Test Centre Stats

East Midlands, England · DVSA car test centre

Lincoln driving test centre

Earlsfield Close, Off Sadler Road, Lincoln, LN6 3RT · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car, motorcycle module 1 (off-road), motorcycle module 2 (on-road), 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

12.7 weeks

−1.9 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

52.1%

+2.1 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

163 of 314

1 = shortest wait; joint 12th of 20 East Midlands

Weeks to 10% of slots free

23.8 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Lincoln in September 2026 had booked it a median of 12.7 weeks earlier: 1.1 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 1.7 weeks longer than the East Midlands figure (11 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 14.6 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 1.9 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 10.9 weeks to 18.3 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, 7.9% 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.

  • Lincoln
  • East Midlands
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Lincoln, October 2024 to September 2026Lincoln: 12.7 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0510152025Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2612.7Weeks0510152025Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2612.7Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Lincoln, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthLincolnEast MidlandsGreat Britain
September 202612.711.011.6
August 202617.19.611.1
July 202617.110.011.1
June 202614.911.010.7
May 202610.910.39.7
April 202611.09.39.1
March 202612.08.49.0
February 202618.39.610.4
January 202613.99.410.1
December 202513.49.910.1
November 202514.111.310.4
October 202517.614.111.6
September 202514.614.012.4
August 202518.612.911.7
July 202517.613.112.0
June 202513.311.411.0
May 202513.911.411.3
April 202513.111.010.6
March 202516.011.110.4
February 202513.611.111.4
January 202512.411.111.0
December 202411.710.110.4
November 202413.19.79.9
October 202413.09.49.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Lincoln in September 2026, 40.2% had been booked within 7 weeks and 34.2% more than 21 weeks before.

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

At Lincoln, 40.2% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 34.2% 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
Lincoln40.2%11.8%13.8%34.2%
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 Lincoln, those three are below. None of the three had a median wait more than a week shorter than Lincoln in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Lincoln can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs LincolnPass rate 2025–26
Worksopabout 28 miles by roadabout 28 mi12.1 weeks−0.6 wk55.2%
Nottingham (Colwick)about 32 miles by roadabout 32 mi13.3 weeks+0.6 wk46.4%
Grantham (Somerby)about 33 miles by roadabout 33 mi18.4 weeks+5.7 wk57.9%

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), 6,192 car tests were taken here and 52.1% passed, 2.1 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 49.8%, so the rate rose by 2.3 points. First attempts did about the same: 52.5% of 3,315 first-time candidates passed, and 3.7% did it with no faults at all.

  • Lincoln
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    52.1%2.1 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    52.5%2.0 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    3.7%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    53.6%2.8 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    50.4%1.3 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    64.7%1.1 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars25% of tests here were in automatics
    44.5%about the same as Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Lincoln compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureLincolnGreat Britain
All tests52.1%50.0%
First attempts52.5%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults3.7%2.9%
Men53.6%50.8%
Women50.4%49.1%
17-year-olds64.7%63.6%
Automatic cars44.5%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Lincoln
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Lincoln by financial yearPass rate at Lincoln in 2025–26: 52.1%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Lincoln, 2019–20: 45.4%45Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Lincoln, 2020–21: 50.9%51Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Lincoln, 2021–22: 51.7%52Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Lincoln, 2022–23: 50.8%51Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Lincoln, 2023–24: 48.3%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Lincoln, 2024–25: 49.8%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Lincoln, 2025–26: 52.1%52Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Lincoln, 2019–20: 45.4%45Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Lincoln, 2020–21: 50.9%51Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Lincoln, 2021–22: 51.7%52Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Lincoln, 2022–23: 50.8%51Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Lincoln, 2023–24: 48.3%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Lincoln, 2024–25: 49.8%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Lincoln, 2025–26: 52.1%52Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Lincoln by financial year
YearLincolnGreat Britain
2019–2045.4%45.9%
2020–2150.9%49.8%
2021–2251.7%48.9%
2022–2350.8%48.4%
2023–2448.3%47.9%
2024–2549.8%48.7%
2025–2652.1%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 64.7%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1764.7% of 1,143
  • Age 1858.4% of 818
  • Age 1952.4% of 414
  • Age 2055.3% of 333
  • Age 2153.2% of 250
  • Age 2256.9% of 255
  • Age 2354.4% of 206
  • Age 2455.2% of 174
  • Age 2549.0% of 196

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 366 tests at Lincoln, about 59.1 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner leave (177). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner leave177
  • Examiner illness129
  • Weather and other acts of nature60

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Lincoln (First Floor, Lincoln Central Bus Station, Oxford Street, LN5 7BS), 3.5 mi away. In 2025–26, 45.2% of its 13,333 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 Scunthorpe, 27 mi away, at 5.6 weeks. Within the same list, Grantham (Somerby) (21 mi) had a pass rate of 57.9%. 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 Lincoln, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Grantham (Somerby)Higher pass rate21 mi18.4 weeks57.9%
WorksopHigher pass rate24 mi12.1 weeks55.2%
Nottingham (Colwick)26 mi13.3 weeks46.4%
AshfieldHigher pass rate26 mi15.3 weeks57.3%
ScunthorpeShorter wait27 mi5.6 weeks45.4%
LouthShorter wait28 mi9 weeks53.9%
BostonShorter wait29 mi3.6 weeks50.7%
Doncaster31 mi21.6 weeks53.2%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Grantham (Somerby): 18.4 weeksWorksop: 12.1 weeksNottingham (Colwick): 13.3 weeksAshfield: 15.3 weeksScunthorpe: 5.6 weeksLouth: 9 weeksBoston: 3.6 weeksDoncaster: 21.6 weeksLincolnLincoln

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.