Test Centre Stats

East Midlands, England · DVSA car test centre

Kettering driving test centre

Orion Way, Kettering Business Park, Kettering, NN15 6NL

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

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

Median wait, September 2026

4.7 weeks

−11.9 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

49.1%

−0.9 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

23 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 2nd of 20 East Midlands

Weeks to 10% of slots free

23.8 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Kettering in September 2026 had booked it a median of 4.7 weeks earlier: 6.9 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 6.3 weeks shorter than the East Midlands figure (11 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 16.6 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 11.9 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 4.7 weeks to 14 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, 6.3% 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.

  • Kettering
  • East Midlands
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Kettering, October 2024 to September 2026Kettering: 4.7 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 264.7Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 264.7Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Kettering, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthKetteringEast MidlandsGreat Britain
September 20264.711.011.6
August 20267.39.611.1
July 20267.310.011.1
June 202612.111.010.7
May 202612.910.39.7
April 202613.49.39.1
March 202611.08.49.0
February 202610.09.610.4
January 20267.79.410.1
December 20258.99.910.1
November 202510.411.310.4
October 202514.014.111.6
September 202516.614.012.4
August 202512.412.911.7
July 202513.713.112.0
June 202515.111.411.0
May 202514.111.411.3
April 202513.111.010.6
March 20259.911.110.4
February 202511.311.111.4
January 202514.011.111.0
December 202411.310.110.4
November 202412.69.79.9
October 202413.99.49.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Kettering in September 2026, 57.1% had been booked within 7 weeks and 21.8% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Kettering
East Midlands
Great Britain

At Kettering, 57.1% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 21.8% 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
Kettering57.1%13.8%7.4%21.8%
East Midlands41.9%15.1%14.4%28.5%
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 Kettering, those three are below. Of the three, Bedford (3.3 weeks) had a median wait at least a week shorter than Kettering in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Kettering can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs KetteringPass rate 2025–26
Wellingboroughabout 7 miles by roadabout 7 mi18 weeks+13.3 wk60.0%
Northamptonabout 15 miles by roadabout 15 mi8.6 weeks+3.9 wk52.1%
Bedfordabout 23 miles by roadabout 23 mi3.3 weeks−1.4 wk53.7%

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), 11,876 car tests were taken here and 49.1% passed, close to the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 46.0%, so the rate rose by 3.1 points. First attempts did about the same: 50.1% of 5,647 first-time candidates passed, and 2.1% did it with no faults at all.

  • Kettering
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    49.1%about the same as Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    50.1%about the same as Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    2.1%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    49.6%1.2 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    48.5%about the same as Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    62.6%1.0 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars26% of tests here were in automatics
    41.0%3.6 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Kettering compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureKetteringGreat Britain
All tests49.1%50.0%
First attempts50.1%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults2.1%2.9%
Men49.6%50.8%
Women48.5%49.1%
17-year-olds62.6%63.6%
Automatic cars41.0%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Kettering
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Kettering by financial yearPass rate at Kettering in 2025–26: 49.1%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Kettering, 2019–20: 47.8%48Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Kettering, 2020–21: 51.0%51Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Kettering, 2021–22: 40.5%41Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Kettering, 2022–23: 44.8%45Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Kettering, 2023–24: 48.4%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Kettering, 2024–25: 46.0%46Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Kettering, 2025–26: 49.1%49Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Kettering, 2019–20: 47.8%48Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Kettering, 2020–21: 51.0%51Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Kettering, 2021–22: 40.5%41Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Kettering, 2022–23: 44.8%45Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Kettering, 2023–24: 48.4%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Kettering, 2024–25: 46.0%46Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Kettering, 2025–26: 49.1%49Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Kettering by financial year
YearKetteringGreat Britain
2019–2047.8%45.9%
2020–2151.0%49.8%
2021–2240.5%48.9%
2022–2344.8%48.4%
2023–2448.4%47.9%
2024–2546.0%48.7%
2025–2649.1%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 62.6%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1762.6% of 2,296
  • Age 1853.2% of 1,706
  • Age 1949.6% of 875
  • Age 2053.1% of 565
  • Age 2151.7% of 422
  • Age 2251.3% of 472
  • Age 2350.6% of 391
  • Age 2443.8% of 345
  • Age 2542.0% of 338

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 623 tests at Kettering, about 52.5 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (361). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness361
  • Examiner leave219
  • Weather and other acts of nature43

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Corby (Unit 2, Oakley Vale District Centre, Butland Road, NN18 8QT), 6.6 mi away. In 2025–26, 45.1% of its 11,626 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 Bedford, 19 mi away, at 3.3 weeks. Within the same list, Wellingborough (5.3 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 Kettering, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
WellingboroughHigher pass rate5.3 mi18 weeks60.0%
NorthamptonHigher pass rate12 mi8.6 weeks52.1%
BedfordShorter waitHigher pass rate19 mi3.3 weeks53.7%
Leicester (Wigston)Higher pass rate23 mi12.7 weeks51.2%
RugbyHigher pass rate24 mi10.8 weeks51.4%
Leicester (Cannock Street)25 mi7.9 weeks40.2%
PeterboroughHigher pass rate25 mi15.4 weeks52.8%
BletchleyHigher pass rate27 mi4 weeks51.5%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Wellingborough: 18 weeksNorthampton: 8.6 weeksBedford: 3.3 weeksLeicester (Wigston): 12.7 weeksRugby: 10.8 weeksLeicester (Cannock Street): 7.9 weeksPeterborough: 15.4 weeksBletchley: 4 weeksKetteringKettering

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.