Barnstaple driving test centre pass rate
Official DVSA figures for car practical tests, April 2025 to March 2026.
51.4% of car driving tests at Barnstaple were passes from April 2025 to March 2026: 2,859 of 5,562 tests. That is 1.4 points above the Great Britain rate of 50.0%.
At a glance
| Barnstaple | |
|---|---|
| Tests conducted | 5,562 |
| Passes | 2,859 |
| Pass rate | 51.4% |
| Men | 50.5% |
| Women | 52.6% |
| Rank in Great Britain | 124 of 260 |
| Rank in South West | 11 of 20 |
| Median wait from booking to test | 8.0 weeks (August 2026) |
| Tests taken within 7 weeks of booking | 42% |
Pass rate by age, 17 to 25
DVSA publishes the age breakdown for younger candidates only. Figures for April 2025 to March 2026.
| Age | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1,537 | 63.6% |
| 18 | 692 | 54.3% |
| 19 | 299 | 56.2% |
| 20 | 199 | 55.8% |
| 21 | 192 | 51.0% |
| 22 | 185 | 56.2% |
| 23 | 189 | 52.4% |
| 25 | 148 | 43.2% |
Pass rate over the years
| Year | Tests | Barnstaple | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | 5,562 | 51.4% | 50.0% |
| Apr 2024 to Mar 2025 | 3,583 | 54.7% | 48.7% |
| Apr 2023 to Mar 2024 | 3,842 | 54.9% | 47.9% |
| Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 3,221 | 54.3% | 48.4% |
| Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 3,044 | 55.3% | 48.9% |
| Apr 2020 to Mar 2021 | 851 | 59.9% | 49.8% |
| Apr 2019 to Mar 2020 | 2,930 | 54.3% | 45.9% |
| Apr 2018 to Mar 2019 | 2,686 | 53.9% | 45.8% |
| Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 | 3,524 | 46.6% | 46.3% |
| Apr 2016 to Mar 2017 | 3,731 | 46.5% | 47.1% |
Other test centres in South West
| Centre | Pass rate | Tests | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodmin | 47.5% | 6,392 | 3.6 weeks |
| Bristol (Avonmouth) | 55.5% | 9,400 | 8.0 weeks |
| Bristol (Kingswood) | 51.9% | 14,863 | 5.3 weeks |
| Camborne | 40.6% | 6,271 | 5.6 weeks |
| Cheltenham | 43.2% | 5,161 | 13.5 weeks |
| Chippenham | 56.4% | 9,629 | 7.7 weeks |
| Dorchester | 69.0% | 4,353 | 10.9 weeks |
| Exeter | 46.8% | 8,679 | 7.6 weeks |
| Gloucester | 47.8% | 7,420 | 19.0 weeks |
| Isles of Scilly | 75.0% | 8 | not published |
| Launceston | 46.3% | 3,991 | 7.0 weeks |
| Newton Abbot | 53.8% | 6,591 | 6.8 weeks |
| Penzance | 46.5% | 507 | 21.0 weeks |
| Plymouth | 40.7% | 11,167 | 7.0 weeks |
| Poole | 53.4% | 10,375 | 7.1 weeks |
| Salisbury | 48.5% | 6,630 | 5.3 weeks |
| Swindon | 51.1% | 12,857 | 11.7 weeks |
| Taunton | 59.5% | 8,259 | 11.9 weeks |
| Trowbridge | 55.2% | 3,074 | 8.9 weeks |
| Weston-super-Mare | 61.0% | 4,443 | 5.0 weeks |
| Yeovil | 63.4% | 7,493 | 16.3 weeks |
A high pass rate does not mean an easier test. Every centre tests to the same standard. The rate reflects who tests there: how much practice they have had, how many are on a first attempt, and the roads they learned on. Choosing a centre for its pass rate rarely helps if the roads are unfamiliar.
Before your test
Most learners who pass have had plenty of practice on top of their lessons, and practising in a family car means the car needs to insure you. Which kind of learner cover fits your situation and how short-term learner cover works are explained here, and every provider is compared side by side.
Source: DVSA, Driving test and theory test data: cars, Open Government Licence v3.0. Car practical tests, April 2025 to March 2026. DVSA leaves out centres where one examiner conducted every test (they still count in the national figure). Waiting times are DVSA's monthly figures. Every centre.