Test Centre Stats

North West, England · DVSA car test centre

Nelson driving test centre

Ground Floor Units 103,104, 105, Pendle Business Centre, Commercial Road, Nelson, BB9 9BT

Tests here: car, 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

18.9 weeks

+8.8 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

51.7%

+1.7 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

258 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 31st of 32 North West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Nelson in September 2026 had booked it a median of 18.9 weeks earlier: 7.3 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 6.3 weeks longer than the North West figure (12.6 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 10.1 weeks, so the wait has grown by 8.8 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 5.2 weeks to 19.7 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, 4.2% 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.

  • Nelson
  • North West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Nelson, October 2024 to September 2026Nelson: 18.9 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0510152025Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2618.9Weeks0510152025Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2618.9Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Nelson, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthNelsonNorth WestGreat Britain
September 202618.912.611.6
August 202619.712.111.1
July 202619.712.711.1
June 202618.011.610.7
May 202612.010.09.7
April 202614.410.39.1
March 20269.19.19.0
February 202619.010.910.4
January 202616.910.310.1
December 202514.710.010.1
November 20257.69.110.4
October 20255.210.011.6
September 202510.110.612.4
August 20256.111.011.7
July 20254.711.912.0
June 202518.910.711.0
May 202518.111.311.3
April 202516.911.110.6
March 202514.711.610.4
February 202512.712.011.4
January 20259.911.011.0
December 20249.910.410.4
November 202414.610.19.9
October 202413.710.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Nelson in September 2026, 28.5% had been booked within 7 weeks and 27.7% more than 21 weeks before.

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

At Nelson, 28.5% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 27.7% 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
Nelson28.5%11.8%32.1%27.7%
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 Nelson, those three are below. Of the three, Blackburn with Darwen (13.1 weeks), Skipton (13.8 weeks) and Steeton (15.6 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Nelson in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Nelson can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs NelsonPass rate 2025–26
Skiptonabout 13 miles by roadabout 13 mi13.8 weeks−5.1 wk57.3%
Steetonabout 14 miles by roadabout 14 mi15.6 weeks−3.3 wk52.8%
Blackburn with Darwenabout 17 miles by roadabout 17 mi13.1 weeks−5.8 wk46.6%

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), 5,955 car tests were taken here and 51.7% passed, 1.7 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 47.9%, so the rate rose by 3.8 points. First attempts did about the same: 52.1% of 2,957 first-time candidates passed, and 2.6% did it with no faults at all.

  • Nelson
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    51.7%1.7 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    52.1%1.6 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    2.6%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    56.2%5.4 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    47.2%1.9 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    64.0%about the same as Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars19% of tests here were in automatics
    49.4%4.8 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Nelson compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureNelsonGreat Britain
All tests51.7%50.0%
First attempts52.1%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults2.6%2.9%
Men56.2%50.8%
Women47.2%49.1%
17-year-olds64.0%63.6%
Automatic cars49.4%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Nelson
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Nelson by financial yearPass rate at Nelson in 2025–26: 51.7%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Nelson, 2019–20: 48.1%48Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Nelson, 2020–21: 54.0%54Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Nelson, 2021–22: 56.5%56Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Nelson, 2022–23: 54.3%54Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Nelson, 2023–24: 49.6%50Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Nelson, 2024–25: 47.9%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Nelson, 2025–26: 51.7%52Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Nelson, 2019–20: 48.1%48Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Nelson, 2020–21: 54.0%54Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Nelson, 2021–22: 56.5%56Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Nelson, 2022–23: 54.3%54Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Nelson, 2023–24: 49.6%50Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Nelson, 2024–25: 47.9%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Nelson, 2025–26: 51.7%52Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Nelson by financial year
YearNelsonGreat Britain
2019–2048.1%45.9%
2020–2154.0%49.8%
2021–2256.5%48.9%
2022–2354.3%48.4%
2023–2449.6%47.9%
2024–2547.9%48.7%
2025–2651.7%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 64.0%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1764.0% of 739
  • Age 1857.3% of 934
  • Age 1954.8% of 557
  • Age 2054.5% of 354
  • Age 2152.6% of 293
  • Age 2256.2% of 235
  • Age 2352.5% of 219
  • Age 2448.3% of 230
  • Age 2552.3% of 172

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 481 tests at Nelson, about 80.8 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (312). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness312
  • Examiner leave96
  • Weather and other acts of nature73

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Burnley (Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth Room, Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale Council for Voluntary Services, The CVS Centre, 62-64 Yorkshire Street, BB11 3BT), 3.3 mi away. In 2025–26, 44.4% of its 1,401 car theory tests were passes, close to 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 Skipton, 11 mi away, at 13.8 weeks. Within the same list, Skipton (11 mi) had a pass rate of 57.3%. 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 Nelson, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
SkiptonShorter waitHigher pass rate11 mi13.8 weeks57.3%
SteetonShorter wait11 mi15.6 weeks52.8%
Blackburn with DarwenShorter wait14 mi13.1 weeks46.6%
HalifaxShorter wait15 mi13.6 weeks45.0%
Rochdale (Manchester)Shorter wait16 mi5.6 weeks48.3%
Bury (Manchester)Shorter wait17 mi5.7 weeks46.3%
Bradford (Heaton)Shorter waitHigher pass rate17 mi13.4 weeks56.1%
Bolton (Manchester)Shorter wait21 mi12.4 weeks51.8%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Skipton: 13.8 weeksSteeton: 15.6 weeksBlackburn with Darwen: 13.1 weeksHalifax: 13.6 weeksRochdale (Manchester): 5.6 weeksBury (Manchester): 5.7 weeksBradford (Heaton): 13.4 weeksBolton (Manchester): 12.4 weeksNelsonNelson

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.