Test Centre Stats

East of England, England · DVSA car test centre

Watford driving test centre

CP House, Otterspool Way, Watford, WD25 8HU

Tests here: car, ADI part 3.

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

Median wait, September 2026

15.1 weeks

+2.1 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

46.2%

−3.8 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

198 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 14th of 24 East of England

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Watford in September 2026 had booked it a median of 15.1 weeks earlier: 3.5 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 3.1 weeks longer than the East of England figure (12 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 13 weeks, so the wait has grown by 2.1 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 6.1 weeks to 15.4 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, 4.5% 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.

  • Watford
  • East of England
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Watford, October 2024 to September 2026Watford: 15.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2615.1Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2615.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Watford, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthWatfordEast of EnglandGreat Britain
September 202615.112.011.6
August 202615.411.911.1
July 202615.411.711.1
June 202610.611.410.7
May 20267.99.49.7
April 20266.19.09.1
March 20266.49.39.0
February 202614.611.010.4
January 202613.610.410.1
December 202514.010.110.1
November 202510.610.010.4
October 202513.411.611.6
September 202513.012.112.4
August 202512.710.911.7
July 202511.910.312.0
June 20258.49.311.0
May 20258.39.611.3
April 20258.68.310.6
March 20259.08.010.4
February 20256.98.611.4
January 20255.48.911.0
December 20246.49.710.4
November 20245.18.39.9
October 20246.47.99.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Watford in September 2026, 37.1% had been booked within 7 weeks and 39.4% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Watford
East of England
Great Britain

At Watford, 37.1% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 39.4% 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
Watford37.1%9.8%13.7%39.4%
East of England42.2%11.0%11.7%35.1%
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 Watford, those three are below. None of the three had a median wait more than a week shorter than Watford in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Watford can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs WatfordPass rate 2025–26
Borehamwood (London)about 6 miles by roadabout 6 mi15.6 weeks+0.5 wk50.8%
Mill Hill (London)about 7 miles by roadabout 7 mi16.4 weeks+1.3 wk51.4%
Pinner (London)about 8 miles by roadabout 8 mi23.1 weeks+8.0 wk49.7%

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), 12,939 car tests were taken here and 46.2% passed, 3.8 points below the Great Britain rate (50.0%). That's close to the year before (46.6%). First attempts did worse: 44.8% of 6,479 first-time candidates passed, and 2.0% did it with no faults at all.

  • Watford
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    46.2%3.8 points below Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    44.8%5.7 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    2.0%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    47.9%2.9 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    44.0%5.1 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    56.4%7.2 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars37% of tests here were in automatics
    41.1%3.5 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Watford compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureWatfordGreat Britain
All tests46.2%50.0%
First attempts44.8%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults2.0%2.9%
Men47.9%50.8%
Women44.0%49.1%
17-year-olds56.4%63.6%
Automatic cars41.1%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Watford
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Watford by financial yearPass rate at Watford in 2025–26: 46.2%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Watford, 2019–20: 48.8%49Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Watford, 2020–21: 54.1%54Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Watford, 2021–22: 52.7%53Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Watford, 2022–23: 48.9%49Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Watford, 2023–24: 48.3%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Watford, 2024–25: 46.6%47Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Watford, 2025–26: 46.2%46Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Watford, 2019–20: 48.8%49Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Watford, 2020–21: 54.1%54Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Watford, 2021–22: 52.7%53Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Watford, 2022–23: 48.9%49Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Watford, 2023–24: 48.3%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Watford, 2024–25: 46.6%47Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Watford, 2025–26: 46.2%46Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Watford by financial year
YearWatfordGreat Britain
2019–2048.8%45.9%
2020–2154.1%49.8%
2021–2252.7%48.9%
2022–2348.9%48.4%
2023–2448.3%47.9%
2024–2546.6%48.7%
2025–2646.2%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 56.4%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1756.4% of 1,881
  • Age 1850.8% of 1,668
  • Age 1949.1% of 892
  • Age 2044.5% of 614
  • Age 2149.5% of 548
  • Age 2246.5% of 548
  • Age 2344.9% of 483
  • Age 2444.1% of 440

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 244 tests at Watford, about 18.9 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner leave (125). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner leave125
  • Examiner illness118
  • Weather and other acts of nature1

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Watford (Unit 3, Orient Centre, Greycaine Road, WD24 7GP), 1.2 mi away. In 2025–26, 47.0% of its 36,812 car theory tests were passes, 2.2 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 St Albans, 6.2 mi away, at 6 weeks. Within the same list, Borehamwood (London) (5.0 mi) had a pass rate of 50.8%. 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 Watford, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Borehamwood (London)Higher pass rate5.0 mi15.6 weeks50.8%
Pinner (London)Higher pass rate5.0 mi23.1 weeks49.7%
St AlbansShorter waitHigher pass rate6.2 mi6 weeks50.7%
Mill Hill (London)Higher pass rate6.4 mi16.4 weeks51.4%
Hendon (London)Higher pass rate7.3 mi21.1 weeks51.4%
Barnet (London)Higher pass rate7.8 mi19.1 weeks49.9%
Greenford (Horsenden Lane)8.1 mi18.4 weeks41.4%
Southall (London)Shorter wait9.8 mi5.4 weeks44.8%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Borehamwood (London): 15.6 weeksPinner (London): 23.1 weeksSt Albans: 6 weeksMill Hill (London): 16.4 weeksHendon (London): 21.1 weeksBarnet (London): 19.1 weeksGreenford (Horsenden Lane): 18.4 weeksSouthall (London): 5.4 weeksWatfordWatford

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.