Test Centre Stats

North West, England · DVSA car test centre

Chester driving test centre

Unit 16, Telford Court, Dunkirk Trading Estate, Chester Gates Dunkirk, Chester, CH1 6LT

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

7.5 weeks

−3.5 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

47.3%

−2.7 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

75 of 314

1 = shortest wait; joint 7th of 32 North West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

19.5 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Chester in September 2026 had booked it a median of 7.5 weeks earlier: 4.1 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 5.1 weeks shorter than the North West figure (12.6 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 11 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 3.5 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 7.5 weeks to 14.8 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 19.5 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, 21.0% 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.

  • Chester
  • North West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Chester, October 2024 to September 2026Chester: 7.5 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 267.5Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 267.5Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Chester, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthChesterNorth WestGreat Britain
September 20267.512.611.6
August 202614.412.111.1
July 202614.412.711.1
June 202611.111.610.7
May 202612.310.09.7
April 202611.910.39.1
March 202611.79.19.0
February 202614.810.910.4
January 202610.410.310.1
December 202512.310.010.1
November 20257.79.110.4
October 202511.010.011.6
September 202511.010.612.4
August 202510.411.011.7
July 202510.911.912.0
June 20258.210.711.0
May 202511.611.311.3
April 202512.111.110.6
March 202512.911.610.4
February 202510.412.011.4
January 20258.411.011.0
December 202411.010.410.4
November 202410.610.19.9
October 202411.610.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Chester in September 2026, 48.9% had been booked within 7 weeks and 25.6% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Chester
North West
Great Britain

At Chester, 48.9% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 25.6% 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
Chester48.9%12.6%13.0%25.6%
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 Chester, those three are below. None of the three had a median wait more than a week shorter than Chester in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Chester can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs ChesterPass rate 2025–26
Wrexhamabout 14 miles by roadabout 14 mi7.1 weeks−0.4 wk51.9%
Northwichabout 19 miles by roadabout 19 mi7.3 weeks−0.2 wk57.6%
Uptonabout 20 miles by roadabout 20 mi12.1 weeks+4.6 wk52.6%

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), 9,212 car tests were taken here and 47.3% passed, 2.7 points below the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 46.2%, so the rate rose by 1.1 points. First attempts did about the same: 47.9% of 4,395 first-time candidates passed, and 2.5% did it with no faults at all.

  • Chester
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    47.3%2.7 points below Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    47.9%2.6 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    2.5%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    47.2%3.6 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    47.5%1.6 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    58.1%5.5 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars22% of tests here were in automatics
    40.1%4.5 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Chester compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureChesterGreat Britain
All tests47.3%50.0%
First attempts47.9%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults2.5%2.9%
Men47.2%50.8%
Women47.5%49.1%
17-year-olds58.1%63.6%
Automatic cars40.1%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Chester
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Chester by financial yearPass rate at Chester in 2025–26: 47.3%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Chester, 2019–20: 44.0%44Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Chester, 2020–21: 49.6%50Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Chester, 2021–22: 43.2%43Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Chester, 2022–23: 44.7%45Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Chester, 2023–24: 43.5%43Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Chester, 2024–25: 46.2%46Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Chester, 2025–26: 47.3%47Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Chester, 2019–20: 44.0%44Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Chester, 2020–21: 49.6%50Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Chester, 2021–22: 43.2%43Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Chester, 2022–23: 44.7%45Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Chester, 2023–24: 43.5%43Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Chester, 2024–25: 46.2%46Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Chester, 2025–26: 47.3%47Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Chester by financial year
YearChesterGreat Britain
2019–2044.0%45.9%
2020–2149.6%49.8%
2021–2243.2%48.9%
2022–2344.7%48.4%
2023–2443.5%47.9%
2024–2546.2%48.7%
2025–2647.3%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 58.1%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1758.1% of 2,045
  • Age 1852.7% of 1,336
  • Age 1944.6% of 654
  • Age 2047.4% of 458
  • Age 2144.8% of 395
  • Age 2252.5% of 341
  • Age 2347.5% of 322
  • Age 2442.9% of 261
  • Age 2542.1% of 259

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 362 tests at Chester, about 39.3 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (190). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness190
  • Examiner leave98
  • Weather and other acts of nature74

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Chester (Unit 3, Ground Floor, Granary Wharf, Steam Mill Street, CH3 5BE), 4.3 mi away. In 2025–26, 47.6% of its 20,210 car theory tests were passes, 2.8 points above the Great Britain rate (44.8%). You can sit the theory test at any centre.

Nearby centres

None of the 8 nearest centres had a wait at least a week shorter than Chester in September 2026. Within the same list, Upton (11 mi) had a pass rate of 52.6%. 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 Chester, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Speke (Liverpool)7.3 mi7.5 weeks40.5%
Widnes10 mi9.1 weeks42.7%
UptonHigher pass rate11 mi12.1 weeks52.6%
WallaseyHigher pass rate13 mi12.6 weeks54.3%
Norris Green (Liverpool)14 mi18 weeks37.8%
WrexhamHigher pass rate14 mi7.1 weeks51.9%
NorthwichHigher pass rate17 mi7.3 weeks57.6%
St Helens (Liverpool)17 mi11.4 weeks40.9%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Speke (Liverpool): 7.5 weeksWidnes: 9.1 weeksUpton: 12.1 weeksWallasey: 12.6 weeksNorris Green (Liverpool): 18 weeksWrexham: 7.1 weeksNorthwich: 7.3 weeksSt Helens (Liverpool): 11.4 weeksChesterChester

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.