Test Centre Stats

North West, England · DVSA car test centre

Atherton (Manchester) driving test centre

Gibfield Park Avenue, Atherton, Manchester, M46 0SU · wheelchair accessible

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

10 weeks

+1.3 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

44.3%

−5.7 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

115 of 314

1 = shortest wait; joint 13th of 32 North West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Atherton (Manchester) in September 2026 had booked it a median of 10 weeks earlier: 1.6 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 2.6 weeks shorter than the North West figure (12.6 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 8.7 weeks, so the wait has grown by 1.3 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 6.4 weeks to 15.3 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, 3.7% 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.

  • Atherton (Manchester)
  • North West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Atherton (Manchester), October 2024 to September 2026Atherton (Manchester): 10 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2610.0Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2610.0Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Atherton (Manchester), October 2024 to September 2026
MonthAtherton (Manchester)North WestGreat Britain
September 202610.012.611.6
August 202615.312.111.1
July 202615.312.711.1
June 202612.111.610.7
May 202610.610.09.7
April 20267.710.39.1
March 20266.49.19.0
February 20267.110.910.4
January 202610.410.310.1
December 20258.410.010.1
November 20257.99.110.4
October 20257.310.011.6
September 20258.710.612.4
August 20257.011.011.7
July 20256.411.912.0
June 20255.810.711.0
May 202511.011.311.3
April 202513.011.110.6
March 202511.011.610.4
February 202510.912.011.4
January 20256.911.011.0
December 20246.310.410.4
November 20246.010.19.9
October 20246.310.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Atherton (Manchester) in September 2026, 46.4% had been booked within 7 weeks and 29.2% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Atherton (Manchester)
North West
Great Britain

At Atherton (Manchester), 46.4% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 29.2% 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
Atherton (Manchester)46.4%7.5%16.8%29.2%
North West39.4%13.8%19.7%27.1%
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 Atherton (Manchester), those three are below. Of the three, Chorley (5.4 weeks) had a median wait at least a week shorter than Atherton (Manchester) in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Atherton (Manchester) can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Atherton (Manchester)Pass rate 2025–26
Bolton (Manchester)about 6 miles by roadabout 6 mi12.4 weeks+2.4 wk51.8%
Warringtonabout 11 miles by roadabout 11 mi17.1 weeks+7.1 wk55.5%
Chorleyabout 12 miles by roadabout 12 mi5.4 weeks−4.6 wk52.8%

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), 13,035 car tests were taken here and 44.3% passed, 5.7 points below the Great Britain rate (50.0%). That's close to the year before (44.4%). First attempts did about the same: 45.1% of 5,708 first-time candidates passed, and 1.3% did it with no faults at all.

  • Atherton (Manchester)
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    44.3%5.7 points below Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    45.1%5.4 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    1.3%1.6 points below Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    45.7%5.1 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    42.4%6.7 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    60.4%3.2 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars30% of tests here were in automatics
    37.9%6.7 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Atherton (Manchester) compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureAtherton (Manchester)Great Britain
All tests44.3%50.0%
First attempts45.1%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults1.3%2.9%
Men45.7%50.8%
Women42.4%49.1%
17-year-olds60.4%63.6%
Automatic cars37.9%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Atherton (Manchester)
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Atherton (Manchester) by financial yearPass rate at Atherton (Manchester) in 2025–26: 44.3%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Atherton (Manchester), 2019–20: 46.5%47Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Atherton (Manchester), 2020–21: 51.5%52Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Atherton (Manchester), 2021–22: 49.9%50Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Atherton (Manchester), 2022–23: 47.2%47Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Atherton (Manchester), 2023–24: 44.3%44Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Atherton (Manchester), 2024–25: 44.4%44Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Atherton (Manchester), 2025–26: 44.3%44Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Atherton (Manchester), 2019–20: 46.5%47Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Atherton (Manchester), 2020–21: 51.5%52Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Atherton (Manchester), 2021–22: 49.9%50Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Atherton (Manchester), 2022–23: 47.2%47Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Atherton (Manchester), 2023–24: 44.3%44Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Atherton (Manchester), 2024–25: 44.4%44Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Atherton (Manchester), 2025–26: 44.3%44Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Atherton (Manchester) by financial year
YearAtherton (Manchester)Great Britain
2019–2046.5%45.9%
2020–2151.5%49.8%
2021–2249.9%48.9%
2022–2347.2%48.4%
2023–2444.3%47.9%
2024–2544.4%48.7%
2025–2644.3%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 60.4%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1760.4% of 1,380
  • Age 1849.9% of 1,541
  • Age 1947.5% of 874
  • Age 2045.5% of 580
  • Age 2147.7% of 511
  • Age 2247.4% of 443
  • Age 2445.5% of 442
  • Age 2547.6% of 431

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 423 tests at Atherton (Manchester), about 32.5 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (296). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness296
  • Weather and other acts of nature94
  • Examiner leave33

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Bolton (Suite 2A, Second Floor, Knowsley House, 4-6 Knowsley Street, BL1 2AH), 4.7 mi away. In 2025–26, 41.7% of its 46,465 car theory tests were passes, 3.1 points below 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 Chorley, 9.9 mi away, at 5.4 weeks. Within the same list, Bolton (Manchester) (4.2 mi) had a pass rate of 51.8%. 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 Atherton (Manchester), with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Bolton (Manchester)Higher pass rate4.2 mi12.4 weeks51.8%
WarringtonHigher pass rate8.8 mi17.1 weeks55.5%
ChorleyShorter waitHigher pass rate9.9 mi5.4 weeks52.8%
Bury (Manchester)Shorter waitHigher pass rate10 mi5.7 weeks46.3%
St Helens (Liverpool)10 mi11.4 weeks40.9%
Sale (Manchester)Higher pass rate11 mi18.3 weeks51.4%
Cheetham Hill (Manchester)11 mi10 weeks44.7%
West Didsbury (Manchester)Higher pass rate12 mi19.9 weeks47.7%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Bolton (Manchester): 12.4 weeksWarrington: 17.1 weeksChorley: 5.4 weeksBury (Manchester): 5.7 weeksSt Helens (Liverpool): 11.4 weeksSale (Manchester): 18.3 weeksCheetham Hill (Manchester): 10 weeksWest Didsbury (Manchester): 19.9 weeksAtherton (Manchester)Atherton (Manchester)

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.