PassRates.uk
HGV/LGV Test Centre, Scotland

Orkney Driving Test Centre

HGV, Cat COrkney IslandsHigh pass rate

Orkney in Orkney Islands currently passes 76.5% of tests, 16.3 points above the UK average of 60.2%. 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.

By Vikas DulgundeUpdated MethodologySources
Pass rate (2023-24)
76.5%
vs 60.2% UK avg
Tests in period
439
2012-13 to 2023-24 (lifetime, low volume)
National rank
#16
of 124 centres
1st-time pass
N/A
DVSA omits this centre from DRT122C

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

Orkney sits in the top quarter of hgv/lgv pass rates nationally (Top 13%, rank #16 of 124). No nearby hgv/lgv centre currently posts a higher pass rate.

Aberdeen NorthNearest alternative
123.1 mi away
75.5%
-1.0 pp
All centres in Orkney Islands→See every centre on the map→Best centre for me→

Pass vs fail at a glance

76.5%passed
failed23.5%

All-time 336 passed, 103 failed, 439 total

How Orkney compares

Orkney
76.5%
UK national average
60.2%
Difference
+16.3 pp

Orkney clears the UK average by 16.3 points and sits ranked 16 of 124 in its category. That margin says more about its route mix than about marking, the DVSA standard is identical everywhere.

Where Orkney ranks among 124 centres

Top 13%
Orkney ranks higher than 87% of UK hgv/lgv test centres
Rank
#16
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

Across the recorded years Orkney has drifted from 85% to 63.6%, down 21.4 points, with the best year at 88.3% in 2017-18.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 2.2 pp
Male74.3%
0%100%
Female76.5%
0%100%
Zero faults0%
0 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 Orkney 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

This wait is an estimate modelled from regional demand and this centre's test volume, not a live booking figure. See how it is worked out on our methodology page, and check the DVSA booking service for live slots.

Centre details

Address

Orkney
Orkney Islands
Scotland

Tests offered at Orkney

  • HGV/LGV

For other test types at this location, search the DVSA centre finder.

Accessibility & facilities

Parking, toilets, and disabled-access details vary by centre. Check the official DVSA find a driving test centre tool, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Of the DVSA hgv/lgv centres across Scotland, Orkney is the one covering Orkney Islands. The routes are built around the roads the centre's examiners can reach inside the test's time budget. Small sample warning: 439 tests across 2015-16-2023-24. The headline rate on this page is the multi-year aggregate, which is the only version of the number worth trusting at this volume.

If you've been told Orkney is "an easy centre" or "a hard one", the data won't fully back that. 76.5% is 16.3 points clear of the UK hgv/lgv average of 60.2%, which is rank #16 out of 124. For Orkney the DVSA suppresses first-attempt figures in DRT122C. Smaller centres get rolled up; this is one of them. The overall pass rate above is the only published figure.

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
HGV/LGV

What learners should know about Orkney

  • Orkney passes higher than the UK average, but the marking sheet is identical to every other DVSA centre. The bias is in the local road mix (less traffic, simpler junction geometry); the standard is national.
  • Orkney is a low-volume centre (439 tests on record). Period-to-period swings can look dramatic without much underlying change, read the multi-year aggregate rather than any single quarter's figure.
  • If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Orkney area. Local instructors know which nearby junctions are demanding and will drill them.
  • If you missed the earlier slots at Orkney, 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

Elgin
83.1 mi, 1.1K tests, Rank #58
64.8%
-11.7 pp
McPherson (Elgin)
83.3 mi, 1.5K tests, Rank #40
68.6%
-7.9 pp
Inverness LGV
100.1 mi, 2.8K tests, Rank #105
51.6%
-24.9 pp
Aberdeen NorthBest nearby
123.1 mi, 3.5K tests, Rank #18
75.5%
-1.0 pp
Aberdeen LGV
125.6 mi, 2.0K tests, Rank #100
53.3%
-23.2 pp
Perth (Arran Road)
168.4 mi, 5.1K tests, Rank #52
65.5%
-11.0 pp
See all centres in Orkney Islands→Easiest UK centres→Hardest UK centres→Best for first-time pass→Busiest UK centres→

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Orkney?
The current pass rate at Orkney driving test centre is 76.5%, calculated from 439 tests in 2012-13 to 2023-24 (lifetime, low volume). DVSA does not publish first-attempt figures for this centre. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 76.5% (from 439 tests).
Is Orkney an easy or hard test centre?
Orkney is ranked #16 of 124 UK hgv/lgv test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top quarter of hgv/lgv pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 76.5% compares to a UK average of 60.2%. 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 Orkney compare to the UK average?
Orkney's pass rate is 16.3 percentage points above the UK national average of 60.2%. Orkney clears the UK average by 16.3 points and sits ranked 16 of 124 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 Orkney record?
Orkney has recorded 439 tests in the available DVSA data, of which 336 passed and 103 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 Orkney?
The closest DVSA test centres to Orkney are Elgin (64.8%), McPherson (Elgin) (68.6%), Inverness LGV (51.6%) and Aberdeen North (75.5%). Orkney's 76.5% is the highest current pass rate among them. Elgin, McPherson (Elgin), Inverness LGV, Aberdeen North 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 Orkney?
Orkney 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 Orkney and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Orkney as your centre. You will need your provisional licence number and your theory test pass certificate number. Our guides cover how to book step by step and how faults are marked.
How long is the wait for a driving test at Orkney?
The estimated wait at Orkney 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 439 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: 2023-24.