Pwllheli Driving Test Centre
Pwllheli in Pwllheli currently passes 60.6% of tests, 11.9 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
Pwllheli sits in the top quarter of car pass rates nationally (Top 15%, rank #50 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Bangor, about 26.4 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 7.8K passed, 5.2K failed, 13.0K total
How Pwllheli compares
Pwllheli clears the UK average by 11.9 points and sits ranked 50 of 323 in its category. That margin says more about its route mix than about marking, the DVSA standard is identical everywhere.
Where Pwllheli ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Since 2017-18 the rate at Pwllheli has risen from 60.3% to 66%, a 5.7-point gain, peaking at 66.2% in 2020-21.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Pwllheli
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 Pwllheli
- car
- 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 LL53 5NT, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
If you've got a test booked at LL53 5DA, that's Pwllheli in Pwllheli, Gwynedd. Examiners drive a mix of the roads immediately surrounding the centre; the DVSA does not publish its test routes. Over 2017-18-2024-25, 13.0K candidates sat tests here. The figures are statistically usable for centre-to-centre comparisons, which is most of what people land on this page wanting to do.
Rank: #50 of 323. Pass rate: 60.6%. UK average: 48.7%. That's a top quartile centre by the DVSA's own published figures. 58.7% of first-timers pass at Pwllheli, 9.7 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 Pwllheli
- Pwllheli 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.
- First-time pass rate of 58.7% at Pwllheli 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 Pwllheli 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 Pwllheli. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Pwllheli
Ten minutes early is the right target at Pwllheli. Parking differs between DVSA centres, so it pays to scout the route on the DVSA centre finder (postcode LL53 5DA) the day before. Demand sits at moderate with a modelled wait of about 7 to 11 weeks, which generally leaves more room to choose a date. 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 Bangor is fully booked, Pwllheli is the next closest centre, roughly 26 miles away.
Once underway the test takes around 40 minutes and is the same wherever you sit it. The examiner verifies your eyesight at 20 metres, puts one tell-me question to you, then accompanies the drive and asks one show-me question while you are driving. About 20 minutes is independent driving, sat nav or road signs to a named destination, with one of the set manoeuvres and an emergency stop on roughly one test in seven. 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.
You find out there and then, back at Pwllheli. 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; 60.6% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Pwllheli?
Is Pwllheli an easy or hard test centre?
How does Pwllheli compare to the UK average?
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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.