Test Centre Stats

North West, England · DVSA car test centre

Sale (Manchester) driving test centre

36 - 38 Poplar Grove, Sale, M33 7ER · wheelchair accessible

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

18.3 weeks

−3.1 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

51.4%

+1.4 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

253 of 314

1 = shortest wait; joint 29th of 32 North West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Sale (Manchester) in September 2026 had booked it a median of 18.3 weeks earlier: 6.7 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 5.7 weeks longer than the North West figure (12.6 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 21.4 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 3.1 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 8.1 weeks to 20.9 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, 3.5% 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.

  • Sale (Manchester)
  • North West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Sale (Manchester), October 2024 to September 2026Sale (Manchester): 18.3 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0102030Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2618.3Weeks0102030Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2618.3Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Sale (Manchester), October 2024 to September 2026
MonthSale (Manchester)North WestGreat Britain
September 202618.312.611.6
August 202615.412.111.1
July 202615.412.711.1
June 202617.911.610.7
May 202618.110.09.7
April 202620.910.39.1
March 202615.09.19.0
February 202614.010.910.4
January 202612.910.310.1
December 20258.310.010.1
November 20258.19.110.4
October 202519.310.011.6
September 202521.410.612.4
August 202520.411.011.7
July 202518.611.912.0
June 202515.910.711.0
May 202513.911.311.3
April 20257.311.110.6
March 202518.911.610.4
February 202519.012.011.4
January 202517.811.011.0
December 202419.010.410.4
November 202418.910.19.9
October 202416.110.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Sale (Manchester) in September 2026, 30.3% had been booked within 7 weeks and 45.0% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Sale (Manchester)
North West
Great Britain

At Sale (Manchester), 30.3% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 45.0% 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
Sale (Manchester)30.3%12.0%12.7%45.0%
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 Sale (Manchester), those three are below. Of the three, Cheetham Hill (Manchester) (10 weeks) and Bredbury (Manchester) (16.1 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Sale (Manchester) in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Sale (Manchester) can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Sale (Manchester)Pass rate 2025–26
West Didsbury (Manchester)about 4 miles by roadabout 4 mi19.9 weeks+1.6 wk47.7%
Cheetham Hill (Manchester)about 8 miles by roadabout 8 mi10 weeks−8.3 wk44.7%
Bredbury (Manchester)about 11 miles by roadabout 11 mi16.1 weeks−2.2 wk56.0%

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), 10,921 car tests were taken here and 51.4% passed, 1.4 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 49.1%, so the rate rose by 2.3 points. First attempts did better: 53.0% of 5,346 first-time candidates passed, and 4.2% did it with no faults at all.

  • Sale (Manchester)
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    51.4%1.4 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    53.0%2.5 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    4.2%1.3 points above Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    53.7%2.9 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    48.9%about the same as Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    65.1%1.5 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars34% 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 Sale (Manchester) compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureSale (Manchester)Great Britain
All tests51.4%50.0%
First attempts53.0%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults4.2%2.9%
Men53.7%50.8%
Women48.9%49.1%
17-year-olds65.1%63.6%
Automatic cars45.1%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Sale (Manchester)
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Sale (Manchester) by financial yearPass rate at Sale (Manchester) in 2025–26: 51.4%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Sale (Manchester), 2019–20: 48.7%49Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Sale (Manchester), 2020–21: 53.9%54Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Sale (Manchester), 2021–22: 49.6%50Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Sale (Manchester), 2022–23: 48.8%49Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Sale (Manchester), 2023–24: 49.0%49Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Sale (Manchester), 2024–25: 49.1%49Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Sale (Manchester), 2025–26: 51.4%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Sale (Manchester), 2019–20: 48.7%49Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Sale (Manchester), 2020–21: 53.9%54Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Sale (Manchester), 2021–22: 49.6%50Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Sale (Manchester), 2022–23: 48.8%49Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Sale (Manchester), 2023–24: 49.0%49Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Sale (Manchester), 2024–25: 49.1%49Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Sale (Manchester), 2025–26: 51.4%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Sale (Manchester) by financial year
YearSale (Manchester)Great Britain
2019–2048.7%45.9%
2020–2153.9%49.8%
2021–2249.6%48.9%
2022–2348.8%48.4%
2023–2449.0%47.9%
2024–2549.1%48.7%
2025–2651.4%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 65.1%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1765.1% of 1,299
  • Age 1860.0% of 1,217
  • Age 1958.4% of 714
  • Age 2053.7% of 523
  • Age 2154.1% of 444
  • Age 2256.5% of 432
  • Age 2357.0% of 351
  • Age 2449.1% of 407
  • Age 2552.7% of 421

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 306 tests at Sale (Manchester), about 28.0 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (199). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness199
  • Weather and other acts of nature58
  • Examiner leave49

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Manchester (Suite 2, Ground Floor, Red Block 5, Universal Square, Devonshire Street North, Ardwick, M12 6JH), 5.6 mi away. In 2025–26, 42.4% of its 88,658 car theory tests were passes, 2.4 points below 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 Cheetham Hill (Manchester), 6.5 mi away, at 10 weeks. Within the same list, Bredbury (Manchester) (8.1 mi) had a pass rate of 56.0%. 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 Sale (Manchester), with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
West Didsbury (Manchester)2.5 mi19.9 weeks47.7%
Cheetham Hill (Manchester)Shorter wait6.5 mi10 weeks44.7%
Bredbury (Manchester)Shorter waitHigher pass rate8.1 mi16.1 weeks56.0%
ChaddertonShorter wait9.9 mi16.1 weeks46.8%
WarringtonShorter waitHigher pass rate11 mi17.1 weeks55.5%
Atherton (Manchester)Shorter wait11 mi10 weeks44.3%
Bolton (Manchester)Shorter wait11 mi12.4 weeks51.8%
Bury (Manchester)Shorter wait12 mi5.7 weeks46.3%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
West Didsbury (Manchester): 19.9 weeksCheetham Hill (Manchester): 10 weeksBredbury (Manchester): 16.1 weeksChadderton: 16.1 weeksWarrington: 17.1 weeksAtherton (Manchester): 10 weeksBolton (Manchester): 12.4 weeksBury (Manchester): 5.7 weeksSale (Manchester)Sale (Manchester)

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.