Test Centre Stats

North West, England · DVSA car test centre

Blackburn with Darwen driving test centre

Blackburn Interchange, Commercial Road, Off Junction 4 M65, Blackburn, Darwen, BB3 0DB · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car, motorcycle module 1 (off-road), motorcycle module 2 (on-road), ADI part 3.

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

Median wait, September 2026

13.1 weeks

+8.8 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

46.6%

−3.4 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

168 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 20th of 32 North West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Blackburn with Darwen in September 2026 had booked it a median of 13.1 weeks earlier: 1.5 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 0.5 weeks longer than the North West figure (12.6 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 4.3 weeks, so the wait has grown by 8.8 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 3.3 weeks to 13.1 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, 6.7% 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.

  • Blackburn with Darwen
  • North West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Blackburn with Darwen, October 2024 to September 2026Blackburn with Darwen: 13.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.051015Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2613.1Weeks051015Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2613.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Blackburn with Darwen, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthBlackburn with DarwenNorth WestGreat Britain
September 202613.112.611.6
August 20268.612.111.1
July 20268.612.711.1
June 20269.411.610.7
May 20267.610.09.7
April 20264.910.39.1
March 20264.39.19.0
February 20263.610.910.4
January 20265.410.310.1
December 20253.410.010.1
November 20253.39.110.4
October 20254.310.011.6
September 20254.310.612.4
August 20255.711.011.7
July 202510.411.912.0
June 202510.110.711.0
May 20256.111.311.3
April 20257.011.110.6
March 202512.311.610.4
February 202511.412.011.4
January 202510.911.011.0
December 20248.910.410.4
November 20248.910.19.9
October 20249.910.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Blackburn with Darwen in September 2026, 35.7% had been booked within 7 weeks and 11.9% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Blackburn with Darwen
North West
Great Britain

At Blackburn with Darwen, 35.7% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 11.9% 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
Blackburn with Darwen35.7%17.0%35.4%11.9%
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 Blackburn with Darwen, those three are below. Of the three, Chorley (5.4 weeks) and Bury (Manchester) (5.7 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Blackburn with Darwen in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Blackburn with Darwen can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Blackburn with DarwenPass rate 2025–26
Chorleyabout 10 miles by roadabout 10 mi5.4 weeks−7.7 wk52.8%
Bolton (Manchester)about 12 miles by roadabout 12 mi12.4 weeks−0.7 wk51.8%
Bury (Manchester)about 13 miles by roadabout 13 mi5.7 weeks−7.4 wk46.3%

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), 12,205 car tests were taken here and 46.6% passed, 3.4 points below the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 47.8%, so the rate fell by 1.2 points. First attempts did worse: 45.5% of 5,073 first-time candidates passed, and 2.0% did it with no faults at all.

  • Blackburn with Darwen
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    46.6%3.4 points below Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    45.5%5.0 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    2.0%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    48.2%2.6 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    44.6%4.5 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    56.2%7.4 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars28% of tests here were in automatics
    45.7%1.1 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Blackburn with Darwen compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureBlackburn with DarwenGreat Britain
All tests46.6%50.0%
First attempts45.5%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults2.0%2.9%
Men48.2%50.8%
Women44.6%49.1%
17-year-olds56.2%63.6%
Automatic cars45.7%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Blackburn with Darwen
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Blackburn with Darwen by financial yearPass rate at Blackburn with Darwen in 2025–26: 46.6%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Blackburn with Darwen, 2019–20: 43.8%44Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Blackburn with Darwen, 2020–21: 47.5%47Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Blackburn with Darwen, 2021–22: 46.1%46Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Blackburn with Darwen, 2022–23: 46.6%47Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Blackburn with Darwen, 2023–24: 46.9%47Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Blackburn with Darwen, 2024–25: 47.8%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Blackburn with Darwen, 2025–26: 46.6%47Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Blackburn with Darwen, 2019–20: 43.8%44Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Blackburn with Darwen, 2020–21: 47.5%47Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Blackburn with Darwen, 2021–22: 46.1%46Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Blackburn with Darwen, 2022–23: 46.6%47Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Blackburn with Darwen, 2023–24: 46.9%47Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Blackburn with Darwen, 2024–25: 47.8%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Blackburn with Darwen, 2025–26: 46.6%47Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Blackburn with Darwen by financial year
YearBlackburn with DarwenGreat Britain
2019–2043.8%45.9%
2020–2147.5%49.8%
2021–2246.1%48.9%
2022–2346.6%48.4%
2023–2446.9%47.9%
2024–2547.8%48.7%
2025–2646.6%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 56.2%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1756.2% of 1,300
  • Age 1850.2% of 1,539
  • Age 1947.4% of 1,229
  • Age 2047.9% of 770
  • Age 2148.6% of 634
  • Age 2247.3% of 537
  • Age 2349.1% of 458
  • Age 2548.4% of 438

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 618 tests at Blackburn with Darwen, about 50.6 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner leave (246). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner leave246
  • Examiner illness245
  • Weather and other acts of nature127

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), 9.4 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, 7.0 mi away, at 5.4 weeks. Within the same list, Chorley (7.0 mi) had a pass rate of 52.8%. 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 Blackburn with Darwen, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
ChorleyShorter waitHigher pass rate7.0 mi5.4 weeks52.8%
Bolton (Manchester)Higher pass rate11 mi12.4 weeks51.8%
Bury (Manchester)Shorter wait11 mi5.7 weeks46.3%
PrestonHigher pass rate12 mi14.4 weeks56.3%
Atherton (Manchester)Shorter wait13 mi10 weeks44.3%
NelsonHigher pass rate14 mi18.9 weeks51.7%
Rochdale (Manchester)Shorter wait16 mi5.6 weeks48.3%
Cheetham Hill (Manchester)Shorter wait18 mi10 weeks44.7%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Chorley: 5.4 weeksBolton (Manchester): 12.4 weeksBury (Manchester): 5.7 weeksPreston: 14.4 weeksAtherton (Manchester): 10 weeksNelson: 18.9 weeksRochdale (Manchester): 5.6 weeksCheetham Hill (Manchester): 10 weeksBlackburn with DarwenBlackburn with Darwen

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.