Driving Test Centres in North East: 11 DVSA Sites Ranked
11 DVSA driving test sites across North East, part of England. Car pass rate 46.3% (2024-25 DVSA data), UK car average 48.7%.
DVSA data last updated June 2026
About North East
Across North East, 11 DVSA test sites serve learners between Berwick-upon-Tweed, County Durham and Sunderland. The county's 426.4K recorded car tests put it among the larger sub-regional networks in England, and the volume-weighted car pass rate for 2024-25 sits at 46.3% (UK average 48.7%).
On the 2.4 pp below the UK car comparison (2024-25 DVSA data), North East looks tougher than the UK average on paper. Pass rates within the county aren't uniform though, and the spread between the easiest and hardest centre tells the real story. Plenty of candidates travel to a neighbouring centre to find a route that suits them better.
The headline spread within North East sits between Tyne & Wear LGV (Felling) (69.5%) at the top of the league and Gateshead (37.4%) at the bottom, a gap of 32.1 percentage points. Spreads of 10 to 15 percentage points within a single county are common, the route a centre uses matters far more than the county boundary.
Top 5 highest pass rates in North East
All test centres in North East
Sorted by pass rate, centres with fewer than 1,000 current-period tests appear at the end.
North East driving test: common questions
What is the average driving test pass rate in North East?+
The car driving test pass rate across North East is 46.3%, 2.4 points below the UK average of 48.7%. It is a volume-weighted figure from the 8 test centres in the county with enough current tests for a reliable rate.
Which North East test centre has the highest pass rate?+
Tyne & Wear LGV (Felling) has the highest current car pass rate in North East at 69.5%, ahead of Hexham on 56.7%. Pass rates reflect the routes and traffic a centre tests on, not just how candidates drive.
Which North East test centre has the lowest pass rate?+
Among the county's busier centres, Gateshead currently has the lowest car pass rate at 37.4%. A lower rate usually points to tougher, busier test routes rather than stricter examiners.
How many driving test centres are there in North East?+
North East has 11 DVSA driving test centres, with sites around Berwick-upon-Tweed, County Durham, Sunderland. Each centre's full pass-rate history, waiting time and demographic breakdown is linked above.
Is it easier to pass your driving test in North East?+
On average slightly less so: the 46.3% county figure sits a little below the national 48.7%. The bigger factor is the spread between centres, currently 37.4% to 69.5%, so which centre you book matters more than the county itself.
Where does the North East pass-rate data come from?+
The figures come from the DVSA's quarterly car practical test statistics, the official UK government release. We only rank centres with at least 1,000 current-period tests, so a small sample never produces a misleading rate.