Driving test centre

Swindon driving test centre

Car practical driving test pass rates at Swindon: each year since 2008/09, 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
12,857 car tests at Swindon in 2025/26
Methodology
View methodology
  • Pass rate, 2025/26 51.1% Great Britain 50.0%
  • Tests taken 12,857 6,567 passes
  • First-attempt pass rate 50.8% Great Britain 50.5%
  • Rank by pass rate 133 of 260 centres with 1,000+ tests
  • Women’s pass rate 50.5% GB 49.1%
  • Men’s pass rate 51.6% GB 50.8%

What is the pass rate at Swindon?

In April 2025 to March 2026, 51.1% of car practical tests at Swindon were passes (6,567 of 12,857), against 50.0% across Great Britain: 1.0 points higher. That is 128th lowest of 260 centres with 1,000 or more tests. The year before it was 49.3%.

Pass rate at Swindon and in Great Britain

Highest 56.4% in 2015/16, lowest 46.6% in 2021/22. −2.1 points since 2020/21.

Car practical test pass rate at Swindon and in Great Britain by financial year
Year SwindonGreat Britain
2008/09 47.3%45.3%
2009/10 49.9%45.9%
2010/11 46.3%
2011/12 52.0%46.9%
2012/13 53.1%47.2%
2013/14 54.3%47.1%
2014/15 53.4%46.9%
2015/16 56.4%47.1%
2016/17 55.5%47.1%
2017/18 52.8%46.3%
2018/19 50.6%45.8%
2019/20 47.5%45.9%
2020/21 53.2%49.8%
2021/22 46.6%48.9%
2022/23 46.7%48.4%
2023/24 47.6%47.9%
2024/25 49.3%48.7%
2025/26 51.1%50.0%

Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated

Pass rates for men and women

In 2025/26, women passed 50.5% of tests at Swindon and men 51.6%. Across Great Britain the figures were 49.1% and 50.8%.

Pass rate by gender

Pass rate by gender at Swindon and in Great Britain, 2025/26
Candidates SwindonGreat Britain
Women 50.5%49.1%
Men 51.6%50.8%
All 51.1%50.0%

Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated

Passing first time at Swindon

6,307 people took their first practical test at Swindon in 2025/26 and 50.8% passed, against 50.5% of first attempts across Great Britain. 338 of them passed without a single driving fault.

First-attempt pass rate

First-attempt pass rate at Swindon and in Great Britain by financial year
Year SwindonGreat Britain
2008/09 46.5%45.3%
2009/10 49.7%45.7%
2010/11 46.2%
2011/12 51.2%47.5%
2012/13 53.3%47.7%
2013/14 54.8%47.9%
2014/15 54.2%47.6%
2015/16 56.6%47.5%
2016/17 55.2%47.1%
2017/18 52.8%46.7%
2018/19 51.7%46.6%
2019/20 48.6%46.4%
2020/21 55.8%51.1%
2021/22 46.9%49.3%
2022/23 44.9%48.3%
2023/24 46.9%48.1%
2024/25 48.9%48.9%
2025/26 50.8%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 Swindon
Month Swindon
Apr 2025 50.7%
May 2025 48.2%
Jun 2025 46.3%
Jul 2025 47.5%
Aug 2025 54.3%
Sep 2025 49.9%
Oct 2025 51.8%
Nov 2025 54.6%
Dec 2025 52.1%
Jan 2026 50.6%
Feb 2026 52.6%
Mar 2026 51.1%

Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated

Tests each month

Car tests each month at Swindon (withheld months show as zero)
Month Tests
Apr 2025 720
May 2025 674
Jun 2025 646
Jul 2025 1,080
Aug 2025 986
Sep 2025 1,143
Oct 2025 1,275
Nov 2025 1,067
Dec 2025 1,176
Jan 2026 1,297
Feb 2026 1,275
Mar 2026 1,518

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 12,857 car tests at Swindon 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. Swindon appears under this name from 2008/09; an earlier name would count as a different centre. 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.