Southport (Liverpool) Driving Test Centre
Southport (Liverpool) in Southport currently passes 59.2% of tests, 10.5 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
Southport (Liverpool) sits in the top quarter of car pass rates nationally (Top 19%, rank #60 of 323). No nearby car centre currently posts a higher pass rate.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 34.0K passed, 30.8K failed, 64.9K total
How Southport (Liverpool) compares
The 10.5-point gap in candidates' favour at Southport (Liverpool) (ranked 60 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 Southport (Liverpool) ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Since 2017-18 the rate at Southport (Liverpool) has risen from 49% to 59.2%, a 10.2-point gain, peaking at 59.2% in 2024-25.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Southport (Liverpool)
The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 23 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Southport (Liverpool) in May 2026 had waited 14.7 weeks from booking to test day.
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 Southport (Liverpool)
- car
- motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
- 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 PR8 1HE, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Where do you actually take your car test if you book Southport (Liverpool)? You start in Southport, Liverpool City Region (PR9 0AG), and the examiner takes you through whatever mix of urban and outlying roads sits within a roughly twenty-minute drive of the centre. Southport (Liverpool) runs at high volume: 64.9K tests across 2017-18-2024-25 put it among the busier DVSA centres in the country. The headline numbers carry weight because the sample carries weight.
How does Southport (Liverpool) compare nationally? 59.2% pass rate, #60 of 323 car centres in the DVSA network, 10.5 points clear of the UK average of 48.7%. The top quarter of the country, in other words. First-attempt pass rate at Southport (Liverpool): 59%, against 49% nationally. That's a 10-point lead. Well-prepared candidates with no prior test attempts pass here at a noticeably higher rate than the UK average.
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 Southport (Liverpool)
- Southport (Liverpool) 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 59% at Southport (Liverpool) 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.
- Southport (Liverpool) is a high-volume centre. Booking pressure is real, check the DVSA booking service daily for earlier slots rather than relying on the headline available date.
- Practising the roads around the centre is the preparation that most reliably pays off. Most ADI instructors in Southport will know the road types and junctions learners commonly meet near the centre.
- Book through the official DVSA service (gov.uk/book-driving-test). Third-party "fast-track" sites charge a premium for the same booking; the official DVSA booking service is free.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Southport (Liverpool)
Aim to be at Southport (Liverpool) ten minutes early. Because parking and waiting facilities are not the same at every DVSA centre, check the approach on the DVSA centre finder (postcode PR9 0AG) before the day. Demand is very high and the modelled wait is close to 18 to 22 weeks, so an early booking and a cancellation alert are both worth setting up. The examiner needs to see your provisional photocard licence to begin, and the car you bring must be roadworthy, fitted with L plates and a working interior mirror. If Blackpool is fully booked, Southport (Liverpool) is the next closest centre, roughly 12 miles away.
The test runs for around 40 minutes and follows the same DVSA format used at every centre. The examiner checks your eyesight at 20 metres, asks you a tell-me safety question, then sits in for the drive, with one show-me question while you are driving. About 20 minutes of it is independent driving, either following a sat nav the examiner sets up or following road signs to a named place. You will do one of four set manoeuvres, and roughly one in seven candidates is asked to perform an emergency stop. 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 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 Southport (Liverpool). 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; 59.2% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Southport (Liverpool)?
Is Southport (Liverpool) an easy or hard test centre?
How does Southport (Liverpool) compare to the UK average?
How many driving tests does Southport (Liverpool) record?
Which driving test centres are near Southport (Liverpool)?
When is the best time to book a test at Southport (Liverpool)?
How do I book a test at Southport (Liverpool) and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Southport (Liverpool)?
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.