Test Centre Stats

East of England, England · DVSA car test centre

Bedford driving test centre

Bedford Heights, Manton Lane, Bedford, MK41 7NY · wheelchair accessible

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

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

Median wait, September 2026

3.3 weeks

−16.1 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

53.7%

+3.7 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

8 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 1st of 24 East of England

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Bedford in September 2026 had booked it a median of 3.3 weeks earlier: 8.3 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 8.7 weeks shorter than the East of England figure (12 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 19.4 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 16.1 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 3.3 weeks to 27.1 weeks.

When DVSA took its snapshot on the last Monday of September 2026, no week in the next 24 had even 10% of its slots free. DVSA caps this measure at 24 weeks, so the true figure could be longer. Across the whole 24-week window, 3.4% 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.

  • Bedford
  • East of England
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Bedford, October 2024 to September 2026Bedford: 3.3 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0102030Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 263.3Weeks0102030Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 263.3Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Bedford, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthBedfordEast of EnglandGreat Britain
September 20263.312.011.6
August 202627.111.911.1
July 202627.111.711.1
June 202625.111.410.7
May 202615.69.49.7
April 202616.89.09.1
March 202619.49.39.0
February 202623.111.010.4
January 202621.810.410.1
December 202517.310.110.1
November 202517.110.010.4
October 202521.311.611.6
September 202519.412.112.4
August 202517.010.911.7
July 202518.410.312.0
June 202515.39.311.0
May 202516.79.611.3
April 20259.18.310.6
March 202515.38.010.4
February 202518.68.611.4
January 202518.48.911.0
December 202417.19.710.4
November 202412.98.39.9
October 202413.57.99.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Bedford in September 2026, 65.5% had been booked within 7 weeks and 21.2% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Bedford
East of England
Great Britain

At Bedford, 65.5% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 21.2% 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
Bedford65.5%8.3%5.1%21.2%
East of England42.2%11.0%11.7%35.1%
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 Bedford, those three are below. None of the three had a median wait more than a week shorter than Bedford in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Bedford can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs BedfordPass rate 2025–26
Lutonabout 21 miles by roadabout 21 mi9.9 weeks+6.6 wk39.2%
Letchworthabout 21 miles by roadabout 21 mi21 weeks+17.7 wk57.5%
Bletchleyabout 21 miles by roadabout 21 mi4 weeks+0.7 wk51.5%

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), 8,854 car tests were taken here and 53.7% passed, 3.7 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 49.9%, so the rate rose by 3.8 points. First attempts did about the same: 54.4% of 4,785 first-time candidates passed, and 4.5% did it with no faults at all.

  • Bedford
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    53.7%3.7 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    54.4%3.9 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    4.5%1.6 points above Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    54.8%4.0 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    52.3%3.2 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    69.3%5.7 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars33% of tests here were in automatics
    46.8%2.2 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Bedford compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureBedfordGreat Britain
All tests53.7%50.0%
First attempts54.4%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults4.5%2.9%
Men54.8%50.8%
Women52.3%49.1%
17-year-olds69.3%63.6%
Automatic cars46.8%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Bedford
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Bedford by financial yearPass rate at Bedford in 2025–26: 53.7%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Bedford, 2021–22: 54.3%54Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Bedford, 2022–23: 56.0%56Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Bedford, 2023–24: 52.7%53Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Bedford, 2024–25: 49.9%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Bedford, 2025–26: 53.7%54Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Bedford, 2021–22: 54.3%54Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Bedford, 2022–23: 56.0%56Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Bedford, 2023–24: 52.7%53Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Bedford, 2024–25: 49.9%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Bedford, 2025–26: 53.7%54Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Bedford by financial year
YearBedfordGreat Britain
2019–20–45.9%
2020–21–49.8%
2021–2254.3%48.9%
2022–2356.0%48.4%
2023–2452.7%47.9%
2024–2549.9%48.7%
2025–2653.7%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 69.3%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1769.3% of 1,305
  • Age 1860.2% of 1,142
  • Age 1958.5% of 576
  • Age 2056.3% of 357
  • Age 2156.1% of 342
  • Age 2259.7% of 335
  • Age 2352.8% of 286
  • Age 2458.1% of 272
  • Age 2548.6% of 290

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 574 tests at Bedford, about 64.8 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (475). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness475
  • Examiner leave80
  • Weather and other acts of nature19

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Rushden (Park Road Baptist Church, Park Road, NN10 0RG), 11 mi away. In 2025–26, 52.0% of its 100 car theory tests were passes, 7.2 points above the Great Britain rate (44.8%). You can sit the theory test at any centre.

Nearby centres

None of the 8 nearest centres had a wait at least a week shorter than Bedford in September 2026. Within the same list, Wellingborough (15 mi) had a pass rate of 60.0%. 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 Bedford, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
WellingboroughHigher pass rate15 mi18 weeks60.0%
Bletchley16 mi4 weeks51.5%
LetchworthHigher pass rate16 mi21 weeks57.5%
Leighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road)18 mi25.1 weeks49.9%
Luton19 mi9.9 weeks39.2%
Kettering19 mi4.7 weeks49.1%
Northampton20 mi8.6 weeks52.1%
Stevenage20 mi3.7 weeks55.3%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Wellingborough: 18 weeksBletchley: 4 weeksLetchworth: 21 weeksLeighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road): 25.1 weeksLuton: 9.9 weeksKettering: 4.7 weeksNorthampton: 8.6 weeksStevenage: 3.7 weeksBedfordBedford

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.
  • "Weeks to 10% availability" stops at 24 because DVSA only releases tests 24 weeks ahead. A figure of 24 means "24 or more".
  • 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.