England, Driving test centres

Driving Test Pass Rates in Manchester

Manchester has 15 DVSA driving test centres with a volume-weighted average car pass rate of 48.5% 0.2 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 Manchester compares with the UK national average.

Centres

in Manchester

Avg car pass rate

48.5%

-0.2 pp vs UK

UK average

48.7%

national benchmark

Total tests

827.3K

lifetime, all centres

DVSA data last updated July 2026

About Manchester

Manchester has 15 DVSA driving test centres, and across its car (category B) test centres the pass rate runs from 41.2% at Rochdale (Manchester) up to 56.7% at Bolton (Manchester) (2024-25 DVSA data). That is a 15.5 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 48.5%, 0.2 percentage points below the 48.7% UK average. The figures come from 827.3K tests recorded across the city's centres; the full per-centre ranking is below.

Manchester vs the UK average

Manchester

volume-weighted average

48.5%

-0.2 pp vs UK

UK 48.7%

0%25%50%75%100%

Manchester below the UK average pass rate by 0.2 percentage points. Pass rates in Manchester sit close to the UK norm; candidates here can expect a typical level of difficulty.

Easiest & hardest centres in Manchester

Highest pass rate

Bredbury (Manchester)

1.4K tests (2024-25), #49

70.4%

Bredbury (Manchester)

2.4K tests (2024-25), #100

68.9%

Atherton (Manchester)

2.4K tests (2024-25), #59

67%

Lowest pass rate

Rochdale (Manchester)

9.8K tests (2024-25), #299

41.2%

Cheetham Hill (Manchester)

10.8K tests (2024-25), #285

43.7%

Atherton (Manchester)

7.7K tests (2024-25), #275

44.4%

All centres compared

Pass rate by gender across Manchester

Male pass rate

50.3%

weighted city average

Female pass rate

44%

weighted city average

Across Manchester's test centres, men pass at 50.3% and women at 44% a gender gap of 6.3 percentage points in favour of male candidates. Across the UK, the gap is around 2 percentage points on average.

By test category

Car (8)

721.5K tests on record

Bolton (Manchester)

11.9K tests in 2024-25

56.7%

Bredbury (Manchester)

9.9K tests in 2024-25

54.2%

West Didsbury (Manchester)

17.2K tests in 2024-25

50.9%

Sale (Manchester)

10.0K tests in 2024-25

49.1%

Chadderton

12.5K tests in 2024-25

44.9%

Atherton (Manchester)

7.7K tests in 2024-25

44.4%

Cheetham Hill (Manchester)

10.8K tests in 2024-25

43.7%

Rochdale (Manchester)

9.8K tests in 2024-25

41.2%

Motorcycle Mod 1 (2)

22.3K tests on record

Bredbury (Manchester)

1.4K tests in 2024-25

70.4%

Atherton (Manchester)

2.4K tests in 2024-25

67%

Motorcycle Mod 2 (4)

18.7K tests on record

Failsworth (Manchester)

738 tests in 2016-17, low sample

79.3%

Hyde

799 tests in 2010-11, low sample

79.1%

Bredbury (Manchester)

2.4K tests in 2024-25

68.9%

Atherton (Manchester)

2.4K tests in 2024-25

60.8%

HGV / LGV (5)

64.9K tests on record

Wallace (Slough)

506 tests in 2024-25, low sample

67.8%

Apex (Peterborough)

916 tests in 2024-25, low sample

61.5%

Atherton (Manchester)

2.2K tests in 2024-25

52.5%

Bredbury (Manchester)

2.0K tests in 2024-25

51.5%

Bredbury LGV

1.4K tests in 2009-10

44.8%

All test centres in Manchester

Bredbury (Manchester)

12.8K tests, Motorcycle Mod 1, National rank #49

1st-time

70.4%

pass

Bredbury (Manchester)

8.2K tests, Motorcycle Mod 2, National rank #100

1st-time

68.9%

pass

Atherton (Manchester)

9.5K tests, Motorcycle Mod 1, National rank #59

1st-time

67%

pass

Atherton (Manchester)

8.8K tests, Motorcycle Mod 2, National rank #131

104.4K tests, Car, National rank #89

Bredbury (Manchester)

62.2K tests, Car, National rank #110

Atherton (Manchester)

31.9K tests, HGV / LGV, National rank #103

1st-time

52.5%

pass

Bredbury (Manchester)

25.5K tests, HGV / LGV, National rank #107

1st-time

51.5%

pass

West Didsbury (Manchester)

142.4K tests, Car, National rank #157

92.0K tests, Car, National rank #197

69.0K tests, Car, National rank #269

1.4K tests, HGV / LGV, National rank #117

1st-time

44.8%

pass

Atherton (Manchester)

68.9K tests, Car, National rank #275

Cheetham Hill (Manchester)

104.1K tests, Car, National rank #285

Rochdale (Manchester)

78.4K tests, Car, National rank #299

Failsworth (Manchester)

Low sample

933 tests, Motorcycle Mod 2, National rank #30

799 tests, Motorcycle Mod 2, National rank #34

2.8K tests, HGV / LGV, National rank #44

3.3K tests, HGV / LGV, National rank #66

1st-time

61.5%

pass

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 Manchester is Bolton (Manchester) at 56.7% (2024-25), and the toughest is Rochdale (Manchester) at 41.2% (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 Manchester?

There are 15 DVSA driving test centres in Manchester, England.

What is the average driving test pass rate in Manchester?

Across Manchester's car (category B) test centres, the volume-weighted average pass rate is 48.5%, compared to a UK national average of 48.7%. That puts Manchester below the UK average by 0.2 percentage points.

Which is the easiest driving test centre in Manchester?

Bolton (Manchester) has the highest pass rate in Manchester at 56.7% (2024-25 DVSA data), based on 11.9K tests in the period.

Which is the hardest driving test centre in Manchester?

Rochdale (Manchester) has the lowest pass rate in Manchester at 41.2% (2024-25 DVSA data), based on 9.8K tests in the period. Its routes may be more demanding than the city average.

Which Manchester centre has the best first-time pass rate?

Bolton (Manchester) has the highest first-time pass rate in Manchester at 56.8% (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 Manchester?

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 Manchester?

The standard DVSA car practical driving test fee in Manchester 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 Manchester?

Not always. Smaller centres in Manchester 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.