Test Centre Stats

Scotland · DVSA car test centre

Gairloch driving test centre

Mihol Road, Gairloch, IV21 2BX

Tests here: car.

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

Limited data for this centre. Only 49 tests were recorded in 2025-26, too few for a steady pass rate.

Median wait, September 2026

8.3 weeks

No figure a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

73.5%

+23.5 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

89 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 12th of 74 Scotland

Weeks to 10% of slots free

–

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Gairloch in September 2026 had booked it a median of 8.3 weeks earlier: 3.3 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 6.8 weeks shorter than the Scotland figure (15.1 weeks). Over the last 12 months it ranged from 3 weeks to 27.1 weeks.

Waiting time over the last two years

Median weeks between booking a test and taking it, for tests taken each month.

  • Gairloch
  • Scotland
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Gairloch, October 2024 to September 2026Gairloch: 8.3 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0102030Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 268.3Weeks0102030Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 268.3Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Gairloch, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthGairlochScotlandGreat Britain
September 20268.315.111.6
August 20266.316.011.1
July 20266.315.611.1
June 20263.014.410.7
May 202610.613.69.7
April 20266.813.09.1
March 202615.914.79.0
February 202613.414.910.4
January 202617.015.010.1
December 20259.713.310.1
November 202527.113.710.4
October 20259.114.411.6
September 2025–15.012.4
August 2025–13.711.7
July 2025–13.612.0
June 2025–12.911.0
May 202511.913.111.3
April 20257.911.910.6
March 20256.611.310.4
February 20251.212.011.4
January 202510.611.111.0
December 20244.110.010.4
November 20244.59.69.9
October 20241.78.99.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Gairloch in September 2026, 40.0% had been booked within 7 weeks and 0.0% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Gairloch
Scotland
Great Britain

At Gairloch, 40.0% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 0.0% 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
Gairloch40.0%60.0%0.0%0.0%
Scotland32.2%14.8%17.0%36.0%
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 Gairloch, those three are below. None of the three had a median wait more than a week shorter than Gairloch in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Gairloch can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs GairlochPass rate 2025–26
Ullapoolabout 56 miles by roadabout 56 mi11.1 weeks+2.8 wk61.2%
Kyle of Lochalshabout 68 miles by roadabout 68 mi7.7 weeks−0.6 wk57.4%
Alnessabout 69 miles by roadabout 69 mi14 weeks+5.7 wk63.1%

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), 49 car tests were taken here and 73.5% passed, 23.5 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 69.2%, so the rate rose by 4.3 points. First attempts did about the same: 73.1% of 26 first-time candidates passed, and 7.7% did it with no faults at all.

  • Gairloch
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    73.5%23.5 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    73.1%22.6 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    7.7%4.8 points above Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    85.2%34.4 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    59.1%10.0 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Gairloch compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureGairlochGreat Britain
All tests73.5%50.0%
First attempts73.1%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults7.7%2.9%
Men85.2%50.8%
Women59.1%49.1%

Pass rate by year

  • Gairloch
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Gairloch by financial yearPass rate at Gairloch in 2025–26: 73.5%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Gairloch, 2019–20: 72.4%72Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Gairloch, 2021–22: 67.6%68Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Gairloch, 2022–23: 78.0%78Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Gairloch, 2023–24: 73.5%73Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Gairloch, 2024–25: 69.2%69Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Gairloch, 2025–26: 73.5%73Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Gairloch, 2019–20: 72.4%72Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Gairloch, 2021–22: 67.6%68Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Gairloch, 2022–23: 78.0%78Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Gairloch, 2023–24: 73.5%73Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Gairloch, 2024–25: 69.2%69Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Gairloch, 2025–26: 73.5%73Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Gairloch by financial year
YearGairlochGreat Britain
2019–2072.4%45.9%
2020–21–49.8%
2021–2267.6%48.9%
2022–2378.0%48.4%
2023–2473.5%47.9%
2024–2569.2%48.7%
2025–2673.5%50.0%

Years run April to March; ’20 is 2020–21.

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2024–25 DVSA cancelled 2 tests at Gairloch, about 38.5 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (2). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness2

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Ullapool (Macphail Centre, Mill Street, IV26 2UN), 23 mi away. In 2025–26, 56.8% of its 37 car theory tests were passes, 12.0 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 Isle of Skye (Portree), 29 mi away, at 3.4 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 Gairloch, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Ullapool23 mi11.1 weeks61.2%
Isle of Skye (Portree)Shorter wait29 mi3.4 weeks57.0%
Kyle of Lochalsh32 mi7.7 weeks57.4%
Stornoway41 mi9.9 weeks66.6%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Ullapool: 11.1 weeksIsle of Skye (Portree): 3.4 weeksKyle of Lochalsh: 7.7 weeksStornoway: 9.9 weeksGairlochGairloch

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.
  • DVSA left out the median wait for 4 of the last 24 months at this centre (gaps in the chart), usually because too few tests were taken or the centre was closed.
  • With 49 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.