Rothesay Driving Test Centre
Rothesay in Rothesay records a 61.6% pass rate against a UK average of 48.7%, with a median wait of 22.1 weeks. This page covers the multi-year trend, the first-time and gender pass rates, and a like-for-like comparison with other centres.
DVSA data last updated July 2026
Rothesay sits in the top quarter of car pass rates nationally (Top 14%, rank #46 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Inveraray, about 27.2 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 888 passed, 553 failed, 1.4K total
How Rothesay compares
The 12.9-point gap in candidates' favour at Rothesay (ranked 46 of 323 in its category) is among the wider spreads in the network, consistent with quieter local roads rather than any difference in how examiners mark.
Where Rothesay ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
The longer arc at Rothesay points down: 69.5% in 2017-18 against 59.1% now, a 10.4-point slide, though 2022-23 showed what the routes allow at 80.8%.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Rothesay
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 Rothesay
- 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 PA20 0DG, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
If you've got a test booked at PA20 2AA, that's Rothesay in Rothesay, Argyll and Bute. Examiners drive a mix of the roads immediately surrounding the centre; the DVSA does not publish its test routes. 1.4K tests over 2017-18-2024-25. Rothesay 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.
Rank: #46 of 323. Pass rate: 61.6%. UK average: 48.7%. That's a top quartile centre by the DVSA's own published figures. 62.3% of first-timers pass at Rothesay, 13.3 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 Rothesay
- Rothesay 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 62.3% at Rothesay 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.
- Practising the roads around the centre is the preparation that most reliably pays off. Most ADI instructors in Rothesay will know the road types and junctions learners commonly meet near the centre.
- Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Rothesay. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Rothesay
Ten minutes early is the right target at Rothesay. Parking differs between DVSA centres, so it pays to scout the route on the DVSA centre finder (postcode PA20 2AA) the day before. Demand sits at low with a modelled wait of about 4 to 8 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 Dunoon is fully booked, Rothesay is the next closest centre, roughly 9 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 tell-me vehicle-safety question, then the examiner joins you for the road section, with one show-me question while you drive. 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 one in seven candidates get 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.
There is no wait for the verdict, the examiner delivers it at the centre. They go over each fault recorded, hand you the DL25 feedback form, and on a pass retain your provisional licence so the full version arrives by post. To pass you need no more than 15 driving faults and not a single serious or dangerous one; 61.6% of candidates at Rothesay currently clear that.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Rothesay 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.