Pass rate by year
| Year (Apr–Mar) | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 5,955 | 51.7% |
| 2024/25 | 6,366 | 47.9% |
| 2023/24 | 5,845 | 49.6% |
| 2022/23 | 4,833 | 54.3% |
| 2021/22 | 4,485 | 56.5% |
| 2020/21 | 1,120 | 54.0% |
| 2019/20 | 5,437 | 48.1% |
| 2018/19 | 5,291 | 50.2% |
| 2017/18 | 5,432 | 53.2% |
| 2016/17 | 5,780 | 53.7% |
| 2015/16 | 4,557 | 46.7% |
| 2014/15 | 4,342 | 45.5% |
| 2013/14 | 3,995 | 47.1% |
| 2012/13 | 3,938 | 49.9% |
| 2011/12 | 4,339 | 49.0% |
| 2010/11 | 4,400 | 51.4% |
| 2009/10 | 4,985 | 43.2% |
| 2008/09 | 5,615 | 41.1% |
| 2007/08 | 5,665 | 43.2% |
DVSA, DRT122A · centres where only one examiner tested in a year are left out of that year by DVSA
Month by month
| Month | Tests | Passes | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | 679 | 368 | 54.2% |
| February 2026 | 559 | 272 | 48.7% |
| January 2026 | 499 | 270 | 54.1% |
| December 2025 | 493 | 264 | 53.5% |
| November 2025 | 600 | 340 | 56.7% |
| October 2025 | 630 | 320 | 50.8% |
| September 2025 | 463 | 257 | 55.5% |
| August 2025 | 346 | 177 | 51.2% |
| July 2025 | 450 | 207 | 46.0% |
| June 2025 | 456 | 226 | 49.6% |
| May 2025 | 398 | 183 | 46.0% |
| April 2025 | 382 | 197 | 51.6% |
DVSA, DRT122A · figures for the latest months are provisional
Who passes
Men passed 56.2% of their tests at Nelson in 2025/26 and women 47.2%. Of 2,957 learners taking their first test here, 1,542 passed (52.1%; Great Britain 50.5%), and 78 of them did it without a single driving fault.
DVSA, DRT122A and DRT122C, 2025/26
Waiting for a test
People who took their test at Nelson in September 2026 had booked it a median of 18.9 weeks earlier; 28.5% took it within seven weeks of booking.
DVSA, DRT122F · median weeks between booking and taking the test, DVSA examiners only
Other test centres in North West
| Test centre | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| Atherton (Manchester) | 13,035 | 44.3% |
| Barrow In Furness | 1,699 | 69.6% |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 12,205 | 46.6% |
| Blackpool | 8,948 | 51.8% |
| Bolton (Manchester) | 11,570 | 51.8% |
| Bredbury (Manchester) | 10,636 | 56.0% |
| Bury (Manchester) | 7,024 | 46.3% |
| Carlisle | 3,518 | 58.7% |
| Chadderton | 15,988 | 46.8% |
| Cheetham Hill (Manchester) | 10,207 | 44.7% |
| Chester | 9,212 | 47.3% |
| Chorley | 5,415 | 52.8% |
| Crewe | 4,994 | 43.8% |
| Heysham | 3,692 | 59.2% |
| Kendal (Oxenholme Road) | 2,231 | 65.1% |
| Macclesfield | 4,509 | 51.9% |
| Norris Green (Liverpool) | 13,472 | 37.8% |
| Northwich | 3,529 | 57.6% |
| Preston | 9,194 | 56.3% |
| Rochdale (Manchester) | 11,563 | 48.3% |
| Sale (Manchester) | 10,921 | 51.4% |
| Southport (Liverpool) | 7,949 | 56.5% |
| Speke (Liverpool) | 8,159 | 40.5% |
| St Helens (Liverpool) | 14,174 | 40.9% |
| Upton | 10,772 | 52.6% |
| Wallasey | 968 | 54.3% |
| Warrington | 7,550 | 55.5% |
| West Didsbury (Manchester) | 17,806 | 47.7% |
| Widnes | 6,846 | 42.7% |
| Workington | 2,998 | 61.9% |