Test Centre Stats

North West, England · DVSA car test centre

Bolton (Manchester) driving test centre

Weston Street, Bolton, BL3 2AW · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car, 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

12.4 weeks

+1.2 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

51.8%

+1.8 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

156 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 18th of 32 North West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Bolton (Manchester) in September 2026 had booked it a median of 12.4 weeks earlier: 0.8 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and about the same as the North West figure (12.6 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 11.2 weeks, so the wait has grown by 1.2 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 7.1 weeks to 16.2 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, 3.3% 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.

  • Bolton (Manchester)
  • North West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Bolton (Manchester), October 2024 to September 2026Bolton (Manchester): 12.4 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2612.4Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2612.4Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Bolton (Manchester), October 2024 to September 2026
MonthBolton (Manchester)North WestGreat Britain
September 202612.412.611.6
August 202616.212.111.1
July 202616.212.711.1
June 202616.011.610.7
May 202613.010.09.7
April 202612.310.39.1
March 20267.49.19.0
February 20267.110.910.4
January 20268.710.310.1
December 202510.010.010.1
November 20259.09.110.4
October 20259.610.011.6
September 202511.210.612.4
August 202512.011.011.7
July 202512.011.912.0
June 20258.110.711.0
May 20257.011.311.3
April 20257.711.110.6
March 202516.311.610.4
February 202517.012.011.4
January 202517.111.011.0
December 202418.310.410.4
November 202415.910.19.9
October 202412.910.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Bolton (Manchester) in September 2026, 37.4% had been booked within 7 weeks and 32.0% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Bolton (Manchester)
North West
Great Britain

At Bolton (Manchester), 37.4% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 32.0% 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
Bolton (Manchester)37.4%15.9%14.7%32.0%
North West39.4%13.8%19.7%27.1%
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 Bolton (Manchester), those three are below. Of the three, Bury (Manchester) (5.7 weeks), Atherton (Manchester) (10 weeks) and Cheetham Hill (Manchester) (10 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Bolton (Manchester) in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Bolton (Manchester) can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Bolton (Manchester)Pass rate 2025–26
Atherton (Manchester)about 6 miles by roadabout 6 mi10 weeks−2.4 wk44.3%
Bury (Manchester)about 7 miles by roadabout 7 mi5.7 weeks−6.7 wk46.3%
Cheetham Hill (Manchester)about 11 miles by roadabout 11 mi10 weeks−2.4 wk44.7%

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), 11,570 car tests were taken here and 51.8% passed, 1.8 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 56.7%, so the rate fell by 4.9 points. First attempts did about the same: 52.8% of 5,792 first-time candidates passed, and 3.7% did it with no faults at all.

  • Bolton (Manchester)
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    51.8%1.8 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    52.8%2.3 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    3.7%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    53.5%2.7 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    50.0%about the same as Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    69.9%6.3 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars36% of tests here were in automatics
    46.7%2.1 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Bolton (Manchester) compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureBolton (Manchester)Great Britain
All tests51.8%50.0%
First attempts52.8%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults3.7%2.9%
Men53.5%50.8%
Women50.0%49.1%
17-year-olds69.9%63.6%
Automatic cars46.7%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Bolton (Manchester)
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Bolton (Manchester) by financial yearPass rate at Bolton (Manchester) in 2025–26: 51.8%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Bolton (Manchester), 2019–20: 51.6%52Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Bolton (Manchester), 2020–21: 58.2%58Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Bolton (Manchester), 2021–22: 56.7%57Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Bolton (Manchester), 2022–23: 58.5%59Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Bolton (Manchester), 2023–24: 54.6%55Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Bolton (Manchester), 2024–25: 56.7%57Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Bolton (Manchester), 2025–26: 51.8%52Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Bolton (Manchester), 2019–20: 51.6%52Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Bolton (Manchester), 2020–21: 58.2%58Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Bolton (Manchester), 2021–22: 56.7%57Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Bolton (Manchester), 2022–23: 58.5%59Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Bolton (Manchester), 2023–24: 54.6%55Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Bolton (Manchester), 2024–25: 56.7%57Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Bolton (Manchester), 2025–26: 51.8%52Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Bolton (Manchester) by financial year
YearBolton (Manchester)Great Britain
2019–2051.6%45.9%
2020–2158.2%49.8%
2021–2256.7%48.9%
2022–2358.5%48.4%
2023–2454.6%47.9%
2024–2556.7%48.7%
2025–2651.8%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 69.9%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1769.9% of 982
  • Age 1859.7% of 1,368
  • Age 1955.4% of 900
  • Age 2054.3% of 591
  • Age 2157.3% of 468
  • Age 2251.6% of 448
  • Age 2355.4% of 397
  • Age 2449.1% of 401
  • Age 2553.6% of 407

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 271 tests at Bolton (Manchester), about 23.4 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner leave (99). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner leave99
  • Weather and other acts of nature93
  • Examiner illness79

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Bolton (Suite 2A, Second Floor, Knowsley House, 4-6 Knowsley Street, BL1 2AH), 1.1 mi away. In 2025–26, 41.7% of its 46,465 car theory tests were passes, 3.1 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 Atherton (Manchester), 4.2 mi away, at 10 weeks. No nearby centre had a pass rate more than 2 points higher. 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 Bolton (Manchester), with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Atherton (Manchester)Shorter wait4.2 mi10 weeks44.3%
Bury (Manchester)Shorter wait6.1 mi5.7 weeks46.3%
Cheetham Hill (Manchester)Shorter wait8.6 mi10 weeks44.7%
ChorleyShorter wait10 mi5.4 weeks52.8%
Blackburn with Darwen11 mi13.1 weeks46.6%
Chadderton11 mi16.1 weeks46.8%
Sale (Manchester)11 mi18.3 weeks51.4%
West Didsbury (Manchester)12 mi19.9 weeks47.7%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Atherton (Manchester): 10 weeksBury (Manchester): 5.7 weeksCheetham Hill (Manchester): 10 weeksChorley: 5.4 weeksBlackburn with Darwen: 13.1 weeksChadderton: 16.1 weeksSale (Manchester): 18.3 weeksWest Didsbury (Manchester): 19.9 weeksBolton (Manchester)Bolton (Manchester)

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.