Car Test Centre, England

Trowbridge Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BTrowbridgeModerate

The Trowbridge driving test centre is located in Trowbridge, 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.

By VikasReviewed by VikasMethodologySources
Pass rate (2024-25)
51.1%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
2.5K
2024-25
National rank
#149
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
51.3%
above UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

51.1%passed
failed48.3%

11.3K passed, 10.6K failed, 21.9K total

How Trowbridge compares

Trowbridge
51.1%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+2.4 pp

Trowbridge sits close to the UK average pass rate.

Where Trowbridge ranks among 323 centres

Top 46%
Trowbridge ranks higher than 54% of UK car test centres
Rank
#149
BestMedianHardest

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.

  1. 1Junctions - observation10
  2. 2Mirrors - change direction9
  3. 3Move off - safely8
  4. 4Junctions - turning right7
  5. 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

Male vs female pass rate gap 1.9 pp
Male52.7%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female50.8%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults1.3%
265 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
13 weeks
Moderate demand
Weekly capacity
~57
estimated test slots per week
Trend
stable
availability direction

Wait times at Trowbridge have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is achievable but not immediate: learners booking at Trowbridge typically wait around 13 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
longest waits in Trowbridge
Best to book
November, December, January, February
shortest expected waits

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

Trowbridge
Wiltshire
England

Tests offered at Trowbridge

  • Car

For other test types at this location, search the DVSA centre finder.

Accessibility & facilities

Parking, toilets, and disabled-access details vary by centre. Check the official DVSA find a driving test centre tool, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Trowbridge is in Trowbridge, Wiltshire and runs DVSA car tests for learners across the local area. The routes are the same fixed set every day; your examiner picks one without telling you which. 21.9K tests through 2017-18-2024-25 puts Trowbridge in the comfortable middle of the volume distribution. The pass rate moves with real signal, not noise.

Out of 323 UK car test centres, Trowbridge ranks 149, which lands it in the upper half nationally. The 51.1% pass rate is 2.4 points above the UK figure of 48.7%. First-time pass rate: 51.3%. UK average: 49%. Trowbridge is 2.3 points to the good on first attempts, a meaningful gap, not a rounding artefact.

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
DVSA centre ID
trowbridge

What learners should know about Trowbridge

  • Centre difficulty is roughly average at Trowbridge. The same fault categories that fail candidates nationally (junctions, mirrors, observation) are what fail candidates here, in similar proportions.
  • Ask any instructor working Trowbridge 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.
  • Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Trowbridge. Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Trowbridge

Ten minutes early is the right target at Trowbridge. 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 13 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. If Chippenham is fully booked, Trowbridge is the next closest centre, roughly 11 miles away.

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 51.1% of candidates at Trowbridge meet under current DVSA marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Trowbridge?
The current pass rate at Trowbridge driving test centre is 51.1%, calculated from 2.5K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 51.3%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 51.7% (from 21.9K tests).
Is Trowbridge an easy or hard test centre?
Trowbridge is ranked #149 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 51.1% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Much of the spread comes down to route geography: lighter traffic and simpler junctions lift a centre, dense city driving and complex roundabouts pull it down.
How does Trowbridge compare to the UK average?
Trowbridge's pass rate is 2.4 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. Trowbridge sits close to the UK average pass rate.
How many tests are taken at Trowbridge each year?
Trowbridge has recorded 21.9K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 11.3K passed and 10.6K 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 Trowbridge?
The closest DVSA test centres to Trowbridge are Chippenham (50.6%), Bristol (Kingswood) (52%), Bristol (Kingswood) (82.4%) and Bristol (Kingswood) (77.8%). Of these, Bristol (Kingswood), Bristol (Kingswood), Bristol (Kingswood) have higher current pass rates than Trowbridge's 51.1%. Chippenham 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 Trowbridge?
Trowbridge currently sees moderate demand with an estimated wait of around 13 weeks. 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 Trowbridge and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Trowbridge 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 Trowbridge?
The estimated wait at Trowbridge is around 13 weeks (moderate demand). That figure is modelled from regional demand patterns reported in the National Audit Office investigation into car driving test waiting times, the DVSA Despatch blog updates, and this centre's test volume of 21.9K lifetime tests. Wait times peak in June and July and ease in November and December. 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.