Test Centre Stats

North East, England · DVSA car test centre

Gateshead driving test centre

Waterside Drive, Dunston, Gateshead, NE11 9HU · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car, motorcycle module 1 (off-road), 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

11.1 weeks

+0.8 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

37.5%

−12.5 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

130 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 3rd of 11 North East

Weeks to 10% of slots free

16.3 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Gateshead in September 2026 had booked it a median of 11.1 weeks earlier: 0.5 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 2 weeks shorter than the North East figure (13.1 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 10.3 weeks, so the wait has grown by 0.8 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 5 weeks to 11.1 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 16.3 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, 17.2% 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.

  • Gateshead
  • North East
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Gateshead, October 2024 to September 2026Gateshead: 11.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2611.1Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2611.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Gateshead, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthGatesheadNorth EastGreat Britain
September 202611.113.111.6
August 20267.112.611.1
July 20267.111.711.1
June 20266.610.610.7
May 20267.610.19.7
April 20267.610.19.1
March 20266.79.79.0
February 20265.010.010.4
January 20267.39.410.1
December 20258.310.910.1
November 20258.110.110.4
October 20259.911.311.6
September 202510.312.412.4
August 20259.112.411.7
July 202511.713.612.0
June 20259.914.011.0
May 20259.613.311.3
April 202512.012.410.6
March 202511.313.110.4
February 202510.712.611.4
January 20258.111.711.0
December 20247.411.110.4
November 20247.010.69.9
October 20248.910.99.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Gateshead in September 2026, 38.1% had been booked within 7 weeks and 28.3% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Gateshead
North East
Great Britain

At Gateshead, 38.1% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 28.3% 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
Gateshead38.1%17.9%15.7%28.3%
North East34.0%18.5%20.8%26.7%
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 Gateshead, those three are below. Of the three, Sunderland (9 weeks) had a median wait at least a week shorter than Gateshead in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Gateshead can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs GatesheadPass rate 2025–26
Gosforthabout 10 miles by roadabout 10 mi21.1 weeks+10.0 wk48.4%
Sunderlandabout 12 miles by roadabout 12 mi9 weeks−2.1 wk51.1%
Durhamabout 19 miles by roadabout 19 mi15.9 weeks+4.8 wk53.2%

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), 9,512 car tests were taken here and 37.5% passed, 12.5 points below the Great Britain rate (50.0%). That's close to the year before (37.4%). First attempts did about the same: 37.1% of 3,883 first-time candidates passed, and 2.1% did it with no faults at all.

  • Gateshead
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    37.5%12.5 points below Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    37.1%13.4 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    2.1%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    37.2%13.6 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    37.9%11.2 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    51.1%12.5 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars27% of tests here were in automatics
    32.7%11.9 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Gateshead compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureGatesheadGreat Britain
All tests37.5%50.0%
First attempts37.1%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults2.1%2.9%
Men37.2%50.8%
Women37.9%49.1%
17-year-olds51.1%63.6%
Automatic cars32.7%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Gateshead
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Gateshead by financial yearPass rate at Gateshead in 2025–26: 37.5%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Gateshead, 2019–20: 43.5%44Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Gateshead, 2020–21: 44.2%44Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Gateshead, 2021–22: 44.1%44Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Gateshead, 2022–23: 41.6%42Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Gateshead, 2023–24: 40.9%41Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Gateshead, 2024–25: 37.4%37Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Gateshead, 2025–26: 37.5%38Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Gateshead, 2019–20: 43.5%44Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Gateshead, 2020–21: 44.2%44Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Gateshead, 2021–22: 44.1%44Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Gateshead, 2022–23: 41.6%42Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Gateshead, 2023–24: 40.9%41Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Gateshead, 2024–25: 37.4%37Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Gateshead, 2025–26: 37.5%38Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Gateshead by financial year
YearGatesheadGreat Britain
2019–2043.5%45.9%
2020–2144.2%49.8%
2021–2244.1%48.9%
2022–2341.6%48.4%
2023–2440.9%47.9%
2024–2537.4%48.7%
2025–2637.5%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 51.1%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1751.1% of 1,184
  • Age 1843.8% of 1,170
  • Age 1938.1% of 696
  • Age 2040.4% of 483
  • Age 2140.0% of 422
  • Age 2238.0% of 411
  • Age 2343.4% of 339
  • Age 2439.0% of 318
  • Age 2538.3% of 287

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 482 tests at Gateshead, about 50.7 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (317). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness317
  • Examiner leave132
  • Weather and other acts of nature33

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Newcastle (Suite B, Fourth Floor, Tyne House, The Side, NE1 3JA), 2.1 mi away. In 2025–26, 45.9% of its 45,324 car theory tests were passes, 1.1 points above 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 Sunderland, 9.4 mi away, at 9 weeks. Within the same list, Gosforth (6.2 mi) had a pass rate of 48.4%. 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 Gateshead, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
GosforthHigher pass rate6.2 mi21.1 weeks48.4%
SunderlandShorter waitHigher pass rate9.4 mi9 weeks51.1%
BlythHigher pass rate13 mi11.7 weeks50.9%
DurhamHigher pass rate15 mi15.9 weeks53.2%
HexhamHigher pass rate18 mi17.9 weeks53.0%
HartlepoolHigher pass rate27 mi15.1 weeks51.0%
DarlingtonShorter waitHigher pass rate31 mi7.6 weeks47.1%
AlnwickHigher pass rate31 mi14.6 weeks55.5%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Gosforth: 21.1 weeksSunderland: 9 weeksBlyth: 11.7 weeksDurham: 15.9 weeksHexham: 17.9 weeksHartlepool: 15.1 weeksDarlington: 7.6 weeksAlnwick: 14.6 weeksGatesheadGateshead

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.