Driving Test Pass Rates in London
London has 40 DVSA driving test centres with a volume-weighted average car pass rate of 48.1% 0.6 pp below the UK national average of 48.7%.Read on for the centre-by-centre ranking, the gender split, first-time pass rates and how London compares with the UK national average.
DVSA data last updated September 2026
About London
London has 40 DVSA driving test centres, and across its car (category B) test centres the pass rate runs from 36.5% at Chingford (London) up to 59% at Sidcup (London) (2024-25 DVSA data). That is a 22.5 percentage point gap between the easiest and hardest centre in the city, so the centre you book is one of the bigger factors within your control.
The city's volume-weighted car pass rate is 48.1%, 0.6 percentage points below the 48.7% UK average. The figures come from 2.6M tests recorded across the city's centres; the full per-centre ranking is below.
London vs the UK average
London below the UK average pass rate by 0.6 percentage points. Pass rates in London sit close to the UK norm; candidates here can expect a typical level of difficulty.
Easiest & hardest centres in London
All centres compared
Pass rate by gender across London
Across London's test centres, men pass at 47.9% and women at 41.1% a gender gap of 6.8 percentage points in favour of male candidates. Across the UK, the gap is around 2 percentage points on average.
By test category
All test centres in London
Every centre in London marks the same sheet, so the choice between them counts for less than whether response, traffic signs is solid. There are 15 categories on that sheet.
A fair amount of what goes wrong is settled before the engine starts: the documents, the car, the 2 vehicle safety questions and whichever habit you have not drilled, response, traffic signs being a common one. Working through it as a list beats remembering it in the car park.
Drive your local test routes specifically scanning for signs. Have the instructor cover unusual signs on country roads (national speed limit on single carriageway = 60 mph, not 70). Free to use, no sign up. Everything for the day itself is on the practical test hub.
About these statistics
Pass rates shown above use the latest DVSA reporting period 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 London is Sidcup (London) at 59% (2024-25), and the toughest is Chingford (London) at 36.5% (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 London?
What is the average driving test pass rate in London?
Which is the easiest driving test centre in London?
Which is the hardest driving test centre in London?
Which London centre has the best first-time pass rate?
How do I book a driving test in London?
What does a UK driving test cost in London?
Is the pass rate higher at smaller centres in London?
Every centre in London needs a valid theory pass before you can book, and the certificate lasts two years from the day you sit it. Nationally 44.8% pass the theory.
What to do at the scene, first aid basics and breakdown procedure. All 14 DVSA topics are free to practise, with no sign up. See the theory pass rate by centre or the full practice hub.
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Data: DVSA quarterly statistical release, released under the Open Government Licence v3.0. 1.2M passes recorded across 40 London centres.