England, Driving test centres

Driving Test Pass Rates in Carlisle

Carlisle has 4 DVSA driving test centres with a volume-weighted average car pass rate of 54.9% 6.2 pp above the UK national average of 48.7%. The full ranking, gender split, first-time pass rate and centre-by-centre data is below.

Centres
4
in Carlisle
Avg car pass rate
54.9%
+6.2 pp vs UK
UK average
48.7%
national benchmark
Total tests
63.2K
lifetime, all centres

About Carlisle

Carlisle is an English city served by a sizeable concentration of 4 DVSA practical driving test centres. Together, these centres have processed 63.2K tests on record, every result tracked here is sourced from the DVSA's quarterly statistical release and aggregated to give a like-for-like view of how each centre performs.

As a whole, Carlisle runs notably ahead of the UK average. The volume-weighted city car pass rate of 54.9% is 6.2 percentage points above the 48.7% UK figure, which often correlates with quieter routes, fewer multi-lane roundabouts, and easier urban junctions.

Within the city the spread between the easiest and hardest centre is 20.3 percentage points: Carlisle leads at 75.2% (2024-25), while Carlisle sits at 54.9%. That gap matters when you book, the same candidate can have a meaningfully different experience depending on which routes they drive on test day. Most learners pick the centre closest to where they take their lessons, but it's worth a few mock runs at your shortlisted centre's actual routes before the real thing.

Carlisle vs the UK average

Carlisle
volume-weighted average
54.9%
+6.2 pp vs UK
UK 48.7%
0%25%50%75%100%

Carlisle above the UK average pass rate by 6.2 percentage points. Candidates here pass at notably higher rates than the UK average, though this often reflects quieter routes rather than easier examiners.

Easiest & hardest centres in Carlisle

All centres compared

Pass rate by gender across Carlisle

Male pass rate
58.3%
weighted city average
Female pass rate
51%
weighted city average

Across Carlisle's test centres, men pass at 58.3% and women at 51% a gender gap of 7.3 percentage points in favour of male candidates. Across the UK, the gap is around 5 percentage points on average.

By test category

Car (1)
47.3K tests on record
Motorcycle Mod 1 (1)
7.1K tests on record
Motorcycle Mod 2 (1)
3.5K tests on record
HGV / LGV (1)
5.3K tests on record

All test centres in Carlisle

About these statistics

Pass rates shown above are aggregated across all available years of DVSA quarterly statistical data for each centre. Rates are volume-weighted across the city, larger centres carry proportionally more weight than smaller ones. Centres with fewer than 1,000 tests in the current period are flagged as low-sample to avoid statistically noisy comparisons. The best-performing centre in Carlisle is Carlisle at 75.2% (2024-25), and the toughest is Carlisle at 54.9% (2024-25). Always factor in your own preparation, instructor recommendations, and route familiarity, pass rates are a useful signal, not a guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

How many driving test centres are in Carlisle?
There are 4 DVSA driving test centres in Carlisle, England.
What is the average driving test pass rate in Carlisle?
Across Carlisle's car (category B) test centres, the volume-weighted average pass rate is 54.9%, compared to a UK national average of 48.7%. That puts Carlisle above the UK average by 6.2 percentage points.
Which is the easiest driving test centre in Carlisle?
Carlisle currently has the highest pass rate in Carlisle at 75.2% (2024-25 DVSA data), based on 1.1K tests in the period.
Which is the hardest driving test centre in Carlisle?
Carlisle has the lowest pass rate in Carlisle at 54.9% (2024-25 DVSA data), based on 3.7K tests in the period. Its routes may be more demanding than the city average.
Which Carlisle centre has the best first-time pass rate?
Carlisle has the highest first-time pass rate in Carlisle at 53.4% (2024-25 DVSA data). First-time pass rate measures the percentage of candidates who pass on their first attempt, a useful indicator of difficulty for new candidates.
How do I book a driving test in Carlisle?
All UK driving tests are booked via the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test. You'll need your provisional licence number, a theory test pass certificate, and a payment method. Choose any of the centres listed above when selecting your location.
What does a UK driving test cost in Carlisle?
The standard DVSA car practical driving test fee in Carlisle is £62 on weekdays and £75 on weekends and evenings, the same across all UK test centres. There are no additional location-based fees. Always book through gov.uk to avoid third-party markups.
Is the pass rate higher at smaller centres in Carlisle?
Not always. Smaller centres in Carlisle can show higher percentages but also fluctuate more year to year because of small sample sizes, centres with fewer than 1,000 tests in the current period are flagged as "Low sample" above. Volume-weighted averages give a fairer picture.

Other cities you might compare

Data: DVSA quarterly statistical release, released under the Open Government License v3.0. 36.1K passes recorded across 4 Carlisle centres.