Test Centre Stats

Wales · DVSA car test centre

Newtown driving test centre

Ladywell House, Newtown, SY16 1JB

Tests here: car, ADI part 3.

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

Median wait, September 2026

14.1 weeks

−0.8 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

58.0%

+8.0 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

186 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 19th of 21 Wales

Weeks to 10% of slots free

16.3 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Newtown in September 2026 had booked it a median of 14.1 weeks earlier: 2.5 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 6.7 weeks longer than the Wales figure (7.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 14.9 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 0.8 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 9.2 weeks to 15.1 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 16.3 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, 21.8% 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.

  • Newtown
  • Wales
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Newtown, October 2024 to September 2026Newtown: 14.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2614.1Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2614.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Newtown, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthNewtownWalesGreat Britain
September 202614.17.411.6
August 202614.07.311.1
July 202614.07.611.1
June 202610.07.710.7
May 202612.47.49.7
April 202612.57.69.1
March 20269.26.19.0
February 202611.17.710.4
January 202610.18.010.1
December 202512.67.610.1
November 202515.18.410.4
October 202513.68.611.6
September 202514.99.312.4
August 202515.110.111.7
July 202514.110.912.0
June 202512.99.311.0
May 202510.09.611.3
April 202510.99.010.6
March 20258.87.910.4
February 20258.28.711.4
January 20259.68.111.0
December 202411.18.610.4
November 202414.48.69.9
October 202414.68.79.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Newtown in September 2026, 18.1% had been booked within 7 weeks and 30.6% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Newtown
Wales
Great Britain

At Newtown, 18.1% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 30.6% 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
Newtown18.1%31.6%19.7%30.6%
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 Newtown, those three are below. Of the three, Ludlow (10 weeks), Shrewsbury (10.1 weeks) and Oswestry (11.7 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Newtown in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Newtown can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs NewtownPass rate 2025–26
Oswestryabout 29 miles by roadabout 29 mi11.7 weeks−2.4 wk52.4%
Ludlowabout 35 miles by roadabout 35 mi10 weeks−4.1 wk58.7%
Shrewsburyabout 36 miles by roadabout 36 mi10.1 weeks−4.0 wk51.0%

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), 2,256 car tests were taken here and 58.0% passed, 8.0 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 63.7%, so the rate fell by 5.7 points. First attempts did better: 59.5% of 1,080 first-time candidates passed, and 1.9% did it with no faults at all.

  • Newtown
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    58.0%8.0 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    59.5%9.0 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    1.9%1.0 points below Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    59.3%8.5 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    56.5%7.4 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    73.5%9.9 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars28% of tests here were in automatics
    47.4%2.8 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Newtown compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureNewtownGreat Britain
All tests58.0%50.0%
First attempts59.5%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults1.9%2.9%
Men59.3%50.8%
Women56.5%49.1%
17-year-olds73.5%63.6%
Automatic cars47.4%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Newtown
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Newtown by financial yearPass rate at Newtown in 2025–26: 58.0%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Newtown, 2019–20: 56.1%56Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Newtown, 2021–22: 74.5%75Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Newtown, 2022–23: 59.1%59Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Newtown, 2023–24: 67.7%68Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Newtown, 2024–25: 63.7%64Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Newtown, 2025–26: 58.0%58Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Newtown, 2019–20: 56.1%56Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Newtown, 2021–22: 74.5%75Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Newtown, 2022–23: 59.1%59Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Newtown, 2023–24: 67.7%68Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Newtown, 2024–25: 63.7%64Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Newtown, 2025–26: 58.0%58Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Newtown by financial year
YearNewtownGreat Britain
2019–2056.1%45.9%
2020–21–49.8%
2021–2274.5%48.9%
2022–2359.1%48.4%
2023–2467.7%47.9%
2024–2563.7%48.7%
2025–2658.0%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 73.5%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1773.5% of 535
  • Age 1864.4% of 219
  • Age 1956.8% of 88
  • Age 2059.2% of 76
  • Age 2166.0% of 47
  • Age 2269.7% of 66
  • Age 2354.7% of 53
  • Age 2458.5% of 65
  • Age 2556.6% of 53

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 89 tests at Newtown, about 39.5 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner leave (67). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner leave67
  • Weather and other acts of nature11
  • Examiner illness11

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Newtown (Ground Floor, Plas Dolerw, Milford Road, SY16 2EH), 0.4 mi away. In 2025–26, 44.9% of its 1,204 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 Oswestry, 26 mi away, at 11.7 weeks. Within the same list, Bala (30 mi) had a pass rate of 61.6%. 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 Newtown, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
OswestryShorter wait26 mi11.7 weeks52.4%
LudlowShorter wait28 mi10 weeks58.7%
ShrewsburyShorter wait29 mi10.1 weeks51.0%
BalaHigher pass rate30 mi16.1 weeks61.6%
Aberystwyth (Park Avenue)Shorter wait33 mi7 weeks55.1%
Telford38 mi16 weeks48.9%
WrexhamShorter wait39 mi7.1 weeks51.9%
BreconShorter wait39 mi7.4 weeks58.7%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Oswestry: 11.7 weeksLudlow: 10 weeksShrewsbury: 10.1 weeksBala: 16.1 weeksAberystwyth (Park Avenue): 7 weeksTelford: 16 weeksWrexham: 7.1 weeksBrecon: 7.4 weeksNewtownNewtown

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.