Test Centre Stats

South East, England · DVSA car test centre

Oxford (Cowley) driving test centre

James Wolfe Road, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 2PY

Tests here: car, ADI part 2.

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

Median wait, September 2026

4.4 weeks

−15.7 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

50.6%

+0.6 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

19 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 4th of 32 South East

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Oxford (Cowley) in September 2026 had booked it a median of 4.4 weeks earlier: 7.2 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 7 weeks shorter than the South East figure (11.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 20.1 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 15.7 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 4.4 weeks to 22.1 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, 3.1% 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.

  • Oxford (Cowley)
  • South East
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Oxford (Cowley), October 2024 to September 2026Oxford (Cowley): 4.4 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0102030Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 264.4Weeks0102030Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 264.4Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Oxford (Cowley), October 2024 to September 2026
MonthOxford (Cowley)South EastGreat Britain
September 20264.411.411.6
August 20265.011.011.1
July 20265.010.011.1
June 20269.49.610.7
May 20266.68.79.7
April 20265.39.09.1
March 20265.68.49.0
February 202622.110.110.4
January 202614.110.010.1
December 202510.810.710.1
November 20259.910.310.4
October 202516.012.311.6
September 202520.113.312.4
August 202517.913.011.7
July 202516.112.412.0
June 202515.111.311.0
May 202516.111.011.3
April 202513.610.610.6
March 202513.010.910.4
February 202512.111.011.4
January 202514.611.911.0
December 202416.611.010.4
November 202413.310.49.9
October 202416.411.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Oxford (Cowley) in September 2026, 61.3% had been booked within 7 weeks and 17.7% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Oxford (Cowley)
South East
Great Britain

At Oxford (Cowley), 61.3% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 17.7% 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
Oxford (Cowley)61.3%16.2%4.8%17.7%
South East42.5%13.1%14.2%30.2%
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 Oxford (Cowley), those three are below. All three had longer median waits than Oxford (Cowley) in September 2026, so moving away from here is unlikely to help.

Centres a test booked at Oxford (Cowley) can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Oxford (Cowley)Pass rate 2025–26
Aylesburyabout 23 miles by roadabout 23 mi7.3 weeks+2.9 wk49.3%
Readingabout 25 miles by roadabout 25 mi6.3 weeks+1.9 wk55.4%
Banburyabout 28 miles by roadabout 28 mi12.1 weeks+7.7 wk41.3%

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), 5,419 car tests were taken here and 50.6% passed, close to the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 48.2%, so the rate rose by 2.4 points. First attempts did worse: 49.0% of 2,711 first-time candidates passed, and 1.8% did it with no faults at all.

  • Oxford (Cowley)
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    50.6%about the same as Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    49.0%1.5 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    1.8%1.1 points below Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    53.7%2.9 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    47.2%1.9 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    61.8%1.8 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars36% of tests here were in automatics
    46.6%2.0 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Oxford (Cowley) compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureOxford (Cowley)Great Britain
All tests50.6%50.0%
First attempts49.0%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults1.8%2.9%
Men53.7%50.8%
Women47.2%49.1%
17-year-olds61.8%63.6%
Automatic cars46.6%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Oxford (Cowley)
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Oxford (Cowley) by financial yearPass rate at Oxford (Cowley) in 2025–26: 50.6%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Oxford (Cowley), 2019–20: 49.3%49Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Oxford (Cowley), 2020–21: 50.1%50Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Oxford (Cowley), 2021–22: 49.2%49Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Oxford (Cowley), 2022–23: 46.4%46Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Oxford (Cowley), 2023–24: 43.2%43Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Oxford (Cowley), 2024–25: 48.2%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Oxford (Cowley), 2025–26: 50.6%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Oxford (Cowley), 2019–20: 49.3%49Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Oxford (Cowley), 2020–21: 50.1%50Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Oxford (Cowley), 2021–22: 49.2%49Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Oxford (Cowley), 2022–23: 46.4%46Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Oxford (Cowley), 2023–24: 43.2%43Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Oxford (Cowley), 2024–25: 48.2%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Oxford (Cowley), 2025–26: 50.6%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Oxford (Cowley) by financial year
YearOxford (Cowley)Great Britain
2019–2049.3%45.9%
2020–2150.1%49.8%
2021–2249.2%48.9%
2022–2346.4%48.4%
2023–2443.2%47.9%
2024–2548.2%48.7%
2025–2650.6%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 61.8%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1761.8% of 476
  • Age 1854.8% of 558
  • Age 1950.3% of 360
  • Age 2053.6% of 233
  • Age 2152.2% of 247
  • Age 2258.6% of 249
  • Age 2354.9% of 224
  • Age 2449.8% of 231
  • Age 2550.2% of 207

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 122 tests at Oxford (Cowley), about 22.5 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (83). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness83
  • Examiner leave33
  • Weather and other acts of nature6

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Oxford (Third Floor, 58 St Aldates, OX1 1ST), 2.4 mi away. In 2025–26, 50.5% of its 19,803 car theory tests were passes, 5.7 points above the Great Britain rate (44.8%). You can sit the theory test at any centre.

Nearby centres

None of the 8 nearest centres had a wait at least a week shorter than Oxford (Cowley) in September 2026. Within the same list, Reading (24 mi) had a pass rate of 55.4%. 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 Oxford (Cowley), with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Aylesbury16 mi7.3 weeks49.3%
Banbury23 mi12.1 weeks41.3%
ReadingHigher pass rate24 mi6.3 weeks55.4%
GreenhamHigher pass rate25 mi8.7 weeks56.5%
Bletchley26 mi4 weeks51.5%
Leighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road)27 mi25.1 weeks49.9%
Swindon29 mi12.1 weeks51.1%
Slough (London)32 mi22.1 weeks50.8%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Aylesbury: 7.3 weeksBanbury: 12.1 weeksReading: 6.3 weeksGreenham: 8.7 weeksBletchley: 4 weeksLeighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road): 25.1 weeksSwindon: 12.1 weeksSlough (London): 22.1 weeksOxford (Cowley)Oxford (Cowley)

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.