Peterborough Driving Test Centre Pass Rate 2024-25

#The 2024-25 result in context

A pass rate of 50.2% at Peterborough means that just over half of all candidates pass on the day. The margin above the national average of 48.7% is small: 1.5 percentage points. On 11,021 tests, that margin represents roughly 165 additional passes compared with what the national rate would predict at the same test volume. The overall figure is a broadly average outcome for the centre.

The first-time pass rate of 49.6% is 0.6 percentage points below the overall figure of 50.2%. This is the expected pattern nationally: first-time candidates tend to pass at a slightly lower rate than retakers, who have had prior exposure to the local road environment and the examiner assessment points. The gap of 0.6 percentage points at Peterborough is narrower than at many centres, indicating that retakers do not gain a substantially greater advantage from their additional experience here.

#How Peterborough compares to nearby centres

Peterborough sits in a group of East Midlands and eastern England centres that are clustered close to the national average. Cambridge (Brookmount Court) and Northampton both recorded pass rates within 0.3 percentage points of Peterborough in 2024-25. Further out, Kettering and Kings Lynn both came in at 46.0%, more than 4 percentage points below Peterborough, and Leicester (Wigston) returned 43.9%, the lowest in this comparison group.

The tight clustering of Cambridge, Northampton and Peterborough within 0.3 percentage points of each other is notable given the different road environments of those three cities. Cambridge has a distinctive urban centre with cycle infrastructure and narrow streets; Northampton has a denser road network with significant retail traffic; Peterborough has one of the most roundabout-heavy layouts of any English city. Similar pass rates across such different road environments underlines that a centre's pass rate reflects its entire candidate cohort, not just road difficulty.

#Pass rate history at Peterborough

Peterborough's pass rate history shows more variation than the 2024-25 figure alone suggests. The centre reached its pre-2024-25 high of 52.6% in 2016-17, fell to a recent low of 45.1% in 2018-19, recovered to 51.6% in 2021-22, then ran below the national average in 2022-23 and 2023-24 before returning to 50.2% in 2024-25. The centre has oscillated around the national average over the decade, spending time on both sides.

The 2018-19 and 2019-20 figures of 45.1% and 45.7% are the lowest in the recent published record for Peterborough, both below the national average in those years. The recovery to 51.6% in 2021-22 is consistent with the national post-pandemic pattern. The dip to 47.2% in 2023-24 followed by recovery to 50.2% in 2024-25 reflects the normal year-to-year variation at a centre of this size, where a 1-2 percentage point move can occur within the confidence interval of the estimate.

Test volumes at Peterborough have broadly recovered to pre-pandemic levels and edged slightly higher, with 11,021 tests in 2024-25 representing one of the larger recent figures in the published record. At this volume, the 95% confidence interval on the 50.2% headline is approximately plus or minus 0.9 percentage points, meaning the true underlying pass rate is reliably in the 49-51% range.

#Gender breakdown at Peterborough

Male candidates passed at 52.2% at Peterborough in 2024-25, based on 6,081 tests. Female candidates passed at 47.7% on 4,940 tests, a gap of 4.5 percentage points. This is more than double the national gender gap of 1.9 percentage points. A larger-than-average gender gap at a centre close to the national average overall is a pattern seen at other DVSA sites, though the reasons for wider gaps at specific centres are not formally documented in the published statistics.

For female candidates preparing for a test at Peterborough, the 47.7% baseline means that just under half of women taking the practical test here pass on the day. The test format and pass criteria are identical regardless of gender. The 4.5-percentage-point gap may reflect differences in how candidates at Peterborough self-select test dates relative to readiness, or local patterns in lesson volume and instructor advice, rather than anything specific about the test routes themselves.

#The road environment around Peterborough

Peterborough is notable for its high density of roundabouts: the city was substantially rebuilt and expanded from the 1960s onwards with a road layout that favours roundabout junctions over traffic lights on many arterial routes. The following factors are the most relevant to candidates preparing for a practical test at the Peterborough centre.

• Roundabout-heavy road network: Peterborough's road layout includes a high concentration of roundabouts on the ring road, radial routes and many residential access roads. Correct lane selection on approach, accurate signalling and giving way to circulating traffic are assessed repeatedly on most test routes in the area.
• Ring road and dual carriageway sections: the A47 and associated ring road sections around Peterborough can feature on test routes. Safe joining and exiting, correct lane use at higher speeds and maintaining appropriate following distances are assessed on dual carriageway segments.
• New development areas: Peterborough has seen significant housing development in its outer areas. Roads in new residential zones may include road markings and junctions that are not yet mapped on older sat-nav systems, which can affect independent driving sections. Candidates should practise using road signs rather than relying exclusively on sat-nav.
• City centre traffic complexity: Peterborough city centre includes pedestrian-heavy areas, bus routes and delivery vehicle activity. Correct observation at pedestrian crossings, safe positioning around buses and patience in slow-moving urban traffic are skills tested in the city-centre sections of some routes.
• Mixed residential streets: the surrounding suburban areas include streets with parked vehicles on both sides. Continuous observation for pedestrians, correct passing positions and mirror use throughout are assessed on residential sections of the route.

#Preparing for your test at Peterborough

Peterborough's pass rate is close to the national average, meaning that roughly one in two candidates passes on the day. The DVSA applies the same pass criteria at every centre, so the preparation advice that applies nationally applies here. Given the specific characteristics of the Peterborough road environment, the following steps address the most relevant skills for candidates at this centre.

#Booking and what to expect on test day

The DVSA practical test at Peterborough follows the standard format used at every test centre in Great Britain. You begin with an eyesight check reading a number plate at a set distance. The examiner then asks one vehicle safety question (the show me, tell me section), after which you drive for approximately 40 minutes. Around 20 minutes of that time is independent driving using a sat-nav or road signs without instruction from the examiner. One standard manoeuvre is included: bay parking (forward or reverse), parallel parking, or pulling up on the right and reversing.

Passing requires no more than 15 minor driving faults and zero serious or dangerous faults. A single serious or dangerous fault results in a fail regardless of the rest of the test. The examiner provides a printed result sheet listing all recorded faults, which is useful for planning any further lessons if you need to rebook.

Bookings are made through the DVSA booking service on the gov.uk website. You will need your provisional driving licence number and your theory test pass certificate number. Theory test certificates remain valid for two years; your practical test must take place within that window. Test slot availability at Peterborough varies throughout the year. The centre handles a substantial annual test volume, and checking regularly for cancellation slots often surfaces earlier appointment dates than the initial search returns.

#Sources and further reading

The figures, fees, and procedures referenced in this article are verifiable on the official gov.uk pages below. PassRates.uk is built on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s open data, published under the Open Government Licence.

• Driving test (gov.uk)
• If you fail your driving test (gov.uk)
• Change or cancel your driving test (gov.uk)
• Theory test (gov.uk)
• Apply for your first provisional driving licence (gov.uk)
• Open Government Licence v3.0 (nationalarchives.gov.uk)