Driving Test Pass Rates in Orion Way
Orion Way has 3 DVSA driving test centres with a volume-weighted average pass rate of 61% — 13 pp above the UK national average of 48%. The full ranking, gender split, first-time pass rate and centre-by-centre data is below.
About Orion Way
Orion Way is an English city served by a small cluster of 3 DVSA practical driving test centres. Together, these centres have processed 39.3K 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, Orion Way runs notably ahead of the UK average. The volume-weighted city pass rate of 61% is 13 percentage points above the 48% 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 23 percentage points: Kettering leads at 70.7%, while Kettering sits at 47.7%. 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.
Orion Way vs the UK average
Orion Way above the UK average pass rate by 13 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 Orion Way
All centres compared
Bars sorted high to low. Faded bars are low-sample (<500 tests). Dashed line marks the UK national average (48%).
Pass rate by gender across Orion Way
Across Orion Way's test centres, men pass at 62.3% and women at 53.7% — a gender gap of 8.7 percentage points in favour of male candidates. Across the UK, the gap is around 5 percentage points on average.
By test category
All test centres in Orion Way
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 500 tests on record are flagged as low-sample to avoid statistically noisy comparisons. The best-performing centre in Orion Way is Kettering at 70.7%, and the toughest is Kettering at 47.7%. 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 Orion Way?
There are 3 DVSA driving test centres in Orion Way, England.
What is the average driving test pass rate in Orion Way?
Across the 3 test centres in Orion Way, the volume-weighted average pass rate is 61% — compared to a UK national average of 48%. That puts Orion Way above the UK average by 13 percentage points.
Which is the easiest driving test centre in Orion Way?
Kettering currently has the highest pass rate in Orion Way at 70.7%, based on 12.6K recorded tests.
Which is the hardest driving test centre in Orion Way?
Kettering has the lowest pass rate in Orion Way at 47.7%, based on 15.8K recorded tests. Its routes may be more demanding than the city average.
Which Orion Way centre has the best first-time pass rate?
Kettering has the highest first-time pass rate in Orion Way at 47.6%. 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 Orion Way?
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 Orion Way?
The standard DVSA car practical driving test fee in Orion Way 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 Orion Way?
Not always. Smaller centres in Orion Way can show higher percentages but also fluctuate more year to year because of small sample sizes — centres with fewer than 500 tests on record 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. 24.0K passes recorded across 3 Orion Way centres. Last refreshed 2026-04-28.