Test Centre Stats

North East, England · DVSA car test centre

Gosforth driving test centre

Sandy lane, Gosforth, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 5HB · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car, 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

21.1 weeks

+7.5 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

48.4%

−1.6 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

283 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 10th of 11 North East

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Gosforth in September 2026 had booked it a median of 21.1 weeks earlier: 9.5 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 8 weeks longer than the North East figure (13.1 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 13.6 weeks, so the wait has grown by 7.5 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 13.1 weeks to 21.1 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, 4.1% 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.

  • Gosforth
  • North East
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Gosforth, October 2024 to September 2026Gosforth: 21.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0102030Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2621.1Weeks0102030Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2621.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Gosforth, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthGosforthNorth EastGreat Britain
September 202621.113.111.6
August 202616.312.611.1
July 202616.311.711.1
June 202617.110.610.7
May 202616.610.19.7
April 202618.010.19.1
March 202615.09.79.0
February 202620.110.010.4
January 202619.39.410.1
December 202516.310.910.1
November 202513.110.110.4
October 202514.311.311.6
September 202513.612.412.4
August 202511.612.411.7
July 202512.113.612.0
June 202512.414.011.0
May 202510.613.311.3
April 20258.712.410.6
March 20259.113.110.4
February 202510.012.611.4
January 20259.511.711.0
December 202410.911.110.4
November 202411.010.69.9
October 202410.010.99.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Gosforth in September 2026, 22.7% had been booked within 7 weeks and 50.1% more than 21 weeks before.

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

At Gosforth, 22.7% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 50.1% 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
Gosforth22.7%12.6%14.6%50.1%
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 Gosforth, those three are below. Of the three, Sunderland (9 weeks), Gateshead (11.1 weeks) and Blyth (11.7 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Gosforth in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Gosforth can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs GosforthPass rate 2025–26
Gatesheadabout 9 miles by roadabout 9 mi11.1 weeks−10.0 wk37.5%
Blythabout 9 miles by roadabout 9 mi11.7 weeks−9.4 wk50.9%
Sunderlandabout 15 miles by roadabout 15 mi9 weeks−12.1 wk51.1%

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), 10,531 car tests were taken here and 48.4% passed, 1.6 points below the Great Britain rate (50.0%). That's close to the year before (47.5%). First attempts did about the same: 48.7% of 5,224 first-time candidates passed, and 4.2% did it with no faults at all.

  • Gosforth
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    48.4%1.6 points below Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    48.7%1.8 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    4.2%1.3 points above Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    49.8%1.0 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    46.7%2.4 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    61.5%2.1 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars36% of tests here were in automatics
    44.3%about the same as Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Gosforth compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureGosforthGreat Britain
All tests48.4%50.0%
First attempts48.7%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults4.2%2.9%
Men49.8%50.8%
Women46.7%49.1%
17-year-olds61.5%63.6%
Automatic cars44.3%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Gosforth
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Gosforth by financial yearPass rate at Gosforth in 2025–26: 48.4%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Gosforth, 2019–20: 48.8%49Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Gosforth, 2020–21: 50.3%50Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Gosforth, 2021–22: 48.6%49Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Gosforth, 2022–23: 44.2%44Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Gosforth, 2023–24: 45.7%46Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Gosforth, 2024–25: 47.5%47Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Gosforth, 2025–26: 48.4%48Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Gosforth, 2019–20: 48.8%49Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Gosforth, 2020–21: 50.3%50Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Gosforth, 2021–22: 48.6%49Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Gosforth, 2022–23: 44.2%44Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Gosforth, 2023–24: 45.7%46Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Gosforth, 2024–25: 47.5%47Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Gosforth, 2025–26: 48.4%48Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Gosforth by financial year
YearGosforthGreat Britain
2019–2048.8%45.9%
2020–2150.3%49.8%
2021–2248.6%48.9%
2022–2344.2%48.4%
2023–2445.7%47.9%
2024–2547.5%48.7%
2025–2648.4%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 61.5%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1761.5% of 1,097
  • Age 1853.7% of 924
  • Age 1954.3% of 587
  • Age 2053.5% of 477
  • Age 2151.4% of 432
  • Age 2250.8% of 431
  • Age 2351.2% of 387
  • Age 2451.1% of 325
  • Age 2551.8% of 357

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 1,151 tests at Gosforth, about 109.3 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (672). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness672
  • Weather and other acts of nature332
  • Examiner leave147

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), 5.0 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 Gateshead, 6.2 mi away, at 11.1 weeks. Within the same list, Blyth (7.1 mi) had a pass rate of 50.9%. 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 Gosforth, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
GatesheadShorter wait6.2 mi11.1 weeks37.5%
BlythShorter waitHigher pass rate7.1 mi11.7 weeks50.9%
SunderlandShorter waitHigher pass rate11 mi9 weeks51.1%
HexhamShorter waitHigher pass rate20 mi17.9 weeks53.0%
DurhamShorter waitHigher pass rate20 mi15.9 weeks53.2%
AlnwickShorter waitHigher pass rate26 mi14.6 weeks55.5%
HartlepoolShorter waitHigher pass rate30 mi15.1 weeks51.0%
DarlingtonShorter wait36 mi7.6 weeks47.1%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Gateshead: 11.1 weeksBlyth: 11.7 weeksSunderland: 9 weeksHexham: 17.9 weeksDurham: 15.9 weeksAlnwick: 14.6 weeksHartlepool: 15.1 weeksDarlington: 7.6 weeksGosforthGosforth

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.