Test Centre Stats

South West, England · DVSA car test centre

Taunton driving test centre

Unit L2, Acres Hill Business Park, Off Venture Way, Taunton, TA2 8RX

Tests here: car, motorcycle module 1 (off-road), motorcycle module 2 (on-road), 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

12.6 weeks

+4.3 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

59.5%

+9.5 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

159 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 17th of 22 South West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

15.5 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Taunton in September 2026 had booked it a median of 12.6 weeks earlier: 1 week longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 4.2 weeks longer than the South West figure (8.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 8.3 weeks, so the wait has grown by 4.3 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 8.1 weeks to 12.6 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 15.5 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, 30.0% 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.

  • Taunton
  • South West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Taunton, October 2024 to September 2026Taunton: 12.6 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.051015Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2612.6Weeks051015Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2612.6Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Taunton, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthTauntonSouth WestGreat Britain
September 202612.68.411.6
August 202611.98.311.1
July 202611.98.111.1
June 202612.17.010.7
May 202611.37.19.7
April 20269.17.19.1
March 20269.67.19.0
February 202611.19.010.4
January 20269.29.910.1
December 20258.110.110.1
November 20258.310.410.4
October 20259.610.611.6
September 20258.312.012.4
August 20258.711.111.7
July 20258.411.712.0
June 202511.111.111.0
May 20257.511.711.3
April 20259.110.910.6
March 20257.110.610.4
February 20255.111.311.4
January 20255.610.611.0
December 20247.110.710.4
November 20246.410.49.9
October 20246.410.79.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Taunton in September 2026, 34.5% had been booked within 7 weeks and 23.7% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Taunton
South West
Great Britain

At Taunton, 34.5% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 23.7% 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
Taunton34.5%21.3%20.5%23.7%
South West46.7%17.4%15.8%20.1%
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 Taunton, those three are below. Of the three, Weston-super-Mare (4 weeks) and Exeter (6.4 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Taunton in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Taunton can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs TauntonPass rate 2025–26
Yeovilabout 26 miles by roadabout 26 mi13.1 weeks+0.5 wk63.4%
Weston-super-Mareabout 26 miles by roadabout 26 mi4 weeks−8.6 wk61.0%
Exeterabout 38 miles by roadabout 38 mi6.4 weeks−6.2 wk46.8%

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), 8,259 car tests were taken here and 59.5% passed, 9.5 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 56.3%, so the rate rose by 3.2 points. First attempts did about the same: 59.2% of 4,526 first-time candidates passed, and 8.1% did it with no faults at all.

  • Taunton
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    59.5%9.5 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    59.2%8.7 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    8.1%5.2 points above Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    59.6%8.8 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    59.4%10.3 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    68.3%4.7 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars22% of tests here were in automatics
    52.9%8.3 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Taunton compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureTauntonGreat Britain
All tests59.5%50.0%
First attempts59.2%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults8.1%2.9%
Men59.6%50.8%
Women59.4%49.1%
17-year-olds68.3%63.6%
Automatic cars52.9%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Taunton
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Taunton by financial yearPass rate at Taunton in 2025–26: 59.5%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Taunton, 2019–20: 55.1%55Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Taunton, 2020–21: 60.7%61Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Taunton, 2021–22: 59.6%60Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Taunton, 2022–23: 56.9%57Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Taunton, 2023–24: 55.5%56Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Taunton, 2024–25: 56.3%56Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Taunton, 2025–26: 59.5%60Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Taunton, 2019–20: 55.1%55Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Taunton, 2020–21: 60.7%61Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Taunton, 2021–22: 59.6%60Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Taunton, 2022–23: 56.9%57Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Taunton, 2023–24: 55.5%56Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Taunton, 2024–25: 56.3%56Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Taunton, 2025–26: 59.5%60Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Taunton by financial year
YearTauntonGreat Britain
2019–2055.1%45.9%
2020–2160.7%49.8%
2021–2259.6%48.9%
2022–2356.9%48.4%
2023–2455.5%47.9%
2024–2556.3%48.7%
2025–2659.5%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 68.3%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1768.3% of 2,264
  • Age 1861.8% of 1,121
  • Age 1956.3% of 483
  • Age 2056.5% of 352
  • Age 2160.3% of 252
  • Age 2258.8% of 226
  • Age 2366.8% of 214
  • Age 2459.5% of 158
  • Age 2558.8% of 204

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 138 tests at Taunton, about 16.7 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (112). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness112
  • Weather and other acts of nature20
  • Examiner leave6

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Taunton (Ground Floor, Victoria House, Victoria Street, TA1 3FA), 1.0 mi away. In 2025–26, 46.4% of its 9,757 car theory tests were passes, 1.6 points above 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 Weston-super-Mare, 22 mi away, at 4 weeks. Within the same list, Yeovil (19 mi) had a pass rate of 63.4%. 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 Taunton, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
YeovilHigher pass rate19 mi13.1 weeks63.4%
Weston-super-MareShorter wait22 mi4 weeks61.0%
BarryShorter wait27 mi9.1 weeks57.0%
ExeterShorter wait30 mi6.4 weeks46.8%
DorchesterShorter waitHigher pass rate34 mi10.6 weeks69.0%
Cardiff (Llanishen)Shorter wait34 mi7.7 weeks46.5%
LlantrisantShorter wait36 mi6.4 weeks54.0%
Newport (Gwent)Shorter wait38 mi6.7 weeks48.9%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Yeovil: 13.1 weeksWeston-super-Mare: 4 weeksBarry: 9.1 weeksExeter: 6.4 weeksDorchester: 10.6 weeksCardiff (Llanishen): 7.7 weeksLlantrisant: 6.4 weeksNewport (Gwent): 6.7 weeksTauntonTaunton

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.