Test Centre Stats

East Midlands, England · DVSA car test centre

Northampton driving test centre

Gladstone Business Centre, Gladstone Road, Northampton, NN5 7QA · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car, 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

8.6 weeks

−2.0 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

52.1%

+2.1 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

90 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 6th of 20 East Midlands

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Northampton in September 2026 had booked it a median of 8.6 weeks earlier: 3 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 2.4 weeks shorter than the East Midlands figure (11 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 10.6 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 2 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 7.9 weeks to 14.9 weeks.

When DVSA took its snapshot on the last Monday of September 2026, no week in the next 24 had even 10% of its slots free. DVSA caps this measure at 24 weeks, so the true figure could be longer. Across the whole 24-week window, 5.2% 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.

  • Northampton
  • East Midlands
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Northampton, October 2024 to September 2026Northampton: 8.6 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 268.6Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 268.6Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Northampton, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthNorthamptonEast MidlandsGreat Britain
September 20268.611.011.6
August 20267.99.611.1
July 20267.910.011.1
June 20268.611.010.7
May 202610.610.39.7
April 202612.39.39.1
March 20268.98.49.0
February 20268.99.610.4
January 202610.39.410.1
December 20258.39.910.1
November 202511.211.310.4
October 202514.914.111.6
September 202510.614.012.4
August 202516.112.911.7
July 202513.313.112.0
June 202512.111.411.0
May 202512.311.411.3
April 20258.911.010.6
March 20258.111.110.4
February 20258.811.111.4
January 202510.611.111.0
December 20246.610.110.4
November 20246.09.79.9
October 20249.69.49.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Northampton in September 2026, 47.7% had been booked within 7 weeks and 25.3% more than 21 weeks before.

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

At Northampton, 47.7% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 25.3% 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
Northampton47.7%16.1%11.0%25.3%
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 Northampton, those three are below. Of the three, Kettering (4.7 weeks) had a median wait at least a week shorter than Northampton in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Northampton can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs NorthamptonPass rate 2025–26
Wellingboroughabout 13 miles by roadabout 13 mi18 weeks+9.4 wk60.0%
Ketteringabout 15 miles by roadabout 15 mi4.7 weeks−3.9 wk49.1%
Rugbyabout 21 miles by roadabout 21 mi10.8 weeks+2.2 wk51.4%

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), 13,539 car tests were taken here and 52.1% passed, 2.1 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 50.4%, so the rate rose by 1.7 points. First attempts did about the same: 51.8% of 6,892 first-time candidates passed, and 4.9% did it with no faults at all.

  • Northampton
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    52.1%2.1 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    51.8%1.3 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    4.9%2.0 points above Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    52.9%2.1 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    51.0%1.9 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    67.3%3.7 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars38% of tests here were in automatics
    45.9%1.3 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Northampton compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureNorthamptonGreat Britain
All tests52.1%50.0%
First attempts51.8%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults4.9%2.9%
Men52.9%50.8%
Women51.0%49.1%
17-year-olds67.3%63.6%
Automatic cars45.9%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Northampton
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Northampton by financial yearPass rate at Northampton in 2025–26: 52.1%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Northampton, 2019–20: 44.8%45Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Northampton, 2020–21: 48.9%49Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Northampton, 2021–22: 47.8%48Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Northampton, 2022–23: 47.7%48Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Northampton, 2023–24: 49.2%49Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Northampton, 2024–25: 50.4%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Northampton, 2025–26: 52.1%52Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Northampton, 2019–20: 44.8%45Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Northampton, 2020–21: 48.9%49Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Northampton, 2021–22: 47.8%48Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Northampton, 2022–23: 47.7%48Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Northampton, 2023–24: 49.2%49Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Northampton, 2024–25: 50.4%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Northampton, 2025–26: 52.1%52Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Northampton by financial year
YearNorthamptonGreat Britain
2019–2044.8%45.9%
2020–2148.9%49.8%
2021–2247.8%48.9%
2022–2347.7%48.4%
2023–2449.2%47.9%
2024–2550.4%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 67.3%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1767.3% of 1,963
  • Age 1858.1% of 1,577
  • Age 1955.3% of 769
  • Age 2055.6% of 613
  • Age 2155.2% of 525
  • Age 2257.0% of 532
  • Age 2357.5% of 424
  • Age 2453.3% of 411
  • Age 2551.8% of 417

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 723 tests at Northampton, about 53.4 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (386). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness386
  • Examiner leave172
  • Weather and other acts of nature165

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Northampton (West Suite, First Floor, Charles House, 61-68 Derngate, NN1 1UE), 1.3 mi away. In 2025–26, 44.1% of its 29,016 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 Kettering, 12 mi away, at 4.7 weeks. Within the same list, Wellingborough (8.8 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 Northampton, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
WellingboroughHigher pass rate8.8 mi18 weeks60.0%
KetteringShorter wait12 mi4.7 weeks49.1%
Rugby18 mi10.8 weeks51.4%
BletchleyShorter wait19 mi4 weeks51.5%
BedfordShorter wait20 mi3.3 weeks53.7%
Banbury23 mi12.1 weeks41.3%
Leicester (Wigston)25 mi12.7 weeks51.2%
Leighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road)26 mi25.1 weeks49.9%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Wellingborough: 18 weeksKettering: 4.7 weeksRugby: 10.8 weeksBletchley: 4 weeksBedford: 3.3 weeksBanbury: 12.1 weeksLeicester (Wigston): 12.7 weeksLeighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road): 25.1 weeksNorthamptonNorthampton

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.
  • "Weeks to 10% availability" stops at 24 because DVSA only releases tests 24 weeks ahead. A figure of 24 means "24 or more".
  • 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.