Scotland · DVSA car test centre
Newton Stewart driving test centre
Driving Test Centre Newton Stewart, The Crown Hotel, Newton Stewart, DG8 6JW
Tests here: car.
Waiting times to September 2026 and pass rates for 2025–26, from DVSA statistics published .
Median wait, September 2026
18.1 weeks
+7.3 wk on a year ago
Pass rate, 2025–26
65.8%
+15.8 pts vs GB 50.0%
Wait rank in Great Britain
251 of 314
1 = shortest wait; joint 41st of 74 Scotland
Weeks to 10% of slots free
–
GB 19.7 weeks
People who took a car test at Newton Stewart in September 2026 had booked it a median of 18.1 weeks earlier: 6.5 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 3 weeks longer than the Scotland figure (15.1 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 10.8 weeks, so the wait has grown by 7.3 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 12.9 weeks to 19.6 weeks.
Waiting time over the last two years
Median weeks between booking a test and taking it, for tests taken each month.
- Newton Stewart
- Scotland
- Great Britain
Show these figures as a table
| Month | Newton Stewart | Scotland | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 18.1 | 15.1 | 11.6 |
| August 2026 | 19.6 | 16.0 | 11.1 |
| July 2026 | 19.6 | 15.6 | 11.1 |
| June 2026 | 16.7 | 14.4 | 10.7 |
| May 2026 | 16.9 | 13.6 | 9.7 |
| April 2026 | 13.8 | 13.0 | 9.1 |
| March 2026 | 12.9 | 14.7 | 9.0 |
| February 2026 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 10.4 |
| January 2026 | 17.3 | 15.0 | 10.1 |
| December 2025 | 13.5 | 13.3 | 10.1 |
| November 2025 | 13.9 | 13.7 | 10.4 |
| October 2025 | 14.1 | 14.4 | 11.6 |
| September 2025 | 10.8 | 15.0 | 12.4 |
| August 2025 | 12.9 | 13.7 | 11.7 |
| July 2025 | 11.1 | 13.6 | 12.0 |
| June 2025 | 16.3 | 12.9 | 11.0 |
| May 2025 | 11.1 | 13.1 | 11.3 |
| April 2025 | 14.0 | 11.9 | 10.6 |
| March 2025 | 4.1 | 11.3 | 10.4 |
| February 2025 | 15.0 | 12.0 | 11.4 |
| January 2025 | 10.7 | 11.1 | 11.0 |
| December 2024 | 11.7 | 10.0 | 10.4 |
| November 2024 | 11.9 | 9.6 | 9.9 |
| October 2024 | 8.7 | 8.9 | 9.7 |
How far ahead people booked
Of tests taken at Newton Stewart in September 2026, 11.8% had been booked within 7 weeks and 23.5% more than 21 weeks before.
- Within 7 weeks
- 7 to 14 weeks
- 14 to 21 weeks
- Over 21 weeks
At Newton Stewart, 11.8% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 23.5% more than 21 weeks ahead.
Show these figures as a table
| Within 7 weeks | 7 to 14 weeks | 14 to 21 weeks | Over 21 weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton Stewart | 11.8% | 17.7% | 47.1% | 23.5% |
| Scotland | 32.2% | 14.8% | 17.0% | 36.0% |
| Great Britain | 41.1% | 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 Stewart, those three are below. Of the three, Girvan (15.9 weeks) and Castle Douglas (17.1 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Newton Stewart in September 2026.
| Centre | Driving distance (DVSA) | Median wait | vs Newton Stewart | Pass rate 2025–26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stranraerabout 24 miles by road | about 24 mi | 20.3 weeks | +2.2 wk | 71.2% |
| Girvanabout 30 miles by road | about 30 mi | 15.9 weeks | −2.2 wk | 72.0% |
| Castle Douglasabout 30 miles by road | about 30 mi | 17.1 weeks | −1.0 wk | 53.4% |
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), 225 car tests were taken here and 65.8% passed, 15.8 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 63.2%, so the rate rose by 2.6 points. First attempts did worse: 64.0% of 139 first-time candidates passed, and 4.3% did it with no faults at all.
- Newton Stewart
- Great Britain average
-
All tests65.8%15.8 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
-
First attempts64.0%13.5 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
-
First attempt with zero faults4.3%1.4 points above Great Britain (2.9%)
-
Men70.4%19.6 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
-
Women61.5%12.4 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
-
17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres69.4%5.8 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
Show these figures as a table
| Measure | Newton Stewart | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| All tests | 65.8% | 50.0% |
| First attempts | 64.0% | 50.5% |
| First attempt with zero faults | 4.3% | 2.9% |
| Men | 70.4% | 50.8% |
| Women | 61.5% | 49.1% |
| 17-year-olds | 69.4% | 63.6% |
Pass rate by year
- Newton Stewart
- Great Britain
Show these figures as a table
| Year | Newton Stewart | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | 58.3% | 45.9% |
| 2020–21 | 69.8% | 49.8% |
| 2021–22 | 62.4% | 48.9% |
| 2022–23 | 62.8% | 48.4% |
| 2023–24 | 66.7% | 47.9% |
| 2024–25 | 63.2% | 48.7% |
| 2025–26 | 65.8% | 50.0% |
Years run April to March; ’20 is 2020–21.
Tests cancelled by DVSA
In 2024–25 DVSA cancelled 16 tests at Newton Stewart, about 79.6 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (9). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.
The nearest theory test centre
The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Newton Stewart (Ground Floor, McMillan Hall, Dashwood Square, DG8 6EQ), 0.2 mi away. In 2025–26, 48.3% of its 87 car theory tests were passes, 3.5 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 Castle Douglas, 22 mi away, at 17.1 weeks. Within the same list, Stranraer (22 mi) had a pass rate of 71.2%. 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.
| Centre | 24 months | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stranraer | 22 mi | 20.3 weeks | 71.2% | |
| Castle Douglas | 22 mi | 17.1 weeks | 53.4% | |
| Girvan | 25 mi | 15.9 weeks | 72.0% | |
| Cumnock | 35 mi | 23 weeks | 67.4% | |
| Dumfries | 36 mi | 16.3 weeks | 53.9% | |
| Ayr | 37 mi | 8 weeks | 57.5% | |
| Workington | 42 mi | 7.8 weeks | 61.9% | |
| Irvine | 45 mi | 17.6 weeks | 55.7% |
- This centre
- Shorter wait
- Other nearby
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.
- With 225 tests in a year, a handful of results moves the pass rate by several points. Treat small differences with caution.
- 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.