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Oxford (Cowley) driving test centre

Car practical driving test pass rates at Oxford (Cowley): 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
5,419 car tests at Oxford (Cowley) in 2025/26
Methodology
View methodology
  • Pass rate, 2025/26 50.6% Great Britain 50.0%
  • Tests taken 5,419 2,741 passes
  • First-attempt pass rate 49.0% Great Britain 50.5%
  • Rank by pass rate 147 of 260 centres with 1,000+ tests
  • Women’s pass rate 47.2% GB 49.1%
  • Men’s pass rate 53.7% GB 50.8%

What is the pass rate at Oxford (Cowley)?

In April 2025 to March 2026, 50.6% of car practical tests at Oxford (Cowley) were passes (2,741 of 5,419), against 50.0% across Great Britain: 0.5 points higher. That is 114th lowest of 260 centres with 1,000 or more tests. The year before it was 48.2%.

Pass rate at Oxford (Cowley) and in Great Britain

Highest 50.6% in 2025/26, lowest 43.2% in 2023/24. +0.4 points since 2020/21.

Car practical test pass rate at Oxford (Cowley) and in Great Britain by financial year
Year Oxford (Cowley)Great Britain
2007/08 46.9%44.2%
2008/09 48.7%45.3%
2009/10 48.8%45.9%
2010/11 49.2%46.3%
2011/12 50.4%46.9%
2012/13 48.3%47.2%
2013/14 49.3%47.1%
2014/15 50.3%46.9%
2015/16 48.1%47.1%
2016/17 48.9%47.1%
2017/18 49.0%46.3%
2018/19 48.1%45.8%
2019/20 49.3%45.9%
2020/21 50.1%49.8%
2021/22 49.2%48.9%
2022/23 46.4%48.4%
2023/24 43.2%47.9%
2024/25 48.2%48.7%
2025/26 50.6%50.0%

Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated

Pass rates for men and women

In 2025/26, women passed 47.2% of tests at Oxford (Cowley) and men 53.7%. Across Great Britain the figures were 49.1% and 50.8%.

Pass rate by gender

Pass rate by gender at Oxford (Cowley) and in Great Britain, 2025/26
Candidates Oxford (Cowley)Great Britain
Women 47.2%49.1%
Men 53.7%50.8%
All 50.6%50.0%

Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated

Passing first time at Oxford (Cowley)

2,711 people took their first practical test at Oxford (Cowley) in 2025/26 and 49.0% passed, against 50.5% of first attempts across Great Britain. 50 of them passed without a single driving fault.

First-attempt pass rate

First-attempt pass rate at Oxford (Cowley) and in Great Britain by financial year
Year Oxford (Cowley)Great Britain
2007/08 44.6%43.3%
2008/09 48.9%45.3%
2009/10 48.2%45.7%
2010/11 47.9%46.2%
2011/12 50.9%47.5%
2012/13 48.8%47.7%
2013/14 49.3%47.9%
2014/15 50.1%47.6%
2015/16 46.4%47.5%
2016/17 47.5%47.1%
2017/18 48.8%46.7%
2018/19 49.2%46.6%
2019/20 48.9%46.4%
2020/21 50.2%51.1%
2021/22 48.1%49.3%
2022/23 44.1%48.3%
2023/24 40.3%48.1%
2024/25 47.3%48.9%
2025/26 49.0%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 Oxford (Cowley)
Month Oxford (Cowley)
Apr 2025 53.4%
May 2025 54.7%
Jun 2025 48.7%
Jul 2025 49.0%
Aug 2025 54.8%
Sep 2025 48.3%
Oct 2025 48.7%
Nov 2025 49.3%
Dec 2025 48.8%
Jan 2026 52.4%
Feb 2026 54.0%
Mar 2026 45.4%

Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated

Tests each month

Car tests each month at Oxford (Cowley) (withheld months show as zero)
Month Tests
Apr 2025 558
May 2025 503
Jun 2025 417
Jul 2025 531
Aug 2025 473
Sep 2025 414
Oct 2025 409
Nov 2025 454
Dec 2025 338
Jan 2026 395
Feb 2026 354
Mar 2026 573

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 5,419 car tests at Oxford (Cowley) 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.
How we calculate these figures All data sources

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