Test Centre Stats

North East, England · DVSA car test centre

Hartlepool driving test centre

Unit 20, Newburn Bridge Industrial Estate, Mainsforth Terrace, Hartlepool, TS25 1TZ · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car.

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

Median wait, September 2026

15.1 weeks

−4.3 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

51.0%

+1.0 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

198 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 6th of 11 North East

Weeks to 10% of slots free

19.3 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Hartlepool in September 2026 had booked it a median of 15.1 weeks earlier: 3.5 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 2 weeks longer than the North East figure (13.1 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 19.4 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 4.3 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 6.9 weeks to 21 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 19.3 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, 12.5% 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.

  • Hartlepool
  • North East
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Hartlepool, October 2024 to September 2026Hartlepool: 15.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0102030Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2615.1Weeks0102030Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2615.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Hartlepool, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthHartlepoolNorth EastGreat Britain
September 202615.113.111.6
August 202613.412.611.1
July 202613.411.711.1
June 20268.110.610.7
May 202611.010.19.7
April 202611.110.19.1
March 20269.99.79.0
February 20268.410.010.4
January 20267.49.410.1
December 20256.910.910.1
November 20259.410.110.4
October 202521.011.311.6
September 202519.412.412.4
August 202523.012.411.7
July 202522.613.612.0
June 202522.014.011.0
May 202521.613.311.3
April 202520.012.410.6
March 202518.613.110.4
February 202517.412.611.4
January 202513.811.711.0
December 202413.011.110.4
November 202412.610.69.9
October 202414.710.99.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Hartlepool in September 2026, 13.5% had been booked within 7 weeks and 19.5% more than 21 weeks before.

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

At Hartlepool, 13.5% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 19.5% 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
Hartlepool13.5%21.4%45.5%19.5%
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 Hartlepool, those three are below. Of the three, Darlington (7.6 weeks) had a median wait at least a week shorter than Hartlepool in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Hartlepool can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs HartlepoolPass rate 2025–26
Middlesbroughabout 15 miles by roadabout 15 mi15.9 weeks+0.8 wk47.7%
Darlingtonabout 20 miles by roadabout 20 mi7.6 weeks−7.5 wk47.1%
Durhamabout 22 miles by roadabout 22 mi15.9 weeks+0.8 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), 5,847 car tests were taken here and 51.0% passed, 1.0 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 49.7%, so the rate rose by 1.3 points. First attempts did about the same: 51.9% of 2,847 first-time candidates passed, and 3.8% did it with no faults at all.

  • Hartlepool
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    51.0%1.0 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    51.9%1.4 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    3.8%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    51.0%about the same as Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    51.1%2.0 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    61.0%2.6 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars21% of tests here were in automatics
    45.3%about the same as Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Hartlepool compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureHartlepoolGreat Britain
All tests51.0%50.0%
First attempts51.9%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults3.8%2.9%
Men51.0%50.8%
Women51.1%49.1%
17-year-olds61.0%63.6%
Automatic cars45.3%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Hartlepool
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Hartlepool by financial yearPass rate at Hartlepool in 2025–26: 51.0%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Hartlepool, 2019–20: 54.1%54Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Hartlepool, 2020–21: 57.3%57Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Hartlepool, 2021–22: 57.9%58Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Hartlepool, 2022–23: 52.5%52Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Hartlepool, 2023–24: 48.2%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Hartlepool, 2024–25: 49.7%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Hartlepool, 2025–26: 51.0%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Hartlepool, 2019–20: 54.1%54Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Hartlepool, 2020–21: 57.3%57Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Hartlepool, 2021–22: 57.9%58Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Hartlepool, 2022–23: 52.5%52Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Hartlepool, 2023–24: 48.2%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Hartlepool, 2024–25: 49.7%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Hartlepool, 2025–26: 51.0%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Hartlepool by financial year
YearHartlepoolGreat Britain
2019–2054.1%45.9%
2020–2157.3%49.8%
2021–2257.9%48.9%
2022–2352.5%48.4%
2023–2448.2%47.9%
2024–2549.7%48.7%
2025–2651.0%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 61.0%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1761.0% of 1,156
  • Age 1856.8% of 895
  • Age 1953.4% of 421
  • Age 2049.7% of 294
  • Age 2153.3% of 214
  • Age 2250.3% of 195
  • Age 2353.9% of 191
  • Age 2554.9% of 142

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 245 tests at Hartlepool, about 41.9 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was weather and other acts of nature (119). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Weather and other acts of nature119
  • Examiner illness87
  • Examiner leave39

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Middlesbrough (Suite 1, First Floor, The Cooperative Buildings, 251-255 Linthorpe Road, TS1 4AT), 7.6 mi away. In 2025–26, 40.9% of its 34,351 car theory tests were passes, 3.9 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 Darlington, 17 mi away, at 7.6 weeks. Within the same list, Durham (17 mi) had a pass rate of 53.2%. 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 Hartlepool, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Middlesbrough7.3 mi15.9 weeks47.7%
DarlingtonShorter wait17 mi7.6 weeks47.1%
DurhamHigher pass rate17 mi15.9 weeks53.2%
SunderlandShorter wait19 mi9 weeks51.1%
NorthallertonHigher pass rate25 mi14.3 weeks60.4%
GatesheadShorter wait27 mi11.1 weeks37.5%
WhitbyHigher pass rate27 mi15 weeks56.7%
Gosforth30 mi21.1 weeks48.4%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Middlesbrough: 15.9 weeksDarlington: 7.6 weeksDurham: 15.9 weeksSunderland: 9 weeksNorthallerton: 14.3 weeksGateshead: 11.1 weeksWhitby: 15 weeksGosforth: 21.1 weeksHartlepoolHartlepool

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.