Preston Driving Test Centre Pass Rate 2024-25

#The 2024-25 result in context

A pass rate of 53.7% at Preston means that more than half of all candidates pass on the day. At the national average of 48.7%, just under half do. On the 11,380 tests conducted at Preston in 2024-25, the 5-percentage-point advantage over the national average translates to roughly 570 additional passes compared with what the national rate would predict at the same test volume.

The gender gap at Preston stands at 1.1 percentage points, with men at 54.2% and women at 53.1%. This is notably smaller than the national gender gap of 1.9 percentage points and places Preston among the more gender-equal centres in England. The first-time pass rate of 53.8% is virtually identical to the overall figure of 53.7%, which suggests that candidates sitting the test for the first time at Preston are arriving with preparation levels similar to those of retakers at this centre.

#How Preston compares to nearby Lancashire centres

Preston sits above the national average, but the surrounding Lancashire centres span a wide range. Bolton, which falls within the Greater Manchester area to the south-east of Preston, recorded 56.7% in 2024-25 and leads the local group. Chorley, just south of Preston, returned 48.3%, close to the national average. Nelson, Blackburn with Darwen and several other nearby centres all came in below 50%. The bar chart below places Preston in the context of its nearest neighbours.

The gap between Preston (53.7%) and Chorley (48.3%) is notable given the geographic proximity of the two centres. Chorley sits roughly 10 miles south of Preston and shares broadly similar road characteristics. The 5.4-percentage-point difference between them reflects the kind of centre-to-centre variation that appears throughout DVSA data: neighbouring centres on similar road types frequently return meaningfully different pass rates, driven by local test-route selections, traffic distributions across the day, and the specific candidate cohort each centre attracts.

#Pass rate history at Preston

Preston has consistently returned above-average pass rates in the published DVSA data. The centre sat in the 52-55% range through the pre-pandemic years from 2016-17 to 2019-20, rose to 56.9% in 2021-22, then reached a high of 61.1% in 2022-23 before returning toward the 53-57% range in the two most recent years. The 2022-23 peak of 61.1% is the highest figure in the published record for this centre and was partly driven by the post-pandemic pattern of rising pass rates that affected many centres nationally.

The downward move from 61.1% in 2022-23 to 53.7% in 2024-25 follows a pattern seen nationally: the post-pandemic period produced elevated pass rates that have since moderated as candidate volumes recovered and the cohort composition normalised. At Preston, the 2024-25 figure of 53.7% on 11,380 tests is consistent with the pre-pandemic range, suggesting the centre has returned to its historical baseline rather than experiencing a deterioration.

Test volumes at Preston have grown steadily, from around 7,000-8,400 tests per year in the pre-pandemic period to 11,380 in 2024-25. Sustaining an above-average pass rate across a growing candidate base is a more robust outcome than achieving it at a small centre, where random variation in the candidate cohort can move the headline figure by several percentage points from year to year.

#Gender breakdown at Preston

Male candidates passed at 54.2% at Preston in 2024-25, based on 6,644 tests. Female candidates passed at 53.1% on 4,736 tests, producing a gap of 1.1 percentage points. This is substantially smaller than the national gender gap of 1.9 percentage points, making Preston one of the more equitable centres in the published data. The reasons behind national gender differences in pass rates are not formally documented by the DVSA, but the smaller gap at Preston may reflect the candidate mix, local instructor practices, or test-route characteristics at this centre.

For female candidates preparing at Preston, the 53.1% baseline means that roughly one in two women who sit the practical test here pass on the day. The test format and pass criteria are identical for all candidates regardless of gender. The 1.1-percentage-point difference at Preston is small enough to be within the normal range of variation at a centre of this size and should not be interpreted as a meaningful structural disadvantage.

#The road environment around Preston

Preston is a city with a mix of urban centre roads, suburban residential streets, and access to the national motorway network. The following factors are the most relevant to candidates preparing for a practical test at the Preston DVSA centre.

• City centre road complexity: Preston city centre contains one-way systems, bus lanes, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. Correct lane discipline, safe observation at traffic lights and smooth progress through gyratory sections are standard assessment points on urban test routes.
• Bus lanes and road markings: Preston has bus lane infrastructure on several main routes. Candidates must identify bus lane hours from signage, understand when the restriction applies and position correctly in the general traffic lane during restricted periods.
• Dual carriageway sections: the A6 and associated roads near Preston can include dual carriageway segments on some test routes. Joining and leaving a dual carriageway, maintaining safe following distance at speed, and making correct lane decisions are skills that carry higher risk of serious faults if executed poorly.
• Residential area positioning: the suburban road network around Preston includes streets with parked vehicles on both sides. Safe passing positions, continuous pedestrian observation and correct use of mirrors throughout are assessed throughout residential sections.
• Roundabouts: Preston has a mix of simple and multi-exit roundabouts at key junctions. Correct lane selection on approach, clear indication on exit and appropriate yielding to circulating traffic are assessed points where minor faults accumulate.

#Preparing for your test at Preston

Preston's above-average pass rate is encouraging for candidates, but it does not mean the test is easy. The DVSA applies the same pass criteria at every centre and the city-centre road environment requires genuine competence across a range of skills. The preparation steps below are designed around the specific road environment candidates encounter at Preston.

#Booking and what to expect on test day

The DVSA practical test at Preston 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, in which you follow 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 performance. The examiner will provide a printed debrief sheet listing all faults recorded, which serves as a useful tool for targeted practice 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 are valid for two years from the date of the result and your practical test must be completed within that window. Test slot availability at Preston varies across the year. With a high annual test volume, slots tend to be reasonably available across weekday mornings, and checking for cancellation slots can surface earlier appointments than the initial booking 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)
• Find a driving test centre (gov.uk)
• Theory test (gov.uk)
• Open Government Licence v3.0 (nationalarchives.gov.uk)