South East, England · DVSA car test centre
Reading driving test centre
Suite A, 1st Floor, Pacific House, Imperial Way, Reading, RG2 0TD
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
6.3 weeks
−16.2 wk on a year ago
Pass rate, 2025–26
55.4%
+5.4 pts vs GB 50.0%
Wait rank in Great Britain
48 of 314
1 = shortest wait; 6th of 32 South East
Weeks to 10% of slots free
24+ weeks
GB 19.7 weeks
People who took a car test at Reading in September 2026 had booked it a median of 6.3 weeks earlier: 5.3 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 5.1 weeks shorter than the South East figure (11.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 22.5 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 16.2 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 4.3 weeks to 22.4 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, 4.8% 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.
- Reading
- South East
- Great Britain
Show these figures as a table
| Month | Reading | South East | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 6.3 | 11.4 | 11.6 |
| August 2026 | 13.9 | 11.0 | 11.1 |
| July 2026 | 13.9 | 10.0 | 11.1 |
| June 2026 | 11.6 | 9.6 | 10.7 |
| May 2026 | 4.3 | 8.7 | 9.7 |
| April 2026 | 5.9 | 9.0 | 9.1 |
| March 2026 | 5.0 | 8.4 | 9.0 |
| February 2026 | 5.1 | 10.1 | 10.4 |
| January 2026 | 10.8 | 10.0 | 10.1 |
| December 2025 | 8.1 | 10.7 | 10.1 |
| November 2025 | 10.0 | 10.3 | 10.4 |
| October 2025 | 22.4 | 12.3 | 11.6 |
| September 2025 | 22.5 | 13.3 | 12.4 |
| August 2025 | 12.1 | 13.0 | 11.7 |
| July 2025 | 11.9 | 12.4 | 12.0 |
| June 2025 | 8.7 | 11.3 | 11.0 |
| May 2025 | 6.1 | 11.0 | 11.3 |
| April 2025 | 4.5 | 10.6 | 10.6 |
| March 2025 | 6.0 | 10.9 | 10.4 |
| February 2025 | 5.0 | 11.0 | 11.4 |
| January 2025 | 8.9 | 11.9 | 11.0 |
| December 2024 | 4.6 | 11.0 | 10.4 |
| November 2024 | 6.0 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| October 2024 | 13.9 | 11.1 | 9.7 |
How far ahead people booked
Of tests taken at Reading in September 2026, 52.0% had been booked within 7 weeks and 23.7% more than 21 weeks before.
- Within 7 weeks
- 7 to 14 weeks
- 14 to 21 weeks
- Over 21 weeks
At Reading, 52.0% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 23.7% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 52.0% | 13.4% | 10.9% | 23.7% |
| South East | 42.5% | 13.1% | 14.2% | 30.2% |
| 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 Reading, those three are below. All three had longer median waits than Reading in September 2026, so moving away from here is unlikely to help.
| Centre | Driving distance (DVSA) | Median wait | vs Reading | Pass rate 2025–26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenhamabout 17 miles by road | about 17 mi | 8.7 weeks | +2.4 wk | 56.5% |
| Basingstokeabout 18 miles by road | about 18 mi | 10.1 weeks | +3.8 wk | 56.8% |
| Farnboroughabout 21 miles by road | about 21 mi | 19.6 weeks | +13.3 wk | 59.7% |
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), 9,237 car tests were taken here and 55.4% passed, 5.4 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 49.8%, so the rate rose by 5.6 points. First attempts did about the same: 55.4% of 4,749 first-time candidates passed, and 3.6% did it with no faults at all.
- Reading
- Great Britain average
-
All tests55.4%5.4 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
-
First attempts55.4%4.9 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
-
First attempt with zero faults3.6%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
-
Men55.6%4.8 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
-
Women55.1%6.0 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
-
17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres66.5%2.9 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
-
Automatic cars41% of tests here were in automatics52.7%8.1 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
| Measure | Reading | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| All tests | 55.4% | 50.0% |
| First attempts | 55.4% | 50.5% |
| First attempt with zero faults | 3.6% | 2.9% |
| Men | 55.6% | 50.8% |
| Women | 55.1% | 49.1% |
| 17-year-olds | 66.5% | 63.6% |
| Automatic cars | 52.7% | 44.6% |
Pass rate by year
- Reading
- Great Britain
Show these figures as a table
| Year | Reading | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | 47.8% | 45.9% |
| 2020–21 | 54.7% | 49.8% |
| 2021–22 | 53.3% | 48.9% |
| 2022–23 | 54.3% | 48.4% |
| 2023–24 | 47.9% | 47.9% |
| 2024–25 | 49.8% | 48.7% |
| 2025–26 | 55.4% | 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 66.5%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.
Tests cancelled by DVSA
In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 812 tests at Reading, about 87.9 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (464). 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 Reading (First Floor, Greyfriars Gate, Greyfriars Road, RG1 1NU), 2.6 mi away. In 2025–26, 49.6% of its 34,220 car theory tests were passes, 4.8 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 Oxford (Cowley), 24 mi away, at 4.4 weeks. Within the same list, Farnborough (13 mi) had a pass rate of 59.7%. 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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farnborough | 13 mi | 19.6 weeks | 59.7% | |
| Basingstoke | 13 mi | 10.1 weeks | 56.8% | |
| Greenham | 14 mi | 8.7 weeks | 56.5% | |
| Slough (London) | 20 mi | 22.1 weeks | 50.8% | |
| Chertsey (London) | 20 mi | 21.7 weeks | 52.9% | |
| Guildford | 21 mi | 7.8 weeks | 57.1% | |
| Uxbridge (London) | 23 mi | 16.3 weeks | 52.3% | |
| Oxford (Cowley) | 24 mi | 4.4 weeks | 50.6% |
- 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.
- "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.