Driving test centre

Exeter driving test centre

Car practical driving test pass rates at Exeter: each year since 2007/08, by month, for men and women, and at the first attempt, compared with Great Britain as a whole. From DVSA’s published statistics.

Last updated
Records analysed
8,679 car tests at Exeter in 2025/26
Methodology
View methodology
  • Pass rate, 2025/26 46.8% Great Britain 50.0%
  • Tests taken 8,679 4,061 passes
  • First-attempt pass rate 45.6% Great Britain 50.5%
  • Rank by pass rate 194 of 260 centres with 1,000+ tests
  • Women’s pass rate 48.0% GB 49.1%
  • Men’s pass rate 45.8% GB 50.8%

What is the pass rate at Exeter?

In April 2025 to March 2026, 46.8% of car practical tests at Exeter were passes (4,061 of 8,679), against 50.0% across Great Britain: 3.3 points lower. That is 67th lowest of 260 centres with 1,000 or more tests. The year before it was 47.9%.

Pass rate at Exeter and in Great Britain

Highest 53.8% in 2014/15, lowest 45.1% in 2021/22. −0.7 points since 2020/21.

Car practical test pass rate at Exeter and in Great Britain by financial year
Year ExeterGreat Britain
2007/08 47.9%44.2%
2008/09 47.0%45.3%
2009/10 51.8%45.9%
2010/11 46.3%
2011/12 51.1%46.9%
2012/13 53.6%47.2%
2013/14 52.8%47.1%
2014/15 53.8%46.9%
2015/16 51.3%47.1%
2016/17 50.6%47.1%
2017/18 48.5%46.3%
2018/19 49.2%45.8%
2019/20 48.3%45.9%
2020/21 47.5%49.8%
2021/22 45.1%48.9%
2022/23 49.2%48.4%
2023/24 48.7%47.9%
2024/25 47.9%48.7%
2025/26 46.8%50.0%

Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated

Pass rates for men and women

In 2025/26, women passed 48.0% of tests at Exeter and men 45.8%. Across Great Britain the figures were 49.1% and 50.8%.

Pass rate by gender

Pass rate by gender at Exeter and in Great Britain, 2025/26
Candidates ExeterGreat Britain
Women 48.0%49.1%
Men 45.8%50.8%
All 46.8%50.0%

Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated

Passing first time at Exeter

4,182 people took their first practical test at Exeter in 2025/26 and 45.6% passed, against 50.5% of first attempts across Great Britain. 57 of them passed without a single driving fault.

First-attempt pass rate

First-attempt pass rate at Exeter and in Great Britain by financial year
Year ExeterGreat Britain
2007/08 44.4%43.3%
2008/09 45.0%45.3%
2009/10 50.8%45.7%
2010/11 46.2%
2011/12 50.2%47.5%
2012/13 52.7%47.7%
2013/14 52.9%47.9%
2014/15 53.4%47.6%
2015/16 51.1%47.5%
2016/17 50.4%47.1%
2017/18 46.0%46.7%
2018/19 47.7%46.6%
2019/20 47.3%46.4%
2020/21 47.1%51.1%
2021/22 44.1%49.3%
2022/23 47.4%48.3%
2023/24 47.4%48.1%
2024/25 46.7%48.9%
2025/26 45.6%50.5%

Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated

Month by month

Monthly pass rates move more than yearly ones because each month has fewer tests. DVSA withholds some monthly counts to protect candidates’ privacy; the rate is still shown.

Monthly pass rate

Monthly car test pass rate at Exeter
Month Exeter
Apr 2025 44.7%
May 2025 46.9%
Jun 2025 46.7%
Jul 2025 50.5%
Aug 2025 52.1%
Sep 2025 44.6%
Oct 2025 43.1%
Nov 2025 45.8%
Dec 2025 45.2%
Jan 2026 41.9%
Feb 2026 50.0%
Mar 2026 50.7%

Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated

Tests each month

Car tests each month at Exeter (withheld months show as zero)
Month Tests
Apr 2025 769
May 2025 738
Jun 2025 717
Jul 2025 744
Aug 2025 637
Sep 2025 677
Oct 2025 735
Nov 2025 823
Dec 2025 613
Jan 2026 778
Feb 2026 754
Mar 2026 694

Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated

The most common reasons for failing

DVSA publishes the most common faults for Great Britain as a whole, not for each centre. In April 2025 to March 2026 they were:

  1. Junctions - observation
  2. Mirrors - change direction
  3. Junctions - turning right
  4. Response to signs - traffic lights
  5. Control - steering
  6. Move off - safely
  7. Response to signs - road markings
  8. Response to signs - traffic signs
  9. Positioning - normal driving
  10. Maintain progress - speed

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Driving tests Driving test and theory test data (DRT tables) Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency April 2025 to March 2026 8,679 car tests at Exeter in 2025/26 15 September 2026
  • Car practical tests (categories B and B1) in financial years, April to March. Great Britain only: DVSA does not test in Northern Ireland.
  • DVSA leaves out of centre figures any centre where only one examiner tested, but counts those tests nationally, and withholds small counts (“..”) where they could identify people.
  • Centres are matched across years by name. Pass rates reflect the candidates who test at a centre as well as the centre itself.
  • DVSA’s tables give centre names only, with no address, so we do not place centres in council areas.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.