Driving test pass rates in South West, 2025/26
21 test centres in South West with at least 100 tests, ranked highest to lowest. The region averaged 51.7% from 153,125 tests, 1.7 points above the 50% Great Britain average. Dorchester was the highest at 69.0%.
| # | Test centre | Region | Tests | Passed | Pass rate | vs GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dorchester | South West | 4,353 | 3,002 | 69.0% | +19.0 |
| 2 | Yeovil | South West | 7,493 | 4,752 | 63.4% | +13.4 |
| 3 | Weston-super-Mare | South West | 4,443 | 2,711 | 61.0% | +11.0 |
| 4 | Taunton | South West | 8,259 | 4,915 | 59.5% | +9.5 |
| 5 | Chippenham | South West | 9,629 | 5,435 | 56.4% | +6.4 |
| 6 | Bristol (Avonmouth) | South West | 9,400 | 5,214 | 55.5% | +5.5 |
| 7 | Trowbridge | South West | 3,074 | 1,698 | 55.2% | +5.2 |
| 8 | Newton Abbot | South West | 6,591 | 3,547 | 53.8% | +3.8 |
| 9 | Poole | South West | 10,375 | 5,538 | 53.4% | +3.4 |
| 10 | Bristol (Kingswood) | South West | 14,863 | 7,719 | 51.9% | +1.9 |
| 11 | Barnstaple | South West | 5,562 | 2,859 | 51.4% | +1.4 |
| 12 | Swindon | South West | 12,857 | 6,567 | 51.1% | +1.1 |
| 13 | Salisbury | South West | 6,630 | 3,215 | 48.5% | -1.5 |
| 14 | Gloucester | South West | 7,420 | 3,545 | 47.8% | -2.2 |
| 15 | Bodmin | South West | 6,392 | 3,034 | 47.5% | -2.5 |
| 16 | Exeter | South West | 8,679 | 4,061 | 46.8% | -3.2 |
| 17 | Penzance | South West | 507 | 236 | 46.5% | -3.5 |
| 18 | Launceston | South West | 3,991 | 1,849 | 46.3% | -3.7 |
| 19 | Cheltenham | South West | 5,161 | 2,231 | 43.2% | -6.8 |
| 20 | Plymouth | South West | 11,167 | 4,546 | 40.7% | -9.3 |
| 21 | Camborne | South West | 6,271 | 2,549 | 40.6% | -9.4 |
Why pass rates differ so much between centres
The spread is wide: the top of this table is above 70% and the bottom below 35%, for the same test and the same marking sheet. Three things explain most of it. Rural centres put candidates on roads with fewer junctions, less traffic and simpler roundabouts. Urban centres, especially in London and Birmingham, see more candidates who learn in a hurry, take the test sooner, and retake more often. And who books where matters: some centres draw candidates from far away precisely because of their reputation.
A high pass rate does not mean easier examiners. Examiners rotate, and DVSA monitors their pass rates. What a high rate does tell you is that the local roads are forgiving, which is worth knowing if you have a choice of centres within reach.
Addresses, waiting times and route notes for every centre here are in the South West test centre directory, and the same ranking for the whole country is on the national pass rate table.