Wales · DVSA car test centre
Bala driving test centre
Unit 4, Penllyn Workshops, Bala, LL23 7SP · wheelchair accessible
Tests here: car.
Waiting times to September 2026 and pass rates for 2025–26, from DVSA statistics published .
Median wait, September 2026
16.1 weeks
−0.9 wk on a year ago
Pass rate, 2025–26
61.6%
+11.6 pts vs GB 50.0%
Wait rank in Great Britain
218 of 314
1 = shortest wait; 20th of 21 Wales
Weeks to 10% of slots free
–
GB 19.7 weeks
People who took a car test at Bala in September 2026 had booked it a median of 16.1 weeks earlier: 4.5 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 8.7 weeks longer than the Wales figure (7.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 17 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 0.9 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 11.4 weeks to 20.1 weeks.
Waiting time over the last two years
Median weeks between booking a test and taking it, for tests taken each month.
- Bala
- Wales
- Great Britain
Show these figures as a table
| Month | Bala | Wales | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 16.1 | 7.4 | 11.6 |
| August 2026 | 11.4 | 7.3 | 11.1 |
| July 2026 | 11.4 | 7.6 | 11.1 |
| June 2026 | 12.1 | 7.7 | 10.7 |
| May 2026 | 16.7 | 7.4 | 9.7 |
| April 2026 | 17.9 | 7.6 | 9.1 |
| March 2026 | 16.9 | 6.1 | 9.0 |
| February 2026 | 17.4 | 7.7 | 10.4 |
| January 2026 | 17.2 | 8.0 | 10.1 |
| December 2025 | 17.7 | 7.6 | 10.1 |
| November 2025 | 19.4 | 8.4 | 10.4 |
| October 2025 | 20.1 | 8.6 | 11.6 |
| September 2025 | 17.0 | 9.3 | 12.4 |
| August 2025 | 17.4 | 10.1 | 11.7 |
| July 2025 | 16.3 | 10.9 | 12.0 |
| June 2025 | 17.6 | 9.3 | 11.0 |
| May 2025 | 18.0 | 9.6 | 11.3 |
| April 2025 | 13.1 | 9.0 | 10.6 |
| March 2025 | 16.6 | 7.9 | 10.4 |
| February 2025 | 13.2 | 8.7 | 11.4 |
| January 2025 | 16.2 | 8.1 | 11.0 |
| December 2024 | 17.1 | 8.6 | 10.4 |
| November 2024 | 18.0 | 8.6 | 9.9 |
| October 2024 | 18.1 | 8.7 | 9.7 |
How far ahead people booked
Of tests taken at Bala in September 2026, 20.6% had been booked within 7 weeks and 19.1% more than 21 weeks before.
- Within 7 weeks
- 7 to 14 weeks
- 14 to 21 weeks
- Over 21 weeks
At Bala, 20.6% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 19.1% more than 21 weeks ahead.
Show these figures as a table
| Within 7 weeks | 7 to 14 weeks | 14 to 21 weeks | Over 21 weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bala | 20.6% | 27.0% | 33.3% | 19.1% |
| Wales | 47.9% | 28.2% | 13.7% | 10.3% |
| Great Britain | 41.1% | 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 Bala, those three are below. Of the three, Wrexham (7.1 weeks), Rhyl (9.6 weeks) and Oswestry (11.7 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Bala in September 2026.
| Centre | Driving distance (DVSA) | Median wait | vs Bala | Pass rate 2025–26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrexhamabout 30 miles by road | about 30 mi | 7.1 weeks | −9.0 wk | 51.9% |
| Oswestryabout 32 miles by road | about 32 mi | 11.7 weeks | −4.4 wk | 52.4% |
| Rhylabout 36 miles by road | about 36 mi | 9.6 weeks | −6.5 wk | 56.9% |
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), 607 car tests were taken here and 61.6% passed, 11.6 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). That's close to the year before (61.1%). First attempts did better: 64.8% of 352 first-time candidates passed, and 3.7% did it with no faults at all.
- Bala
- Great Britain average
-
All tests61.6%11.6 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
-
First attempts64.8%14.3 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
-
First attempt with zero faults3.7%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
-
Men65.4%14.6 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
-
Women57.9%8.8 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
-
17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres77.2%13.6 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
-
Automatic cars16% of tests here were in automatics45.7%1.1 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
| Measure | Bala | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| All tests | 61.6% | 50.0% |
| First attempts | 64.8% | 50.5% |
| First attempt with zero faults | 3.7% | 2.9% |
| Men | 65.4% | 50.8% |
| Women | 57.9% | 49.1% |
| 17-year-olds | 77.2% | 63.6% |
| Automatic cars | 45.7% | 44.6% |
Pass rate by year
- Bala
- Great Britain
Show these figures as a table
| Year | Bala | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | 49.5% | 45.9% |
| 2020–21 | 59.3% | 49.8% |
| 2021–22 | 54.6% | 48.9% |
| 2022–23 | 51.3% | 48.4% |
| 2023–24 | 57.0% | 47.9% |
| 2024–25 | 61.1% | 48.7% |
| 2025–26 | 61.6% | 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 77.2%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.
Tests cancelled by DVSA
In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 28 tests at Bala, about 46.1 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (14). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.
The nearest theory test centre
The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Bala (Mobile Testing Vehicle, 1 The Green, (Long Stay Car Park, Next to the Fire Station), B4391, LL23 7NH), 0.3 mi away. In 2025–26, 43.1% of its 540 car theory tests were passes, 1.7 points below 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 Oswestry, 24 mi away, at 11.7 weeks. Within the same list, Pwllheli (34 mi) had a pass rate of 68.1%. 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.
| Centre | 24 months | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oswestry | 24 mi | 11.7 weeks | 52.4% | |
| Wrexham | 26 mi | 7.1 weeks | 51.9% | |
| Rhyl | 28 mi | 9.6 weeks | 56.9% | |
| Newtown | 30 mi | 14.1 weeks | 58.0% | |
| Bangor | 30 mi | 10.9 weeks | 62.2% | |
| Pwllheli | 34 mi | 16.3 weeks | 68.1% | |
| Chester | 36 mi | 7.5 weeks | 47.3% | |
| Shrewsbury | 38 mi | 10.1 weeks | 51.0% |
- This centre
- Shorter wait
- Other nearby
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.
- With 607 tests in a year, a handful of results moves the pass rate by several points. Treat small differences with caution.
- 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.