Test Centre Stats

South West, England · DVSA car test centre

Barnstaple driving test centre

Unit 1A, Benning Court (off Riverside Road), Pottington Industrial Estate, Barnstaple, EX31 1AB · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car, motorcycle module 2 (on-road).

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

Median wait, September 2026

7.4 weeks

+2.7 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

51.4%

+1.4 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

73 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 10th of 22 South West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

5.3 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Barnstaple in September 2026 had booked it a median of 7.4 weeks earlier: 4.2 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 1 week shorter than the South West figure (8.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 4.7 weeks, so the wait has grown by 2.7 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 3.4 weeks to 9.1 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 5.3 weeks to reach a week with at least 10% of its test slots free (Great Britain: 19.7 weeks). Across the whole 24-week window, 55.5% 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.

  • Barnstaple
  • South West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Barnstaple, October 2024 to September 2026Barnstaple: 7.4 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 267.4Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 267.4Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Barnstaple, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthBarnstapleSouth WestGreat Britain
September 20267.48.411.6
August 20268.08.311.1
July 20268.08.111.1
June 20268.07.010.7
May 20267.07.19.7
April 20269.17.19.1
March 20264.67.19.0
February 20263.49.010.4
January 20265.49.910.1
December 20256.710.110.1
November 20256.110.410.4
October 20255.010.611.6
September 20254.712.012.4
August 20255.311.111.7
July 20256.011.712.0
June 20255.311.111.0
May 20252.911.711.3
April 20253.410.910.6
March 20255.410.610.4
February 20258.911.311.4
January 202511.410.611.0
December 202414.610.710.4
November 202410.910.49.9
October 20249.610.79.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Barnstaple in September 2026, 48.5% had been booked within 7 weeks and 6.6% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Barnstaple
South West
Great Britain

At Barnstaple, 48.5% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 6.6% 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
Barnstaple48.5%35.4%9.6%6.6%
South West46.7%17.4%15.8%20.1%
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 Barnstaple, those three are below. Of the three, Launceston (6.4 weeks) and Exeter (6.4 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Barnstaple in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Barnstaple can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs BarnstaplePass rate 2025–26
Launcestonabout 44 miles by roadabout 44 mi6.4 weeks−1.0 wk46.3%
Exeterabout 49 miles by roadabout 49 mi6.4 weeks−1.0 wk46.8%
Tauntonabout 54 miles by roadabout 54 mi12.6 weeks+5.2 wk59.5%

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), 5,562 car tests were taken here and 51.4% passed, 1.4 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 54.7%, so the rate fell by 3.3 points. First attempts did better: 53.8% of 2,540 first-time candidates passed, and 3.8% did it with no faults at all.

  • Barnstaple
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    51.4%1.4 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    53.8%3.3 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    3.8%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    50.5%about the same as Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    52.6%3.5 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    63.6%about the same as Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars19% of tests here were in automatics
    41.8%2.8 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Barnstaple compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureBarnstapleGreat Britain
All tests51.4%50.0%
First attempts53.8%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults3.8%2.9%
Men50.5%50.8%
Women52.6%49.1%
17-year-olds63.6%63.6%
Automatic cars41.8%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Barnstaple
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Barnstaple by financial yearPass rate at Barnstaple in 2025–26: 51.4%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Barnstaple, 2019–20: 54.3%54Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Barnstaple, 2020–21: 59.9%60Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Barnstaple, 2021–22: 55.3%55Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Barnstaple, 2022–23: 54.3%54Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Barnstaple, 2023–24: 54.9%55Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Barnstaple, 2024–25: 54.7%55Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Barnstaple, 2025–26: 51.4%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Barnstaple, 2019–20: 54.3%54Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Barnstaple, 2020–21: 59.9%60Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Barnstaple, 2021–22: 55.3%55Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Barnstaple, 2022–23: 54.3%54Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Barnstaple, 2023–24: 54.9%55Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Barnstaple, 2024–25: 54.7%55Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Barnstaple, 2025–26: 51.4%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Barnstaple by financial year
YearBarnstapleGreat Britain
2019–2054.3%45.9%
2020–2159.9%49.8%
2021–2255.3%48.9%
2022–2354.3%48.4%
2023–2454.9%47.9%
2024–2554.7%48.7%
2025–2651.4%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 63.6%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1763.6% of 1,537
  • Age 1854.3% of 692
  • Age 1956.2% of 299
  • Age 2055.8% of 199
  • Age 2151.0% of 192
  • Age 2256.2% of 185
  • Age 2352.4% of 189
  • Age 2543.2% of 148

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 73 tests at Barnstaple, about 13.1 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (50). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness50
  • Weather and other acts of nature18
  • Examiner leave5

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Barnstaple (Units 1, Riverside Court Offices, Castle Street, EX31 1DR), 1.0 mi away. In 2025–26, 45.0% of its 5,190 car theory tests were passes, close to 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 Launceston, 34 mi away, at 6.4 weeks. Within the same list, Barry (41 mi) had a pass rate of 57.0%. 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 Barnstaple, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
LauncestonShorter wait34 mi6.4 weeks46.3%
Bridgend36 mi7.3 weeks53.3%
ExeterShorter wait36 mi6.4 weeks46.8%
Swansea38 mi7.3 weeks48.2%
BarryHigher pass rate41 mi9.1 weeks57.0%
Llanelli42 mi7 weeks51.0%
LlantrisantShorter waitHigher pass rate43 mi6.4 weeks54.0%
TauntonHigher pass rate44 mi12.6 weeks59.5%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Launceston: 6.4 weeksBridgend: 7.3 weeksExeter: 6.4 weeksSwansea: 7.3 weeksBarry: 9.1 weeksLlanelli: 7 weeksLlantrisant: 6.4 weeksTaunton: 12.6 weeksBarnstapleBarnstaple

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.
  • 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.