Test Centre Stats

North West, England · DVSA car test centre

Upton driving test centre

Arrowe Park Rd, Upton, CH49 0UF · 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

12.1 weeks

−0.5 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

52.6%

+2.6 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

147 of 314

1 = shortest wait; joint 16th of 32 North West

Weeks to 10% of slots free

22.3 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Upton in September 2026 had booked it a median of 12.1 weeks earlier: 0.5 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 0.5 weeks shorter than the North West figure (12.6 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 12.6 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 0.5 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 7.7 weeks to 13.4 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 22.3 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, 8.0% 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.

  • Upton
  • North West
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Upton, October 2024 to September 2026Upton: 12.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.051015Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2612.1Weeks051015Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2612.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Upton, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthUptonNorth WestGreat Britain
September 202612.112.611.6
August 202612.112.111.1
July 202612.112.711.1
June 202612.611.610.7
May 20269.310.09.7
April 20268.410.39.1
March 20267.79.19.0
February 20268.410.910.4
January 202611.110.310.1
December 202512.010.010.1
November 202511.69.110.4
October 202513.410.011.6
September 202512.610.612.4
August 202512.111.011.7
July 202513.111.912.0
June 202512.610.711.0
May 202511.411.311.3
April 202510.111.110.6
March 20259.111.610.4
February 202510.112.011.4
January 20258.411.011.0
December 20247.610.410.4
November 20248.110.19.9
October 20248.910.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Upton in September 2026, 42.3% had been booked within 7 weeks and 28.0% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Upton
North West
Great Britain

At Upton, 42.3% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 28.0% 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
Upton42.3%12.7%17.1%28.0%
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 Upton, those three are below. Of the three, Speke (Liverpool) (7.5 weeks) had a median wait at least a week shorter than Upton in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Upton can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs UptonPass rate 2025–26
Wallaseyabout 5 miles by roadabout 5 mi12.6 weeks+0.5 wk54.3%
Norris Green (Liverpool)about 11 miles by roadabout 11 mi18 weeks+5.9 wk37.8%
Speke (Liverpool)about 14 miles by roadabout 14 mi7.5 weeks−4.6 wk40.5%

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), 10,772 car tests were taken here and 52.6% passed, 2.6 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 50.0%, so the rate rose by 2.6 points. First attempts did better: 54.9% of 5,194 first-time candidates passed, and 2.4% did it with no faults at all.

  • Upton
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    52.6%2.6 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    54.9%4.4 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    2.4%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    52.5%1.7 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    52.7%3.6 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    68.6%5.0 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars30% of tests here were in automatics
    47.5%2.9 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Upton compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureUptonGreat Britain
All tests52.6%50.0%
First attempts54.9%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults2.4%2.9%
Men52.5%50.8%
Women52.7%49.1%
17-year-olds68.6%63.6%
Automatic cars47.5%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Upton
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Upton by financial yearPass rate at Upton in 2025–26: 52.6%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Upton, 2019–20: 45.7%46Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Upton, 2020–21: 56.0%56Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Upton, 2021–22: 49.7%50Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Upton, 2022–23: 48.6%49Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Upton, 2023–24: 47.6%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Upton, 2024–25: 50.0%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Upton, 2025–26: 52.6%53Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Upton, 2019–20: 45.7%46Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Upton, 2020–21: 56.0%56Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Upton, 2021–22: 49.7%50Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Upton, 2022–23: 48.6%49Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Upton, 2023–24: 47.6%48Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Upton, 2024–25: 50.0%50Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Upton, 2025–26: 52.6%53Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Upton by financial year
YearUptonGreat Britain
2019–2045.7%45.9%
2020–2156.0%49.8%
2021–2249.7%48.9%
2022–2348.6%48.4%
2023–2447.6%47.9%
2024–2550.0%48.7%
2025–2652.6%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 68.6%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1768.6% of 1,563
  • Age 1858.7% of 1,108
  • Age 1961.2% of 577
  • Age 2059.4% of 377
  • Age 2156.9% of 369
  • Age 2256.3% of 364
  • Age 2357.5% of 372
  • Age 2451.7% of 333
  • Age 2549.3% of 369

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 708 tests at Upton, about 65.7 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (458). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness458
  • Examiner leave194
  • Weather and other acts of nature56

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Liverpool (Suite 1, Ground Floor, 10 Duke Street, L1 5AS), 4.9 mi away. In 2025–26, 45.6% of its 69,093 car theory tests were passes, close to 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 Speke (Liverpool), 9.0 mi away, at 7.5 weeks. Within the same list, Rhyl (17 mi) had a pass rate of 56.9%. 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 Upton, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Wallasey4.0 mi12.6 weeks54.3%
Norris Green (Liverpool)8.2 mi18 weeks37.8%
Speke (Liverpool)Shorter wait9.0 mi7.5 weeks40.5%
ChesterShorter wait11 mi7.5 weeks47.3%
WidnesShorter wait13 mi9.1 weeks42.7%
St Helens (Liverpool)16 mi11.4 weeks40.9%
RhylShorter waitHigher pass rate17 mi9.6 weeks56.9%
Southport (Liverpool)Higher pass rate19 mi18 weeks56.5%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Wallasey: 12.6 weeksNorris Green (Liverpool): 18 weeksSpeke (Liverpool): 7.5 weeksChester: 7.5 weeksWidnes: 9.1 weeksSt Helens (Liverpool): 11.4 weeksRhyl: 9.6 weeksSouthport (Liverpool): 18 weeksUptonUpton

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.