Test Centre Stats

South West, England · DVSA car test centre

Newton Abbot driving test centre

Vander House, Brunel Road, Newton Abbot, TQ12 4YQ

Tests here: car, ADI part 3.

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

Median wait, September 2026

16 weeks

+5.0 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

53.8%

+3.8 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

214 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 20th of 22 South West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

18.5 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Newton Abbot in September 2026 had booked it a median of 16 weeks earlier: 4.4 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 7.6 weeks longer than the South West figure (8.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 11 weeks, so the wait has grown by 5 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 4.4 weeks to 16 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 18.5 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, 12.4% 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.

  • Newton Abbot
  • South West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Newton Abbot, October 2024 to September 2026Newton Abbot: 16 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2616.0Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2616.0Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Newton Abbot, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthNewton AbbotSouth WestGreat Britain
September 202616.08.411.6
August 20266.88.311.1
July 20266.88.111.1
June 20266.17.010.7
May 20266.37.19.7
April 20266.67.19.1
March 20265.07.19.0
February 20264.49.010.4
January 20266.69.910.1
December 20256.110.110.1
November 202511.110.410.4
October 202511.710.611.6
September 202511.012.012.4
August 20259.911.111.7
July 202513.411.712.0
June 20256.411.111.0
May 202513.011.711.3
April 20259.710.910.6
March 20259.910.610.4
February 202512.111.311.4
January 202510.110.611.0
December 20248.710.710.4
November 20249.110.49.9
October 202412.610.79.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Newton Abbot in September 2026, 36.2% had been booked within 7 weeks and 38.1% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Newton Abbot
South West
Great Britain

At Newton Abbot, 36.2% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 38.1% 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
Newton Abbot36.2%12.0%13.7%38.1%
South West46.7%17.4%15.8%20.1%
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 Newton Abbot, those three are below. Of the three, Exeter (6.4 weeks), Plymouth (7.1 weeks) and Taunton (12.6 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Newton Abbot in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Newton Abbot can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Newton AbbotPass rate 2025–26
Exeterabout 14 miles by roadabout 14 mi6.4 weeks−9.6 wk46.8%
Plymouthabout 34 miles by roadabout 34 mi7.1 weeks−8.9 wk40.7%
Tauntonabout 51 miles by roadabout 51 mi12.6 weeks−3.4 wk59.5%

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), 6,591 car tests were taken here and 53.8% passed, 3.8 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 51.9%, so the rate rose by 1.9 points. First attempts did about the same: 54.5% of 3,383 first-time candidates passed, and 2.1% did it with no faults at all.

  • Newton Abbot
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    53.8%3.8 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    54.5%4.0 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    2.1%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    56.1%5.3 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    51.3%2.2 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    63.2%about the same as Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars18% of tests here were in automatics
    46.9%2.3 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Newton Abbot compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureNewton AbbotGreat Britain
All tests53.8%50.0%
First attempts54.5%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults2.1%2.9%
Men56.1%50.8%
Women51.3%49.1%
17-year-olds63.2%63.6%
Automatic cars46.9%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Newton Abbot
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Newton Abbot by financial yearPass rate at Newton Abbot in 2025–26: 53.8%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Newton Abbot, 2019–20: 49.0%49Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Newton Abbot, 2020–21: 52.9%53Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Newton Abbot, 2021–22: 48.0%48Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Newton Abbot, 2022–23: 50.8%51Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Newton Abbot, 2023–24: 50.1%50Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Newton Abbot, 2024–25: 51.9%52Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Newton Abbot, 2025–26: 53.8%54Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Newton Abbot, 2019–20: 49.0%49Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Newton Abbot, 2020–21: 52.9%53Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Newton Abbot, 2021–22: 48.0%48Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Newton Abbot, 2022–23: 50.8%51Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Newton Abbot, 2023–24: 50.1%50Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Newton Abbot, 2024–25: 51.9%52Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Newton Abbot, 2025–26: 53.8%54Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Newton Abbot by financial year
YearNewton AbbotGreat Britain
2019–2049.0%45.9%
2020–2152.9%49.8%
2021–2248.0%48.9%
2022–2350.8%48.4%
2023–2450.1%47.9%
2024–2551.9%48.7%
2025–2653.8%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 63.2%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1763.2% of 1,443
  • Age 1857.8% of 1,061
  • Age 1955.8% of 518
  • Age 2055.3% of 302
  • Age 2154.1% of 281
  • Age 2255.3% of 273
  • Age 2353.6% of 220
  • Age 2449.0% of 210

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 137 tests at Newton Abbot, about 20.8 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (115). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness115
  • Examiner leave14
  • Weather and other acts of nature8

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Torquay (Rooms 36-37, First Floor, Castle Circus House, 136 Union Street, TQ2 5QG), 5.0 mi away. In 2025–26, 49.1% of its 7,758 car theory tests were passes, 4.3 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 Exeter, 12 mi away, at 6.4 weeks. Within the same list, Taunton (41 mi) had a pass rate of 59.5%. 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 Newton Abbot, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
ExeterShorter wait12 mi6.4 weeks46.8%
PlymouthShorter wait27 mi7.1 weeks40.7%
LauncestonShorter wait33 mi6.4 weeks46.3%
TauntonShorter waitHigher pass rate41 mi12.6 weeks59.5%
BarnstapleShorter wait44 mi7.4 weeks51.4%
BodminShorter wait49 mi5.4 weeks47.5%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Exeter: 6.4 weeksPlymouth: 7.1 weeksLaunceston: 6.4 weeksTaunton: 12.6 weeksBarnstaple: 7.4 weeksBodmin: 5.4 weeksNewton AbbotNewton Abbot

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.