, it ranks #65 of 323 car centres, the top quarter of the network. 59.3% of first-timers pass at Northallerton, 10.3 points above the UK figure of 49%. A prepared first attempt has a real shot here in a way it doesn't at every 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 Northallerton
- Don't read a higher pass rate as a softer test. Northallerton'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.
- 59.3% of first-timers pass at Northallerton. If your instructor is signing you off as test-ready, that figure is a fair guide, the centre isn't the variable, your preparation is.
- If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Northallerton routes. Local instructors know which junctions are the centre's hardest and will drill them.
- If you missed the earlier slots at Northallerton, the DVSA's official cancellation pool refreshes constantly. Check at off-peak times (early morning, late evening) for better odds.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Northallerton
Arrive at Northallerton 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 maps the centre and its surroundings. With high demand and waits near 17 weeks, take any earlier slot the booking service offers rather than holding out. 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 Teesside LGV is fully booked, Northallerton is the next closest centre, roughly 12 miles away.
Plan for a drive of roughly 40 minutes, identical in structure to every other DVSA centre. First comes the 20-metre eyesight check and a pair of vehicle-safety questions, one show-me, one tell-me, then the examiner joins you for the road section. About 20 minutes is independent driving by sat nav or by following signs to a named target, you tackle one of four set manoeuvres, and around a third of candidates get 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.
You find out there and then, back at Northallerton. The examiner runs through the faults on the DL25 feedback form and, on a pass, keeps your provisional licence so a full licence follows in the post. Clearing the test means staying under 16 driving faults, that is 15 or fewer, with no serious or dangerous fault; 58.6% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Northallerton?
Is Northallerton an easy or hard test centre?
How does Northallerton compare to the UK average?
How many tests are taken at Northallerton each year?
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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.