Nelson driving test centre pass rate
Official DVSA figures for car practical tests, April 2025 to March 2026.
51.7% of car driving tests at Nelson were passes from April 2025 to March 2026: 3,081 of 5,955 tests. That is 1.7 points above the Great Britain rate of 50.0%.
At a glance
| Nelson | |
|---|---|
| Tests conducted | 5,955 |
| Passes | 3,081 |
| Pass rate | 51.7% |
| Men | 56.2% |
| Women | 47.2% |
| Rank in Great Britain | 118 of 260 |
| Rank in North West | 16 of 30 |
| Median wait from booking to test | 19.7 weeks (August 2026) |
| Tests taken within 7 weeks of booking | 25% |
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 | 739 | 64.0% |
| 18 | 934 | 57.3% |
| 19 | 557 | 54.8% |
| 20 | 354 | 54.5% |
| 21 | 293 | 52.6% |
| 22 | 235 | 56.2% |
| 23 | 219 | 52.5% |
| 24 | 230 | 48.3% |
| 25 | 172 | 52.3% |
Pass rate over the years
| Year | Tests | Nelson | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | 5,955 | 51.7% | 50.0% |
| Apr 2024 to Mar 2025 | 6,366 | 47.9% | 48.7% |
| Apr 2023 to Mar 2024 | 5,845 | 49.6% | 47.9% |
| Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 4,833 | 54.3% | 48.4% |
| Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 4,485 | 56.5% | 48.9% |
| Apr 2019 to Mar 2020 | 5,437 | 48.1% | 45.9% |
| Apr 2018 to Mar 2019 | 5,291 | 50.2% | 45.8% |
| Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 | 5,432 | 53.2% | 46.3% |
| Apr 2016 to Mar 2017 | 5,780 | 53.7% | 47.1% |
| Apr 2015 to Mar 2016 | 4,557 | 46.7% | 47.0% |
Other test centres in North West
| Centre | Pass rate | Tests | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atherton (Manchester) | 44.3% | 13,035 | 15.3 weeks |
| Barrow In Furness | 69.6% | 1,699 | 4.4 weeks |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 46.6% | 12,205 | 8.6 weeks |
| Blackpool | 51.8% | 8,948 | 8.9 weeks |
| Bolton (Manchester) | 51.8% | 11,570 | 16.2 weeks |
| Bredbury (Manchester) | 56.0% | 10,636 | 17.1 weeks |
| Bury (Manchester) | 46.3% | 7,024 | 7.6 weeks |
| Carlisle | 58.7% | 3,518 | 8.4 weeks |
| Carlisle LGV (Cars) | 44.7% | 47 | 0.3 weeks |
| Chadderton | 46.8% | 15,988 | 12.0 weeks |
| Cheetham Hill (Manchester) | 44.7% | 10,207 | 10.4 weeks |
| Chester | 47.3% | 9,212 | 14.4 weeks |
| Chorley | 52.8% | 5,415 | 12.0 weeks |
| Crewe | 43.8% | 4,994 | 16.0 weeks |
| Heysham | 59.2% | 3,692 | 18.1 weeks |
| Kendal (Oxenholme Road) | 65.1% | 2,231 | 10.7 weeks |
| Macclesfield | 51.9% | 4,509 | 21.4 weeks |
| Norris Green (Liverpool) | 37.8% | 13,472 | 15.3 weeks |
| Northwich | 57.6% | 3,529 | 19.1 weeks |
| Preston | 56.3% | 9,194 | 18.4 weeks |
| Rochdale (Manchester) | 48.3% | 11,563 | 9.1 weeks |
| Sale (Manchester) | 51.4% | 10,921 | 15.4 weeks |
| Southport (Liverpool) | 56.5% | 7,949 | 16.9 weeks |
| Speke (Liverpool) | 40.5% | 8,159 | 8.3 weeks |
| St Helens (Liverpool) | 40.9% | 14,174 | 6.6 weeks |
| Upton | 52.6% | 10,772 | 12.1 weeks |
| Wallasey | 54.3% | 968 | 20.5 weeks |
| Warrington | 55.5% | 7,550 | 10.6 weeks |
| West Didsbury (Manchester) | 47.7% | 17,806 | 22.6 weeks |
| Widnes | 42.7% | 6,846 | 6.9 weeks |
| Workington | 61.9% | 2,998 | 10.9 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.