Test Centre Stats

North East, England · DVSA car test centre

Durham driving test centre

1st Floor Enna House, Whitfield Court Industrial Estate, St Johns Rd, Meadowfield, DH7 8XL

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

15.9 weeks

+0.8 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

53.2%

+3.2 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

208 of 314

1 = shortest wait; joint 7th of 11 North East

Weeks to 10% of slots free

23.8 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Durham in September 2026 had booked it a median of 15.9 weeks earlier: 4.3 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 2.8 weeks longer than the North East figure (13.1 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 15.1 weeks, so the wait has grown by 0.8 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 8.3 weeks to 15.9 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 23.8 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, 3.6% 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.

  • Durham
  • North East
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Durham, October 2024 to September 2026Durham: 15.9 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0102030Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2615.9Weeks0102030Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2615.9Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Durham, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthDurhamNorth EastGreat Britain
September 202615.913.111.6
August 202615.712.611.1
July 202615.711.711.1
June 202612.610.610.7
May 202614.110.19.7
April 202610.410.19.1
March 202610.49.79.0
February 20268.910.010.4
January 20268.39.410.1
December 202511.010.910.1
November 20259.410.110.4
October 20259.311.311.6
September 202515.112.412.4
August 202518.612.411.7
July 202520.113.612.0
June 202520.214.011.0
May 202521.013.311.3
April 202517.312.410.6
March 202511.113.110.4
February 202514.612.611.4
January 202516.211.711.0
December 202414.011.110.4
November 202413.310.69.9
October 20249.110.99.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Durham in September 2026, 32.0% had been booked within 7 weeks and 13.8% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Durham
North East
Great Britain

At Durham, 32.0% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 13.8% 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
Durham32.0%14.8%39.3%13.8%
North East34.0%18.5%20.8%26.7%
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 Durham, those three are below. Of the three, Darlington (7.6 weeks), Sunderland (9 weeks) and Gateshead (11.1 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Durham in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Durham can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs DurhamPass rate 2025–26
Sunderlandabout 17 miles by roadabout 17 mi9 weeks−6.9 wk51.1%
Gatesheadabout 19 miles by roadabout 19 mi11.1 weeks−4.8 wk37.5%
Darlingtonabout 22 miles by roadabout 22 mi7.6 weeks−8.3 wk47.1%

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), 9,451 car tests were taken here and 53.2% passed, 3.2 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 49.6%, so the rate rose by 3.6 points. First attempts did better: 54.8% of 4,867 first-time candidates passed, and 3.4% did it with no faults at all.

  • Durham
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    53.2%3.2 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    54.8%4.3 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    3.4%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    53.7%2.9 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    52.6%3.5 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    64.3%about the same as Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars18% of tests here were in automatics
    47.8%3.2 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Durham compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureDurhamGreat Britain
All tests53.2%50.0%
First attempts54.8%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults3.4%2.9%
Men53.7%50.8%
Women52.6%49.1%
17-year-olds64.3%63.6%
Automatic cars47.8%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Durham
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Durham by financial yearPass rate at Durham in 2025–26: 53.2%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Durham, 2019–20: 56.9%57Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Durham, 2020–21: 62.6%63Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Durham, 2021–22: 62.5%63Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Durham, 2022–23: 55.7%56Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Durham, 2023–24: 48.1%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Durham, 2024–25: 49.6%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Durham, 2025–26: 53.2%53Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Durham, 2019–20: 56.9%57Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Durham, 2020–21: 62.6%63Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Durham, 2021–22: 62.5%63Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Durham, 2022–23: 55.7%56Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Durham, 2023–24: 48.1%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Durham, 2024–25: 49.6%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Durham, 2025–26: 53.2%53Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Durham by financial year
YearDurhamGreat Britain
2019–2056.9%45.9%
2020–2162.6%49.8%
2021–2262.5%48.9%
2022–2355.7%48.4%
2023–2448.1%47.9%
2024–2549.6%48.7%
2025–2653.2%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 64.3%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1764.3% of 2,014
  • Age 1858.6% of 1,563
  • Age 1952.4% of 748
  • Age 2049.5% of 554
  • Age 2151.3% of 452
  • Age 2255.7% of 395
  • Age 2354.9% of 324
  • Age 2454.8% of 259
  • Age 2550.8% of 250

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 329 tests at Durham, about 34.8 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (229). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness229
  • Examiner leave88
  • Weather and other acts of nature12

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Bishop Auckland (First Floor, Bishop Auckland Community Partnership, The Four Clocks Centre, 154a Newgate Street, DL14 7EH), 6.5 mi away. In 2025–26, 47.5% of its 579 car theory tests were passes, 2.7 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 Sunderland, 14 mi away, at 9 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 Durham, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
SunderlandShorter wait14 mi9 weeks51.1%
GatesheadShorter wait15 mi11.1 weeks37.5%
DarlingtonShorter wait16 mi7.6 weeks47.1%
Hartlepool17 mi15.1 weeks51.0%
Gosforth20 mi21.1 weeks48.4%
Middlesbrough21 mi15.9 weeks47.7%
Hexham25 mi17.9 weeks53.0%
BlythShorter wait26 mi11.7 weeks50.9%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Sunderland: 9 weeksGateshead: 11.1 weeksDarlington: 7.6 weeksHartlepool: 15.1 weeksGosforth: 21.1 weeksMiddlesbrough: 15.9 weeksHexham: 17.9 weeksBlyth: 11.7 weeksDurhamDurham

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.