Car Test Centre, Scotland

Wick Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BWickKW1 4NBHigh pass rate

The Wick driving test centre is located in Wick, Scotland (KW1 4NB). 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)
56.9%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
792
2022-23 to 2024-25 (3yr avg, low volume)
National rank
#85
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
56.6%
above UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

56.9%passed
failed44%

2.0K passed, 1.6K failed, 3.6K total

How Wick compares

Wick
56.9%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
+8.2 pp

Wick performs notably better than the UK average. This often correlates with rural or suburban routes that have fewer multi-lane roundabouts and complex urban scenarios.

Where Wick ranks among 323 centres

Top 26%
Wick ranks higher than 74% of UK car test centres
Rank
#85
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 6.1 pp
Male59.1%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female53.0%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults2.5%
40 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
6 weeks
Lower demand
Weekly capacity
~10
estimated test slots per week
Trend
stable
availability direction

Wait times at Wick have remained broadly stable through recent reporting periods. Booking is comparatively quick: learners booking at Wick typically wait around 6 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
longest waits in Wick
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

Driving Test Centre Wick
Airport Industrial Estate
Wick
KW1 4QS
Scotland

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

Tests offered at Wick

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

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 KW1 4QS, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Wick: a DVSA car test centre in Wick, Highland. Local routes, local traffic patterns, no national standard for what "harder" or "easier" looks like beyond what the numbers below show. Volume here sits at 3.6K over 2017-18-2024-25. That's the territory where a noisy quarter can shift the rate by two or three percentage points, so read the trend chart in context rather than reacting to any single bar.

The upper half of the UK by pass rate: Wick ranks #85 of 323 car centres at 56.9%, 8.2 points clear of the national figure of 48.7%. First-time pass rate: 56.6%. UK average: 49%. Wick is 7.6 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
Scotland
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
wick

What learners should know about Wick

  • Wick passes higher than the UK average, but the marking sheet is identical to every other DVSA centre. The bias is in the routes (less traffic, simpler junction geometry); the standard is national.
  • 56.6% of first-timers pass at Wick. If your instructor is signing you off as test-ready, that figure is a fair guide, the centre isn't the variable, your preparation is.
  • Practising the test routes is the single thing that most reliably moves a candidate's pass odds. Most ADI instructors in Wick will have a working knowledge of which routes Wick uses.
  • The only legitimate booking route is gov.uk. Anything calling itself a "test booking concierge" is reselling the same slots at a markup, the slots aren't theirs to control.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Wick

Arrive at Wick with about ten minutes to spare and know your parking options in advance, they vary site to site across the DVSA network. The DVSA centre finder (postcode KW1 4NB) maps the centre and its surroundings. Waits here run around 6 weeks at low demand, so you can usually pick a date without a long wait. Don't set off without your provisional photocard licence; the test cannot start without it, and your car needs L plates and a working interior mirror.

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 show-me plus one tell-me question, after which the examiner rides along for the drive. 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-three chance of an emergency stop. 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 56.9% of candidates at Wick meet under current DVSA marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Wick?
The current pass rate at Wick driving test centre is 56.9%, calculated from 792 tests in 2022-23 to 2024-25 (3yr avg, low volume). The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 56.6%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 56% (from 3.6K tests).
Is Wick an easy or hard test centre?
Wick is ranked #85 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the top half of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 56.9% 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 Wick compare to the UK average?
Wick's pass rate is 8.2 percentage points above the UK national average of 48.7%. Wick performs notably better than the UK average. This often correlates with rural or suburban routes that have fewer multi-lane roundabouts and complex urban scenarios.
How many tests are taken at Wick each year?
Wick has recorded 3.6K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 2.0K passed and 1.6K failed. See the yearly trend chart above to track how test volume and pass rate have shifted over recent reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Wick?
The closest DVSA test centres to Wick are Wick (54%), Wick (73.9%), Orkney (81.4%) and Orkney (76.5%). Of these, Wick, Orkney, Orkney have higher current pass rates than Wick's 56.9%. Wick 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 Wick?
Wick currently sees low demand with an estimated wait of around 6 weeks. 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 Wick and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Wick 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 Wick?
The estimated wait at Wick is around 6 weeks (low 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 3.6K 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.