Barnstaple theory test centre
Units 1, Riverside Court Offices, Castle Street, Barnstaple, EX31 1DR
On the day
Bring your photocard provisional licence; without it the test cannot go ahead and the fee is lost. Arrive 15 minutes early: you will be photographed, your pockets checked, and your belongings locked away. The car theory test is 50 multiple-choice questions (43 to pass) followed by 14 hazard perception clips (44 out of 75 to pass), about 80 minutes in all. The result is printed before you leave and is valid for two years.
Theory tests are booked at GOV.UK for £23. This centre is run for the DVSA by a contractor; it has no examiners and no practical tests.
Pass rate at this centre
In 2025/26 this centre took 5,190 car theory tests and 2,338 candidates passed, a rate of 45.0%. The UK average was 44.8%, so this centre sits 0.2 points above it. Men passed 41.7% of their tests here and women 49.1%.
The theory test is marked by computer from a national question bank, so a difference between centres says more about who books there than about the centre itself. Compare it with every other theory centre.
| Year | Tests | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 5,190 | 2,338 | 45.0% |
| 2024/25 | 4,944 | 2,227 | 45.0% |
| 2023/24 | 4,779 | 2,050 | 42.9% |
| 2022/23 | 4,445 | 1,977 | 44.5% |
Practical test centres near here
Once you have passed, these are the closest centres for the driving test, with their pass rates for 2025/26.
- BarnstapleEX31 1AB · 1.6 km51.4%+1.4 vs GB8 wkswait