Test Centre Stats

Wales · DVSA car test centre

Merthyr Tydfil driving test centre

Merthyr Industrial Park, Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 4DR

Tests here: car, 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

8.9 weeks

−4.9 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

51.2%

+1.2 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

95 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 14th of 21 Wales

Weeks to 10% of slots free

13 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Merthyr Tydfil in September 2026 had booked it a median of 8.9 weeks earlier: 2.7 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 1.5 weeks longer than the Wales figure (7.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 13.8 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 4.9 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 5 weeks to 12 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 13 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, 55.9% 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.

  • Merthyr Tydfil
  • Wales
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Merthyr Tydfil, October 2024 to September 2026Merthyr Tydfil: 8.9 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 268.9Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 268.9Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Merthyr Tydfil, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthMerthyr TydfilWalesGreat Britain
September 20268.97.411.6
August 20268.97.311.1
July 20268.97.611.1
June 20267.77.710.7
May 20265.37.49.7
April 20265.07.69.1
March 20265.36.19.0
February 20269.77.710.4
January 202610.48.010.1
December 202512.07.610.1
November 202511.28.410.4
October 202511.38.611.6
September 202513.89.312.4
August 202512.910.111.7
July 202511.610.912.0
June 202511.79.311.0
May 202512.09.611.3
April 202511.19.010.6
March 202513.17.910.4
February 202514.18.711.4
January 202511.18.111.0
December 202410.18.610.4
November 202411.18.69.9
October 20249.98.79.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Merthyr Tydfil in September 2026, 39.1% had been booked within 7 weeks and 5.6% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Merthyr Tydfil
Wales
Great Britain

At Merthyr Tydfil, 39.1% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 5.6% 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
Merthyr Tydfil39.1%47.8%7.5%5.6%
Wales47.9%28.2%13.7%10.3%
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 Merthyr Tydfil, those three are below. Of the three, Abergavenny (3.9 weeks), Llantrisant (6.4 weeks) and Cardiff (Llanishen) (7.7 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Merthyr Tydfil in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Merthyr Tydfil can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Merthyr TydfilPass rate 2025–26
Llantrisantabout 20 miles by roadabout 20 mi6.4 weeks−2.5 wk54.0%
Abergavennyabout 21 miles by roadabout 21 mi3.9 weeks−5.0 wk64.2%
Cardiff (Llanishen)about 21 miles by roadabout 21 mi7.7 weeks−1.2 wk46.5%

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), 4,446 car tests were taken here and 51.2% passed, 1.2 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 53.5%, so the rate fell by 2.3 points. First attempts did about the same: 50.3% of 2,247 first-time candidates passed, and 2.0% did it with no faults at all.

  • Merthyr Tydfil
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    51.2%1.2 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    50.3%about the same as Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    2.0%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    51.5%about the same as Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    50.7%1.6 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    62.1%1.5 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars16% of tests here were in automatics
    42.7%1.9 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Merthyr Tydfil compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureMerthyr TydfilGreat Britain
All tests51.2%50.0%
First attempts50.3%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults2.0%2.9%
Men51.5%50.8%
Women50.7%49.1%
17-year-olds62.1%63.6%
Automatic cars42.7%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Merthyr Tydfil
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Merthyr Tydfil by financial yearPass rate at Merthyr Tydfil in 2025–26: 51.2%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Merthyr Tydfil, 2019–20: 52.0%52Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Merthyr Tydfil, 2020–21: 56.9%57Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Merthyr Tydfil, 2021–22: 58.3%58Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Merthyr Tydfil, 2022–23: 52.6%53Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Merthyr Tydfil, 2023–24: 49.8%50Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Merthyr Tydfil, 2024–25: 53.5%53Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Merthyr Tydfil, 2025–26: 51.2%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Merthyr Tydfil, 2019–20: 52.0%52Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Merthyr Tydfil, 2020–21: 56.9%57Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Merthyr Tydfil, 2021–22: 58.3%58Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Merthyr Tydfil, 2022–23: 52.6%53Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Merthyr Tydfil, 2023–24: 49.8%50Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Merthyr Tydfil, 2024–25: 53.5%53Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Merthyr Tydfil, 2025–26: 51.2%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Merthyr Tydfil by financial year
YearMerthyr TydfilGreat Britain
2019–2052.0%45.9%
2020–2156.9%49.8%
2021–2258.3%48.9%
2022–2352.6%48.4%
2023–2449.8%47.9%
2024–2553.5%48.7%
2025–2651.2%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 62.1%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1762.1% of 1,054
  • Age 1851.3% of 678
  • Age 1947.5% of 320
  • Age 2044.6% of 177
  • Age 2150.0% of 156
  • Age 2245.1% of 162
  • Age 2345.3% of 137
  • Age 2450.0% of 134
  • Age 2548.7% of 150

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 510 tests at Merthyr Tydfil, about 114.7 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (383). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness383
  • Examiner leave105
  • Weather and other acts of nature22

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Merthyr Tydfil (Ground Floor, Ty Keir Hardie, Riverside Court, Avenue de Clichy, CF47 8LD), 2.2 mi away. In 2025–26, 41.1% of its 13,427 car theory tests were passes, 3.7 points below 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 Llantrisant, 14 mi away, at 6.4 weeks. Within the same list, Llantrisant (14 mi) had a pass rate of 54.0%. 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 Merthyr Tydfil, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
LlantrisantShorter waitHigher pass rate14 mi6.4 weeks54.0%
Cardiff (Llanishen)Shorter wait15 mi7.7 weeks46.5%
BreconShorter waitHigher pass rate16 mi7.4 weeks58.7%
AbergavennyShorter waitHigher pass rate16 mi3.9 weeks64.2%
BridgendShorter waitHigher pass rate18 mi7.3 weeks53.3%
Newport (Gwent)Shorter wait19 mi6.7 weeks48.9%
BarryHigher pass rate22 mi9.1 weeks57.0%
SwanseaShorter wait25 mi7.3 weeks48.2%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Llantrisant: 6.4 weeksCardiff (Llanishen): 7.7 weeksBrecon: 7.4 weeksAbergavenny: 3.9 weeksBridgend: 7.3 weeksNewport (Gwent): 6.7 weeksBarry: 9.1 weeksSwansea: 7.3 weeksMerthyr TydfilMerthyr Tydfil

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.