Test Centre Stats

North West, England · DVSA car test centre

Southport (Liverpool) driving test centre

Eastbank House, Eastbank Street, Southport, PR8 1HE · wheelchair accessible

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

18 weeks

+4.8 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

56.5%

+6.5 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

245 of 314

1 = shortest wait; joint 27th of 32 North West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

23.5 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Southport (Liverpool) in September 2026 had booked it a median of 18 weeks earlier: 6.4 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 5.4 weeks longer than the North West figure (12.6 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 13.2 weeks, so the wait has grown by 4.8 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 12.1 weeks to 18 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 23.5 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, 3.9% 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.

  • Southport (Liverpool)
  • North West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Southport (Liverpool), October 2024 to September 2026Southport (Liverpool): 18 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2618.0Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2618.0Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Southport (Liverpool), October 2024 to September 2026
MonthSouthport (Liverpool)North WestGreat Britain
September 202618.012.611.6
August 202616.912.111.1
July 202616.912.711.1
June 202615.311.610.7
May 202614.710.09.7
April 202613.010.39.1
March 202612.49.19.0
February 202616.010.910.4
January 202612.110.310.1
December 202513.410.010.1
November 202515.99.110.4
October 202516.610.011.6
September 202513.210.612.4
August 202513.411.011.7
July 202511.911.912.0
June 202511.710.711.0
May 202514.111.311.3
April 202513.911.110.6
March 202513.711.610.4
February 202513.312.011.4
January 202512.411.011.0
December 202411.910.410.4
November 202410.910.19.9
October 202411.310.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Southport (Liverpool) in September 2026, 28.9% had been booked within 7 weeks and 40.9% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Southport (Liverpool)
North West
Great Britain

At Southport (Liverpool), 28.9% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 40.9% 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
Southport (Liverpool)28.9%13.2%17.0%40.9%
North West39.4%13.8%19.7%27.1%
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 Southport (Liverpool), those three are below. Of the three, St Helens (Liverpool) (11.4 weeks) and Preston (14.4 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Southport (Liverpool) in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Southport (Liverpool) can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Southport (Liverpool)Pass rate 2025–26
Norris Green (Liverpool)about 19 miles by roadabout 19 mi18 weeksno change37.8%
Prestonabout 20 miles by roadabout 20 mi14.4 weeks−3.6 wk56.3%
St Helens (Liverpool)about 20 miles by roadabout 20 mi11.4 weeks−6.6 wk40.9%

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), 7,949 car tests were taken here and 56.5% passed, 6.5 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 59.2%, so the rate fell by 2.7 points. First attempts did about the same: 57.2% of 4,076 first-time candidates passed, and 1.9% did it with no faults at all.

  • Southport (Liverpool)
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    56.5%6.5 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    57.2%6.7 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    1.9%1.0 points below Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    56.5%5.7 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    56.6%7.5 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    69.2%5.6 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars23% of tests here were in automatics
    51.6%7.0 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Southport (Liverpool) compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureSouthport (Liverpool)Great Britain
All tests56.5%50.0%
First attempts57.2%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults1.9%2.9%
Men56.5%50.8%
Women56.6%49.1%
17-year-olds69.2%63.6%
Automatic cars51.6%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Southport (Liverpool)
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Southport (Liverpool) by financial yearPass rate at Southport (Liverpool) in 2025–26: 56.5%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Southport (Liverpool), 2019–20: 50.7%51Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Southport (Liverpool), 2020–21: 59.0%59Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Southport (Liverpool), 2021–22: 56.1%56Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Southport (Liverpool), 2022–23: 55.3%55Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Southport (Liverpool), 2023–24: 56.3%56Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Southport (Liverpool), 2024–25: 59.2%59Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Southport (Liverpool), 2025–26: 56.5%57Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Southport (Liverpool), 2019–20: 50.7%51Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Southport (Liverpool), 2020–21: 59.0%59Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Southport (Liverpool), 2021–22: 56.1%56Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Southport (Liverpool), 2022–23: 55.3%55Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Southport (Liverpool), 2023–24: 56.3%56Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Southport (Liverpool), 2024–25: 59.2%59Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Southport (Liverpool), 2025–26: 56.5%57Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Southport (Liverpool) by financial year
YearSouthport (Liverpool)Great Britain
2019–2050.7%45.9%
2020–2159.0%49.8%
2021–2256.1%48.9%
2022–2355.3%48.4%
2023–2456.3%47.9%
2024–2559.2%48.7%
2025–2656.5%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 69.2%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1769.2% of 1,387
  • Age 1859.3% of 1,042
  • Age 1961.9% of 544
  • Age 2058.2% of 380
  • Age 2156.7% of 335
  • Age 2264.6% of 319
  • Age 2354.8% of 303
  • Age 2548.7% of 279

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 583 tests at Southport (Liverpool), about 73.3 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (323). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness323
  • Examiner leave219
  • Weather and other acts of nature41

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Preston (Sixth Floor, Marshall House, Ring Way, PR1 2QD), 15 mi away. In 2025–26, 43.9% of its 54,263 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 Blackpool, 9.3 mi away, at 9.1 weeks. No nearby centre had a pass rate more than 2 points higher. 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 Southport (Liverpool), with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
BlackpoolShorter wait9.3 mi9.1 weeks51.8%
PrestonShorter wait13 mi14.4 weeks56.3%
Norris Green (Liverpool)14 mi18 weeks37.8%
WallaseyShorter wait16 mi12.6 weeks54.3%
ChorleyShorter wait16 mi5.4 weeks52.8%
St Helens (Liverpool)Shorter wait17 mi11.4 weeks40.9%
UptonShorter wait19 mi12.1 weeks52.6%
Speke (Liverpool)Shorter wait21 mi7.5 weeks40.5%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Blackpool: 9.1 weeksPreston: 14.4 weeksNorris Green (Liverpool): 18 weeksWallasey: 12.6 weeksChorley: 5.4 weeksSt Helens (Liverpool): 11.4 weeksUpton: 12.1 weeksSpeke (Liverpool): 7.5 weeksSouthport (Liverpool)Southport (Liverpool)

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.