Test Centre Stats

South West, England · DVSA car test centre

Dorchester driving test centre

66 Peverell Avenue West, Poundbury, Dorchester, DT1 3SU

Tests here: car, ADI part 3.

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

Median wait, September 2026

10.6 weeks

−6.6 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

69.0%

+19.0 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

123 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 12th of 22 South West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

22.8 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Dorchester in September 2026 had booked it a median of 10.6 weeks earlier: 1 week shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 2.2 weeks longer than the South West figure (8.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 17.2 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 6.6 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 5.9 weeks to 14.5 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 22.8 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, 10.9% 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.

  • Dorchester
  • South West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Dorchester, October 2024 to September 2026Dorchester: 10.6 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0102030Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2610.6Weeks0102030Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2610.6Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Dorchester, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthDorchesterSouth WestGreat Britain
September 202610.68.411.6
August 202610.98.311.1
July 202610.98.111.1
June 20266.47.010.7
May 20265.97.19.7
April 20269.47.19.1
March 202610.47.19.0
February 202610.69.010.4
January 202613.19.910.1
December 202511.910.110.1
November 20257.610.410.4
October 202514.510.611.6
September 202517.212.012.4
August 202519.911.111.7
July 202517.111.712.0
June 202511.411.111.0
May 202512.411.711.3
April 202514.410.910.6
March 202515.110.610.4
February 202519.811.311.4
January 202523.010.611.0
December 202420.010.710.4
November 202420.010.49.9
October 202417.110.79.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Dorchester in September 2026, 41.7% had been booked within 7 weeks and 17.9% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Dorchester
South West
Great Britain

At Dorchester, 41.7% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 17.9% 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
Dorchester41.7%19.3%21.1%17.9%
South West46.7%17.4%15.8%20.1%
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 Dorchester, those three are below. Of the three, Salisbury (6.1 weeks) and Poole (8.8 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Dorchester in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Dorchester can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs DorchesterPass rate 2025–26
Yeovilabout 22 miles by roadabout 22 mi13.1 weeks+2.5 wk63.4%
Pooleabout 26 miles by roadabout 26 mi8.8 weeks−1.8 wk53.4%
Salisburyabout 43 miles by roadabout 43 mi6.1 weeks−4.5 wk48.5%

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), 4,353 car tests were taken here and 69.0% passed, 19.0 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 66.7%, so the rate rose by 2.3 points. First attempts did better: 71.8% of 2,415 first-time candidates passed, and 8.4% did it with no faults at all.

  • Dorchester
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    69.0%19.0 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    71.8%21.3 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    8.4%5.5 points above Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    68.4%17.6 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    69.6%20.5 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    82.5%18.9 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars31% of tests here were in automatics
    59.3%14.7 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Dorchester compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureDorchesterGreat Britain
All tests69.0%50.0%
First attempts71.8%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults8.4%2.9%
Men68.4%50.8%
Women69.6%49.1%
17-year-olds82.5%63.6%
Automatic cars59.3%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Dorchester
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Dorchester by financial yearPass rate at Dorchester in 2025–26: 69.0%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Dorchester, 2019–20: 59.5%60Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Dorchester, 2020–21: 65.7%66Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Dorchester, 2021–22: 64.7%65Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Dorchester, 2022–23: 62.0%62Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Dorchester, 2023–24: 63.5%64Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Dorchester, 2024–25: 66.7%67Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Dorchester, 2025–26: 69.0%69Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Dorchester, 2019–20: 59.5%60Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Dorchester, 2020–21: 65.7%66Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Dorchester, 2021–22: 64.7%65Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Dorchester, 2022–23: 62.0%62Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Dorchester, 2023–24: 63.5%64Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Dorchester, 2024–25: 66.7%67Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Dorchester, 2025–26: 69.0%69Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Dorchester by financial year
YearDorchesterGreat Britain
2019–2059.5%45.9%
2020–2165.7%49.8%
2021–2264.7%48.9%
2022–2362.0%48.4%
2023–2463.5%47.9%
2024–2566.7%48.7%
2025–2669.0%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 82.5%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1782.5% of 981
  • Age 1879.8% of 520
  • Age 1975.2% of 238
  • Age 2074.4% of 156
  • Age 2177.0% of 135
  • Age 2275.5% of 110
  • Age 2378.4% of 88
  • Age 2467.4% of 86
  • Age 2563.5% of 104

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 119 tests at Dorchester, about 27.3 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner leave (82). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner leave82
  • Examiner illness34
  • Weather and other acts of nature3

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Weymouth (Ground Floor, Phoenix House, St Nicholas Street, DT4 8AA), 7.3 mi away. In 2025–26, 44.9% of its 4,806 car theory tests were passes, close to 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 Poole, 22 mi away, at 8.8 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 Dorchester, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Yeovil18 mi13.1 weeks63.4%
PooleShorter wait22 mi8.8 weeks53.4%
Taunton34 mi12.6 weeks59.5%
SalisburyShorter wait39 mi6.1 weeks48.5%
TrowbridgeShorter wait43 mi5.6 weeks55.2%
ExeterShorter wait46 mi6.4 weeks46.8%
Southampton (Maybush)47 mi14.4 weeks50.3%
Weston-super-MareShorter wait49 mi4 weeks61.0%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Yeovil: 13.1 weeksPoole: 8.8 weeksTaunton: 12.6 weeksSalisbury: 6.1 weeksTrowbridge: 5.6 weeksExeter: 6.4 weeksSouthampton (Maybush): 14.4 weeksWeston-super-Mare: 4 weeksDorchesterDorchester

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.