England, Driving test centres

Driving Test Pass Rates in Gateshead

Gateshead has 3 DVSA driving test centres with a volume-weighted average car pass rate of 37.4% 11.3 pp below the UK national average of 48.7%. The full ranking, gender split, first-time pass rate and centre-by-centre data is below.

Centres
3
in Gateshead
Avg car pass rate
37.4%
-11.3 pp vs UK
UK average
48.7%
national benchmark
Total tests
110.8K
lifetime, all centres

About Gateshead

Gateshead is an English city served by a small group of 3 DVSA practical driving test centres. Together, these centres have processed 110.8K 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, Gateshead runs noticeably behind the UK average. The volume-weighted city car pass rate of 37.4% trails the UK figure by 11.3 percentage points, a pattern typical of busy urban centres where complex routes, traffic and tight manoeuvring make the practical test harder.

Within the city the spread between the easiest and hardest centre is 33.5 percentage points: Gateshead leads at 70.9% (2024-25), while Gateshead sits at 37.4%. 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.

Gateshead vs the UK average

Gateshead
volume-weighted average
37.4%
-11.3 pp vs UK
UK 48.7%
0%25%50%75%100%

Gateshead below the UK average pass rate by 11.3 percentage points. Candidates here face a tougher-than-average pass rate, which usually correlates with busier urban routes and complex junction layouts.

Easiest & hardest centres in Gateshead

All centres compared

Pass rate by gender across Gateshead

Male pass rate
53.8%
weighted city average
Female pass rate
46.6%
weighted city average

Across Gateshead's test centres, men pass at 53.8% and women at 46.6% a gender gap of 7.2 percentage points in favour of male candidates. Across the UK, the gap is around 5 percentage points on average.

By test category

Car (1)
67.7K tests on record
Motorcycle Mod 1 (1)
21.6K tests on record
Motorcycle Mod 2 (1)
21.4K tests on record

All test centres in Gateshead

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 Gateshead is Gateshead at 70.9% (2024-25), and the toughest is Gateshead at 37.4% (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 Gateshead?
There are 3 DVSA driving test centres in Gateshead, England.
What is the average driving test pass rate in Gateshead?
Across Gateshead's car (category B) test centres, the volume-weighted average pass rate is 37.4%, compared to a UK national average of 48.7%. That puts Gateshead below the UK average by 11.3 percentage points.
Which is the easiest driving test centre in Gateshead?
Gateshead currently has the highest pass rate in Gateshead at 70.9% (2024-25 DVSA data), based on 1.2K tests in the period.
Which is the hardest driving test centre in Gateshead?
Gateshead has the lowest pass rate in Gateshead at 37.4% (2024-25 DVSA data), based on 8.1K tests in the period. Its routes may be more demanding than the city average.
Which Gateshead centre has the best first-time pass rate?
Gateshead has the highest first-time pass rate in Gateshead at 37.5% (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 Gateshead?
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 Gateshead?
The standard DVSA car practical driving test fee in Gateshead 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 Gateshead?
Not always. Smaller centres in Gateshead 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.

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Data: DVSA quarterly statistical release, released under the Open Government License v3.0. 57.8K passes recorded across 3 Gateshead centres.