Sheffield (Handsworth) Driving Test Centre
The Sheffield (Handsworth) driving test centre is located in Sheffield, 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
9.1K passed, 7.5K failed, 16.6K total
How Sheffield (Handsworth) compares
Sheffield (Handsworth) performs well above the UK average. Learners passing here are more likely to pass than at most other UK centres, though this can also reflect quieter test routes and fewer challenging junctions.
Where Sheffield (Handsworth) ranks among 152 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 Sheffield (Handsworth) have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Sheffield (Handsworth) typically wait around 12 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 Sheffield (Handsworth)
- car
- lorry and bus
- ADI part 2
- 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 S13 9LT, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Drivers booked at Sheffield (Handsworth) report to a DVSA centre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The hgv/lgv routes used here are drawn from the streets the centre's examiners drive every week, so the test reflects local conditions rather than a generic syllabus. Over 2017-18-2024-25, 16.6K 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.
By raw pass rate Sheffield (Handsworth) sits at 58.9%, with the DVSA's national hgv/lgv average over the same window running at 48.7%. The gap (10.2 points clear of the UK figure) places the centre at rank #100 of 152, inside the lower half of the country's hgv/lgv test centres. DVSA doesn't break out first-attempt figures for Sheffield (Handsworth) in DRT122C, so the split between first-time and retake pass rates isn't published for this 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 Sheffield (Handsworth)
- Sheffield (Handsworth) passes higher than the UK average, but the marking sheet is identical to every other DVSA centre. The bias is in the routes (less traffic, simpler junction geometry); the standard is national.
- If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Sheffield (Handsworth) routes. Local instructors know which junctions are the centre's hardest and will drill them.
- Book through the official DVSA service (gov.uk/book-driving-test). Third-party "fast-track" sites charge a premium for the same booking; the DVSA's own cancellation feed is free.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Sheffield (Handsworth)
Ten minutes early is the right target at Sheffield (Handsworth). Parking differs between DVSA centres, so it pays to scout the route on the DVSA centre finder the day before. Demand sits at moderate with a modelled wait of about 12 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.
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 show-me and one tell-me question to you, then accompanies the drive. About 20 minutes is independent driving, sat nav or road signs to a named destination, with one of four set manoeuvres and an emergency stop on roughly one test in three. 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.
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 58.9% of candidates at Sheffield (Handsworth) meet under current DVSA marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Sheffield (Handsworth)?
Is Sheffield (Handsworth) an easy or hard test centre?
How does Sheffield (Handsworth) compare to the UK average?
How many tests are taken at Sheffield (Handsworth) each year?
Which driving test centres are near Sheffield (Handsworth)?
When is the best time to book a test at Sheffield (Handsworth)?
How do I book a test at Sheffield (Handsworth) and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Sheffield (Handsworth)?
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.