Test Centre Stats

Yorkshire and The Humber, England · DVSA car test centre

Pontefract driving test centre

7 Flemming Court, Whistler Drive, Castleford, WF10 5HW · 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

15.7 weeks

+6.8 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

46.9%

−3.1 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

206 of 314

1 = shortest wait; joint 23rd of 27 Yorkshire and The Humber

Weeks to 10% of slots free

21.3 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Pontefract in September 2026 had booked it a median of 15.7 weeks earlier: 4.1 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 4.8 weeks longer than the Yorkshire and The Humber figure (10.9 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 8.9 weeks, so the wait has grown by 6.8 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 6.9 weeks to 18.2 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 21.3 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, 14.8% 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.

  • Pontefract
  • Yorkshire and The Humber
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Pontefract, October 2024 to September 2026Pontefract: 15.7 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2615.7Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2615.7Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Pontefract, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthPontefractYorkshire and The HumberGreat Britain
September 202615.710.911.6
August 202613.910.011.1
July 202613.910.111.1
June 20266.99.110.7
May 20267.68.49.7
April 202613.18.09.1
March 202615.47.99.0
February 202611.79.110.4
January 202613.09.010.1
December 202511.49.010.1
November 202517.210.610.4
October 202518.211.011.6
September 20258.912.112.4
August 20259.611.911.7
July 20255.711.412.0
June 20258.311.011.0
May 20255.111.611.3
April 20255.311.710.6
March 20257.912.410.4
February 202511.913.411.4
January 202516.113.011.0
December 202417.411.710.4
November 202414.711.79.9
October 202414.111.49.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Pontefract in September 2026, 34.0% had been booked within 7 weeks and 36.0% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Pontefract
Yorkshire and The Humber
Great Britain

At Pontefract, 34.0% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 36.0% 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
Pontefract34.0%14.0%16.0%36.0%
Yorkshire and The Humber42.2%15.8%20.7%21.4%
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 Pontefract, those three are below. Of the three, Wakefield (13.3 weeks) and Leeds (Colton Mill) (13.9 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Pontefract in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Pontefract can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs PontefractPass rate 2025–26
Leeds (Colton Mill)about 10 miles by roadabout 10 mi13.9 weeks−1.8 wk51.8%
Wakefieldabout 11 miles by roadabout 11 mi13.3 weeks−2.4 wk45.4%
Leeds (Fearnville)about 13 miles by roadabout 13 mi––51.8%

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), 5,544 car tests were taken here and 46.9% passed, 3.1 points below the Great Britain rate (50.0%). That's close to the year before (47.8%). First attempts did about the same: 47.0% of 2,639 first-time candidates passed, and 1.1% did it with no faults at all.

  • Pontefract
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    46.9%3.1 points below Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    47.0%3.5 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    1.1%1.8 points below Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    47.1%3.7 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    46.8%2.3 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    57.4%6.2 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars18% of tests here were in automatics
    39.5%5.1 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Pontefract compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasurePontefractGreat Britain
All tests46.9%50.0%
First attempts47.0%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults1.1%2.9%
Men47.1%50.8%
Women46.8%49.1%
17-year-olds57.4%63.6%
Automatic cars39.5%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Pontefract
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Pontefract by financial yearPass rate at Pontefract in 2025–26: 46.9%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Pontefract, 2019–20: 43.3%43Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Pontefract, 2020–21: 44.5%45Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Pontefract, 2021–22: 48.4%48Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Pontefract, 2022–23: 43.5%44Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Pontefract, 2023–24: 42.4%42Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Pontefract, 2024–25: 47.8%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Pontefract, 2025–26: 46.9%47Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Pontefract, 2019–20: 43.3%43Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Pontefract, 2020–21: 44.5%45Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Pontefract, 2021–22: 48.4%48Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Pontefract, 2022–23: 43.5%44Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Pontefract, 2023–24: 42.4%42Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Pontefract, 2024–25: 47.8%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Pontefract, 2025–26: 46.9%47Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Pontefract by financial year
YearPontefractGreat Britain
2019–2043.3%45.9%
2020–2144.5%49.8%
2021–2248.4%48.9%
2022–2343.5%48.4%
2023–2442.4%47.9%
2024–2547.8%48.7%
2025–2646.9%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 57.4%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1757.4% of 1,148
  • Age 1851.2% of 989
  • Age 1948.0% of 417
  • Age 2042.8% of 271
  • Age 2155.6% of 216
  • Age 2246.0% of 161
  • Age 2346.2% of 199
  • Age 2454.1% of 135
  • Age 2544.9% of 136

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 548 tests at Pontefract, about 98.8 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (437). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness437
  • Weather and other acts of nature56
  • Examiner leave55

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Leeds (Whitehall Waterfront, 2 Riverside Way, LS1 4EH), 11 mi away. In 2025–26, 43.3% of its 56,711 car theory tests were passes, 1.5 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 Leeds (Colton Mill), 6.9 mi away, at 13.9 weeks. Within the same list, Leeds (Colton Mill) (6.9 mi) had a pass rate of 51.8%. 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 Pontefract, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Leeds (Colton Mill)Shorter waitHigher pass rate6.9 mi13.9 weeks51.8%
WakefieldShorter wait8.6 mi13.3 weeks45.4%
BarnsleyShorter waitHigher pass rate12 mi7.3 weeks58.5%
Heckmondwike14 mi15.7 weeks45.8%
HorsforthShorter waitHigher pass rate15 mi11.6 weeks49.7%
Walton LGVShorter waitHigher pass rate15 mi10.3 weeks59.8%
DoncasterHigher pass rate15 mi21.6 weeks53.2%
Bradford (Thornbury)Shorter wait16 mi9.4 weeks47.8%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Leeds (Colton Mill): 13.9 weeksWakefield: 13.3 weeksBarnsley: 7.3 weeksHeckmondwike: 15.7 weeksHorsforth: 11.6 weeksWalton LGV: 10.3 weeksDoncaster: 21.6 weeksBradford (Thornbury): 9.4 weeksPontefractPontefract

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.