PassRates.uk
Car Test Centre, England

St Helens (Liverpool) Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BSt HelensTougher than average

At St Helens (Liverpool), 40.2% of candidates pass, one of the 323 test centres we rank from the DVSA data. Below you will find the full pass-rate history, the demographic split, the official DVSA waiting time and a comparison with the nearest centres.

By Vikas DulgundeUpdated MethodologySources
Pass rate (2024-25)
40.2%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
9.8K
2024-25
National rank
#306
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
39.3%
below UK avg

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

St Helens (Liverpool) sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 6%, rank #306 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Warrington, about 7.1 miles away.

WarringtonBest nearby
7.1 mi away
55.3%
+15.1 pp
All centres in St Helens→See every centre on the map→Best centre for me→

Pass vs fail at a glance

40.2%passed
failed59.8%

All-time 33.2K passed, 41.7K failed, 74.9K total

How St Helens (Liverpool) compares

St Helens (Liverpool)
40.2%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-8.5 pp

St Helens (Liverpool) sits 8.5 points under the national average, ranked 306 of 323 in its category. Routes here are likely more demanding than at rural centres; extra time on the local roads pays back directly.

Where St Helens (Liverpool) ranks among 323 centres

Bottom 6%
St Helens (Liverpool) sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates
Rank
#306
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

St Helens (Liverpool) has given up 6.4 points since 2017-18 (46.6% then, 40.2% now); the low water mark was 38.2% in 2022-23.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 3.1 pp
Male45.8%
0%UK avg 52.0%100%
Female42.7%
0%UK avg 48.0%100%
Zero faults0.3%
205 candidates have passed without a single recorded fault across all DVSA periods

Waiting time at St Helens (Liverpool)

Median wait, booking to test
6.1 weeks
What the typical learner who tested here had waited
Weeks to 10% availability
16.5 weeks
The older headline measure
Window appointments free
33%
Share of the 24-week window still open

The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 16.5 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at St Helens (Liverpool) in May 2026 had waited 6.1 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

1 Navigation Road
off Pocket Nook Street
St Helens
Liverpool
WA9 1NS
England

Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.

Tests offered at St Helens (Liverpool)

  • car
  • motorcycle module 1 (off-road)
  • motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
  • ADI part 2
  • ADI part 3

Accessibility & facilities

Wheelchair accessible per DVSA

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 WA9 1NS, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Of the DVSA car centres across England, St Helens (Liverpool) is the one covering St Helens, Liverpool City Region. The routes are built around the roads the centre's examiners can reach inside the test's time budget. The DVSA has logged 74.9K tests at this centre over 2017-18-2024-25. At that scale, the year-on-year shifts you see in the chart correspond to genuine changes in how the centre is performing, not statistical wobble.

If you've been told St Helens (Liverpool) is "an easy centre" or "a hard one", the data won't fully back that. 40.2% is 8.5 points below the UK car average of 48.7%, which is rank #306 out of 323. First-attempt figure: 39.3%. UK first-attempt average: 49%. St Helens (Liverpool) runs 9.7 points behind, candidates who succeed here on the first try are usually the ones who've practised the local road mix.

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.

Country
England
Test category
Car

What learners should know about St Helens (Liverpool)

  • St Helens (Liverpool) runs a tougher-than-average pass rate. If you've trained somewhere quieter, take at least 2-3 lessons on St Helens test-area roads before your date. The difficulty is in the road mix, not the marking sheet.
  • 39.3% first-time pass at St Helens (Liverpool) means roughly 6 in ten first-timers fail and rebook. Plan for that possibility: keep your insurance going, don't return the L-plates after the test.
  • St Helens (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.
  • Ask any instructor working St Helens (Liverpool) 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.
  • If you missed the earlier slots at St Helens (Liverpool), cancellations appear on the official DVSA booking service throughout the day. Check at off-peak times (early morning, late evening) for the best chance of catching one.

Other test centres nearby

Widnes
6.1 mi, 71.3K tests, Rank #307
40.1%
-0.1 pp
WarringtonBest nearby
7.1 mi, 59.0K tests, Rank #99
55.3%
+15.1 pp
Speke (Liverpool)
9.2 mi, 46.7K tests, Rank #315
38.6%
-1.6 pp
Chorley
14.9 mi, 63.1K tests, Rank #209
48.3%
+8.1 pp
Atherton (Manchester)
11.2 mi, 68.9K tests, Rank #275
44.4%
+4.2 pp
Northwich
16.1 mi, 62.8K tests, Rank #104
54.7%
+14.5 pp
See all centres in St Helens→Easiest UK centres→Hardest UK centres→Best for first-time pass→Busiest UK centres→

On the day at St Helens (Liverpool)

Turn up at St Helens (Liverpool) ten minutes before your appointment, and check ahead where you can park, DVSA sites vary on that. You can preview the location on the DVSA centre finder. Demand is very high and waits are near 18 to 22 weeks, so an early booking plus a cancellation watch is the sensible approach. The examiner will ask to see your provisional photocard licence before anything else, and your car must carry L plates and a working interior mirror. If Widnes is fully booked, St Helens (Liverpool) is the next closest centre, roughly 6 miles away.

Expect about 40 minutes once you set off, to the same national DVSA script. It opens with an eyesight check at 20 metres and one tell-me question, after which the examiner rides along for the drive and asks one show-me question on the move. Around 20 minutes of that is independent driving, guided either by a sat nav the examiner provides or by road signs to a named destination, with one of four set manoeuvres and a one-in-seven chance of 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.

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 40.2% of candidates at St Helens (Liverpool) meet under current DVSA marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at St Helens (Liverpool)?
The current pass rate at St Helens (Liverpool) driving test centre is 40.2%, calculated from 9.8K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 39.3%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 44.3% (from 74.9K tests).
Is St Helens (Liverpool) an easy or hard test centre?
St Helens (Liverpool) is ranked #306 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 40.2% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Centres with calmer suburban or rural routes tend to sit higher, while busy urban sites with tight junctions and multi-lane roundabouts usually sit lower.
How does St Helens (Liverpool) compare to the UK average?
St Helens (Liverpool)'s pass rate is 8.5 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. St Helens (Liverpool) sits 8.5 points under the national average, ranked 306 of 323 in its category. Routes here are likely more demanding than at rural centres; extra time on the local roads pays back directly.
How many driving tests does St Helens (Liverpool) record?
St Helens (Liverpool) has recorded 74.9K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 33.2K passed and 41.7K failed. The trend chart on this page plots how both volume and pass rate have changed across the recent DVSA reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near St Helens (Liverpool)?
The closest DVSA test centres to St Helens (Liverpool) are Widnes (40.1%), Warrington (55.3%), Speke (Liverpool) (38.6%) and Chorley (48.3%). Of these, Warrington, Chorley have higher current pass rates than St Helens (Liverpool)'s 40.2%. Widnes, Speke (Liverpool) sit lower. You can compare every nearby centre in the "Other test centres nearby" section above, or see them all on the interactive PassRates map.
When is the best time to book a test at St Helens (Liverpool)?
St Helens (Liverpool) currently sees very high demand with an estimated wait of about 18 to 22 weeks. Across the UK, waits tend to ease in November, December, January, when fewer learners are booking, and peak in June, July, August. If your test date is flexible, aiming for a quieter month can mean a shorter wait and more slot choice. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at St Helens (Liverpool) and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose St Helens (Liverpool) as your centre. You will need your provisional licence number and your theory test pass certificate number. To pass, you must finish with no more than 15 driving (minor) faults and zero serious or dangerous faults. Our guides cover how to book step by step and how faults are marked.
How long is the wait for a driving test at St Helens (Liverpool)?
In the latest DVSA figures (May 2026), the median learner who took their test at St Helens (Liverpool) had waited about 6.1 weeks between booking and test day. DVSA's older measure, the number of weeks until at least 10% of slots are free, was 16.5 weeks. About 33% of appointments in the 24-week booking window were still available. For live availability, check the official DVSA booking service.
Source

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.