L learners insurance

Gateshead driving test centre pass rate

Official DVSA figures for car practical tests, April 2025 to March 2026.

37.5% of car driving tests at Gateshead were passes from April 2025 to March 2026: 3,568 of 9,512 tests. That is 12.5 points below the Great Britain rate of 50.0%.

At a glance

Gateshead
Tests conducted9,512
Passes3,568
Pass rate37.5%
Men37.2%
Women37.9%
Rank in Great Britain255 of 260
Rank in North East10 of 10
Median wait from booking to test7.1 weeks (August 2026)
Tests taken within 7 weeks of booking45%

Pass rate by age, 17 to 25

DVSA publishes the age breakdown for younger candidates only. Figures for April 2025 to March 2026.

AgeTestsPass rate
171,18451.1%
181,17043.8%
1969638.1%
2048340.4%
2142240.0%
2241138.0%
2333943.4%
2431839.0%
2528738.3%

Pass rate over the years

YearTestsGatesheadGreat Britain
Apr 2025 to Mar 20269,51237.5%50.0%
Apr 2024 to Mar 20258,10937.4%48.7%
Apr 2023 to Mar 20248,48240.9%47.9%
Apr 2022 to Mar 20235,63241.6%48.4%
Apr 2021 to Mar 20223,26244.1%48.9%
Apr 2020 to Mar 202183744.2%49.8%
Apr 2019 to Mar 20203,10143.5%45.9%
Apr 2018 to Mar 20192,82844.7%45.8%
Apr 2017 to Mar 20183,52141.8%46.3%
Apr 2016 to Mar 20174,53644.4%47.1%

Other test centres in North East

CentrePass rateTestsMedian wait
Alnwick55.5%1,28214.7 weeks
Berwick-On-Tweed53.9%66620.3 weeks
Blyth50.9%6,97313.5 weeks
Darlington47.1%12,1838.9 weeks
Durham53.2%9,45115.7 weeks
Gosforth48.4%10,53116.3 weeks
Hartlepool51.0%5,84713.4 weeks
Hexham53.0%1,38816.9 weeks
Middlesbrough47.7%8,85414.3 weeks
Sunderland51.1%10,4368.9 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.