Test Centre Stats

South West, England · DVSA car test centre

Poole driving test centre

4 - 20 Harwell Road, Nuffield Industrial Estate, Poole, BH17 0SA

Tests here: car, motorcycle module 1 (off-road), motorcycle module 2 (on-road), 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

8.8 weeks

−2.8 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

53.4%

+3.4 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

94 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 11th of 22 South West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

16.5 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Poole in September 2026 had booked it a median of 8.8 weeks earlier: 2.8 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and about the same as the South West figure (8.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 11.6 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 2.8 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 7.1 weeks to 18 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 16.5 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, 12.2% 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.

  • Poole
  • South West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Poole, October 2024 to September 2026Poole: 8.8 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0102030Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 268.8Weeks0102030Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 268.8Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Poole, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthPooleSouth WestGreat Britain
September 20268.88.411.6
August 20267.18.311.1
July 20267.18.111.1
June 20267.47.010.7
May 202611.67.19.7
April 202612.47.19.1
March 202618.07.19.0
February 202615.49.010.4
January 202617.19.910.1
December 202516.810.110.1
November 202514.610.410.4
October 202510.610.611.6
September 202511.612.012.4
August 202511.611.111.7
July 202515.111.712.0
June 202518.911.111.0
May 202522.311.711.3
April 202523.010.910.6
March 202521.910.610.4
February 202519.011.311.4
January 202518.710.611.0
December 202416.710.710.4
November 202416.610.49.9
October 202415.310.79.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Poole in September 2026, 47.4% had been booked within 7 weeks and 24.7% more than 21 weeks before.

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

At Poole, 47.4% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 24.7% 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
Poole47.4%9.7%18.3%24.7%
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 Poole, those three are below. Of the three, Salisbury (6.1 weeks) had a median wait at least a week shorter than Poole in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Poole can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs PoolePass rate 2025–26
Dorchesterabout 27 miles by roadabout 27 mi10.6 weeks+1.8 wk69.0%
Salisburyabout 32 miles by roadabout 32 mi6.1 weeks−2.7 wk48.5%
Southampton (Maybush)about 33 miles by roadabout 33 mi14.4 weeks+5.6 wk50.3%

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), 10,375 car tests were taken here and 53.4% passed, 3.4 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 48.4%, so the rate rose by 5.0 points. First attempts did about the same: 53.0% of 5,450 first-time candidates passed, and 3.5% did it with no faults at all.

  • Poole
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    53.4%3.4 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    53.0%2.5 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    3.5%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    54.6%3.8 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    52.1%3.0 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    61.9%1.7 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars20% of tests here were in automatics
    45.1%about the same as Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Poole compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasurePooleGreat Britain
All tests53.4%50.0%
First attempts53.0%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults3.5%2.9%
Men54.6%50.8%
Women52.1%49.1%
17-year-olds61.9%63.6%
Automatic cars45.1%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Poole
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Poole by financial yearPass rate at Poole in 2025–26: 53.4%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Poole, 2019–20: 52.8%53Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Poole, 2020–21: 61.1%61Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Poole, 2021–22: 54.1%54Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Poole, 2022–23: 49.8%50Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Poole, 2023–24: 47.7%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Poole, 2024–25: 48.4%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Poole, 2025–26: 53.4%53Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Poole, 2019–20: 52.8%53Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Poole, 2020–21: 61.1%61Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Poole, 2021–22: 54.1%54Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Poole, 2022–23: 49.8%50Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Poole, 2023–24: 47.7%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Poole, 2024–25: 48.4%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Poole, 2025–26: 53.4%53Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Poole by financial year
YearPooleGreat Britain
2019–2052.8%45.9%
2020–2161.1%49.8%
2021–2254.1%48.9%
2022–2349.8%48.4%
2023–2447.7%47.9%
2024–2548.4%48.7%
2025–2653.4%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 61.9%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1761.9% of 2,548
  • Age 1854.6% of 1,723
  • Age 1956.8% of 775
  • Age 2052.5% of 541
  • Age 2154.8% of 476
  • Age 2252.1% of 457
  • Age 2352.6% of 348
  • Age 2450.2% of 275

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 796 tests at Poole, about 76.7 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (599). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness599
  • Examiner leave196
  • Weather and other acts of nature1

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Bournemouth (Third Floor, Roddis House, 4-12 Old Christchurch Road, BH1 1LG), 4.5 mi away. In 2025–26, 47.0% of its 15,930 car theory tests were passes, 2.2 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 Salisbury, 24 mi away, at 6.1 weeks. Within the same list, Dorchester (22 mi) had a pass rate of 69.0%. 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 Poole, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
DorchesterHigher pass rate22 mi10.6 weeks69.0%
SalisburyShorter wait24 mi6.1 weeks48.5%
Southampton (Maybush)26 mi14.4 weeks50.3%
Newport (Isle of Wight)Shorter wait30 mi7.1 weeks54.1%
YeovilHigher pass rate33 mi13.1 weeks63.4%
Lee On The SolentHigher pass rate34 mi18.9 weeks63.2%
Winchester36 mi11.3 weeks52.2%
Portsmouth39 mi16.1 weeks52.8%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Dorchester: 10.6 weeksSalisbury: 6.1 weeksSouthampton (Maybush): 14.4 weeksNewport (Isle of Wight): 7.1 weeksYeovil: 13.1 weeksLee On The Solent: 18.9 weeksWinchester: 11.3 weeksPortsmouth: 16.1 weeksPoolePoole

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.