Car Test Centre, England

Stevenage Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BStevenageTougher than average

Stevenage in Stevenage currently passes 44.9% of tests, 3.8 points below 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.

Pass rate (2024-25)
44.9%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
4.2K
2024-25
National rank
#268
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
46.5%
below UK avg

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

Stevenage sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 17%, rank #268 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Letchworth, about 5.4 miles away.

LetchworthBest nearby
5.4 mi away
58.3%
+13.4 pp

Pass vs fail at a glance

44.9%passed
failed55.1%

All-time 36.8K passed, 43.7K failed, 80.5K total

How Stevenage compares

Stevenage
44.9%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-3.8 pp

Stevenage sits 3.8 points under the national average, ranked 268 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 Stevenage ranks among 323 centres

Bottom 17%
Stevenage sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates
Rank
#268
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

Stevenage has given up 6.8 points since 2017-18 (51.7% then, 44.9% now); the low water mark was 42.7% in 2023-24.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 6.1 pp
Male48.8%
0%UK avg 52.0%100%
Female42.7%
0%UK avg 48.0%100%
Zero faults0.6%
348 candidates have passed without a single recorded fault across all DVSA periods

Waiting time at Stevenage

Median wait, booking to test
8.2 weeks
What the typical learner who tested here had waited
Weeks to 10% availability
24 weeks
The older headline measure
Window appointments free
5.4%
Share of the 24-week window still open

The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 24 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Stevenage in May 2026 had waited 8.2 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

3 Drapers Way
Stevenage
SG1 3DT
England

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

Tests offered at Stevenage

  • car

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 SG1 3DT, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Stevenage is one of the DVSA's car test sites in England, located in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The choice of routes reflects the local mix of road types rather than any standard national template. If you're cross-checking this pass rate against other sources, the sample size matters. 80.5K tests over 2017-18-2024-25 is large enough that any rounding you see between sites is just rounding, not disagreement on the underlying data.

Stevenage runs close to the national curve: 44.9% pass rate, 3.8 points below the UK average of 48.7%. The rank is #268 of 323 car centres. First-attempt figure: 46.5%. UK first-attempt average: 49%. Stevenage runs 2.5 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.

What learners should know about Stevenage

  • Stevenage 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.
  • Stevenage 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 Stevenage 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 Stevenage, 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

On the day at Stevenage

Turn up at Stevenage 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 Letchworth is fully booked, Stevenage is the next closest centre, roughly 5 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 44.9% of candidates at Stevenage meet under current DVSA marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Stevenage?
The current pass rate at Stevenage driving test centre is 44.9%, calculated from 4.2K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 46.5%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 45.7% (from 80.5K tests).
Is Stevenage an easy or hard test centre?
Stevenage is ranked #268 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 44.9% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Higher pass rates often correlate with quieter rural or suburban routes; lower rates with dense urban centres featuring complex junctions and multi-lane roundabouts.
How does Stevenage compare to the UK average?
Stevenage's pass rate is 3.8 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. Stevenage sits 3.8 points under the national average, ranked 268 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 Stevenage record?
Stevenage has recorded 80.5K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 36.8K passed and 43.7K failed. The yearly trend chart on this page shows how volume and pass rate have moved across recent reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Stevenage?
The closest DVSA test centres to Stevenage are Letchworth (58.3%), St Albans (48.4%), Luton (40.1%) and Borehamwood (London) (46.8%). Of these, Letchworth, St Albans, Borehamwood (London) have higher current pass rates than Stevenage's 44.9%. Luton sits 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 Stevenage?
Stevenage 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. Where you can be flexible on dates, targeting one of the quieter months tends to bring a shorter wait and a wider choice of slots. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at Stevenage and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Stevenage 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 Stevenage?
In the latest DVSA figures (May 2026), the median learner who took their test at Stevenage had waited about 8.2 weeks between booking and test day. DVSA's older measure, the number of weeks until at least 10% of slots are free, was 24 weeks. About 5.4% 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.