Southall (London) Driving Test Centre
The Southall (London) driving test centre is located in Southall, England (UB1 1PS). 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
29.0K passed, 42.1K failed, 71.1K total
How Southall (London) compares
Southall (London) sits close to the UK average pass rate.
Where Southall (London) 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 Southall (London) have been lengthening as demand outpaces examiner capacity. Booking requires patience: learners booking at Southall (London) typically wait around 24 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 Southall (London)
- 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 UB1 2HD, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Drivers booked at Southall (London) report to a DVSA centre in Southall, Greater London, postcode UB1 1PS. The car 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. Volume is not the issue at Southall (London). 71.1K tests sit on the record across 2017-18-2024-25, so the trend line below reflects real movement, not sample noise.
By raw pass rate Southall (London) sits at 46.2%, with the DVSA's national car average over the same window running at 48.7%. The gap (2.5 points below the UK figure) places the centre at rank #250 of 323, inside the bottom quarter of the country's car test centres. Southall (London) is one of the tougher venues for a first attempt. The DVSA reports 43.2% first-time pass against a UK average of 49%, 5.8 points down on the national 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.
What learners should know about Southall (London)
- Southall (London) doesn't deviate much from the national curve, so generic preparation advice (mock tests, mirror discipline, junction observation) applies here in the same shape it would anywhere.
- 71.1K tests through this centre over the published window. At that throughput, competition for short-notice slots is constant, set up a cancellation alert and check often.
- Practising the test routes is the single thing that most reliably moves a candidate's pass odds. Most ADI instructors in Southall will have a working knowledge of which routes Southall (London) uses.
- 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 Southall (London)
Plan to arrive at Southall (London) about ten minutes before your slot. Parking varies between DVSA centres, so check the route and the surrounding streets on the DVSA centre finder (postcode UB1 1PS) a day or two ahead. With demand running very high here and waits near 24 weeks, it is worth holding any earlier cancellation slot you are offered. Bring your provisional photocard licence; the examiner will not start without it, and you will need a roadworthy car 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 works through whatever mix of urban and outlying roads sits within about a twenty-minute radius, and at a centre this busy that usually means heavier traffic to read. 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 46.2% of candidates at Southall (London) meet under current DVSA marking. First-time candidates pass less often than the headline suggests, 43.2% versus 46.2% overall, so a first booking is worth preparing thoroughly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Southall (London)?
Is Southall (London) an easy or hard test centre?
How does Southall (London) compare to the UK average?
How many tests are taken at Southall (London) each year?
Which driving test centres are near Southall (London)?
When is the best time to book a test at Southall (London)?
How do I book a test at Southall (London) and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Southall (London)?
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.