Test Centre Stats

Scotland · DVSA car test centre

Aberdeen South (Cove) driving test centre

Moss Road, Gateway Business Park, Nigg, Aberdeen, AB12 3GQ · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car, motorcycle module 1 (off-road), motorcycle module 2 (on-road), ADI part 3.

Waiting times to September 2026 and pass rates for 2025–26, from DVSA statistics published .

Median wait, September 2026

9.1 weeks

+1.2 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

52.4%

+2.4 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

101 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 13th of 74 Scotland

Weeks to 10% of slots free

16.8 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Aberdeen South (Cove) in September 2026 had booked it a median of 9.1 weeks earlier: 2.5 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 6 weeks shorter than the Scotland figure (15.1 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 7.9 weeks, so the wait has grown by 1.2 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 5.6 weeks to 16 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 16.8 weeks to reach a week with at least 10% of its test slots free (Great Britain: 19.7 weeks). Across the whole 24-week window, 20.2% of standard slots were still unbooked (Great Britain: 13.3%).

Waiting time over the last two years

Median weeks between booking a test and taking it, for tests taken each month.

  • Aberdeen South (Cove)
  • Scotland
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Aberdeen South (Cove), October 2024 to September 2026Aberdeen South (Cove): 9.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 269.1Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 269.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Aberdeen South (Cove), October 2024 to September 2026
MonthAberdeen South (Cove)ScotlandGreat Britain
September 20269.115.111.6
August 20266.316.011.1
July 20266.315.611.1
June 20265.614.410.7
May 20268.913.69.7
April 20266.013.09.1
March 202611.714.79.0
February 202616.014.910.4
January 202615.415.010.1
December 202511.113.310.1
November 202511.113.710.4
October 20258.614.411.6
September 20257.915.012.4
August 20258.413.711.7
July 20255.313.612.0
June 20256.612.911.0
May 20256.613.111.3
April 20256.011.910.6
March 20256.511.310.4
February 20258.312.011.4
January 20258.011.111.0
December 20248.110.010.4
November 20248.69.69.9
October 20248.98.99.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Aberdeen South (Cove) in September 2026, 44.8% had been booked within 7 weeks and 16.6% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Aberdeen South (Cove)
Scotland
Great Britain

At Aberdeen South (Cove), 44.8% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 16.6% more than 21 weeks ahead.

Show these figures as a table
How far ahead tests taken in September 2026 were booked
Within 7 weeks7 to 14 weeks14 to 21 weeksOver 21 weeks
Aberdeen South (Cove)44.8%20.2%18.4%16.6%
Scotland32.2%14.8%17.0%36.0%
Great Britain41.1%14.2%15.2%29.5%

If your test is booked here

Since 9 June 2026 a car test can only be moved to one of the three centres DVSA lists as nearest by road (or back to the centre where you first booked), and you get two changes in total. For a test booked at Aberdeen South (Cove), those three are below. All three had longer median waits than Aberdeen South (Cove) in September 2026, so moving away from here is unlikely to help.

Centres a test booked at Aberdeen South (Cove) can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Aberdeen South (Cove)Pass rate 2025–26
Aberdeen Northabout 9 miles by roadabout 9 mi16.5 weeks+7.4 wk48.2%
Inverurieabout 26 miles by roadabout 26 mi12.4 weeks+3.3 wk61.9%
Montroseabout 34 miles by roadabout 34 mi18.9 weeks+9.8 wk70.0%

From DVSA's list of centres you can move your test to, which it says may change. The change service shows your actual options.

Pass rates

In 2025–26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 4,858 car tests were taken here and 52.4% passed, 2.4 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 51.4%, so the rate rose by 1.0 points. First attempts did about the same: 51.4% of 2,472 first-time candidates passed, and 6.0% did it with no faults at all.

  • Aberdeen South (Cove)
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    52.4%2.4 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    51.4%about the same as Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    6.0%3.1 points above Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    51.0%about the same as Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    54.2%5.1 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    68.3%4.7 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars32% of tests here were in automatics
    42.3%2.3 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Aberdeen South (Cove) compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureAberdeen South (Cove)Great Britain
All tests52.4%50.0%
First attempts51.4%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults6.0%2.9%
Men51.0%50.8%
Women54.2%49.1%
17-year-olds68.3%63.6%
Automatic cars42.3%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Aberdeen South (Cove)
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Aberdeen South (Cove) by financial yearPass rate at Aberdeen South (Cove) in 2025–26: 52.4%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Aberdeen South (Cove), 2019–20: 56.7%57Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Aberdeen South (Cove), 2020–21: 62.8%63Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Aberdeen South (Cove), 2021–22: 60.6%61Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Aberdeen South (Cove), 2022–23: 53.9%54Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Aberdeen South (Cove), 2023–24: 51.5%51Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Aberdeen South (Cove), 2024–25: 51.4%51Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Aberdeen South (Cove), 2025–26: 52.4%52Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Aberdeen South (Cove), 2019–20: 56.7%57Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Aberdeen South (Cove), 2020–21: 62.8%63Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Aberdeen South (Cove), 2021–22: 60.6%61Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Aberdeen South (Cove), 2022–23: 53.9%54Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Aberdeen South (Cove), 2023–24: 51.5%51Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Aberdeen South (Cove), 2024–25: 51.4%51Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Aberdeen South (Cove), 2025–26: 52.4%52Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Aberdeen South (Cove) by financial year
YearAberdeen South (Cove)Great Britain
2019–2056.7%45.9%
2020–2162.8%49.8%
2021–2260.6%48.9%
2022–2353.9%48.4%
2023–2451.5%47.9%
2024–2551.4%48.7%
2025–2652.4%50.0%

Years run April to March; ’20 is 2020–21.

By age, 17 to 25 (2025–26)

Candidates aged 17 did best here, at 68.3%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1768.3% of 1,039
  • Age 1861.0% of 433
  • Age 1961.4% of 220
  • Age 2060.6% of 160
  • Age 2162.8% of 113
  • Age 2254.4% of 125
  • Age 2354.8% of 146
  • Age 2450.9% of 110
  • Age 2549.6% of 117

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 359 tests at Aberdeen South (Cove), about 73.9 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was weather and other acts of nature (219). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Weather and other acts of nature219
  • Examiner leave71
  • Examiner illness69

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Aberdeen (Suite 2, First Floor, Union Point, Blaikies Quay, AB11 5PW), 3.9 mi away. In 2025–26, 47.8% of its 17,313 car theory tests were passes, 3.0 points above the Great Britain rate (44.8%). You can sit the theory test at any centre.

Nearby centres

The nearest centre with a shorter wait is Peterhead, 30 mi away, at 6.4 weeks. Within the same list, Inverurie (18 mi) had a pass rate of 61.9%. You can book a new test at any centre in Great Britain, but once it's booked a car test can only be moved to the three centres DVSA names for that centre. Distances here are straight-line.

Centres near Aberdeen South (Cove), with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Aberdeen North6.4 mi16.5 weeks48.2%
InverurieHigher pass rate18 mi12.4 weeks61.9%
MontroseHigher pass rate30 mi18.9 weeks70.0%
PeterheadShorter wait30 mi6.4 weeks53.2%
Ballater35 mi20.9 weeks–
HuntlyHigher pass rate36 mi15.6 weeks63.7%
FraserburghHigher pass rate42 mi16 weeks64.0%
ArbroathHigher pass rate42 mi29.9 weeks67.4%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Aberdeen North: 16.5 weeksInverurie: 12.4 weeksMontrose: 18.9 weeksPeterhead: 6.4 weeksBallater: 20.9 weeksHuntly: 15.6 weeksFraserburgh: 16 weeksArbroath: 29.9 weeksAberdeen South (Cove)Aberdeen South (Cove)

Reading these figures

  • The waiting time is a median for tests taken that month: half of candidates booked closer to their test date, half further ahead. It is not the earliest date you could book today, which can be sooner when tests are cancelled or extra ones are added.
  • DVSA marks figures from April 2025 onwards as provisional; they can be revised at the quarterly update.
  • Pass rates are published once a year; the latest cover April 2025 to March 2026. Waiting times are monthly, to September 2026.
  • The figures cover DVSA car tests only, not tests run by delegated examiners (such as some fleet and emergency service tests).

To book or move a test, use the official services: book your driving test or change your driving test on GOV.UK. DVSA explains when new tests are released. We have no link with DVSA and no access to its booking system.

Sources

DVSA, Driving test and theory test data: cars: tables DRT122F (waiting times), DRT121G (regional and national), DRT122A to DRT122E (pass rates), DRT122B (cancellations) and DRT112A (theory tests). Address and coordinates from GOV.UK's Find a driving test centre. Open Government Licence v3.0. Checked 3 November 2026.