About 26 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 14.8 weeks shorter18.4 weeks → 3.6 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 0.7 weeks higher at the alternative (21.8 weeks → 22.5 weeks)
East Midlands driving test waiting times and pass rates
Compare 20 driving test centres across East Midlands, including September 2026 actual waits, current appointment availability and the latest published pass rates. Figures are statistical snapshots, not live appointments.
September 2026 regional summary
Read the latest UK reportEast Midlands at a glance
Actual-wait figures below are published centre medians. The regional average is an unweighted average of those centre-level medians.
- Average of centre actual-wait medians
- 11.8 weeks 20 centres with published medians
- Current appointment availability
- 22.4 weeks Unweighted average of valid centre records
- Month-on-month availability movement
- 1.1 weeks lower 16 centres with both months
East Midlands actual-wait range: published centre medians ran from 3.6 weeks at Boston to 20 weeks at Melton Mowbray.
Month-on-month context: Across 16 centres with records for both months, the unweighted appointment-availability average fell by 1.1 weeks. This is movement in DVSA's separate 10% appointment-availability measure, not a change in how long learners actually waited.
Centre-level detail
Where waits are shortest, longest and improving
These rankings use published centre records for September 2026. Improvements refer only to the appointment-availability measure and are not changes in median actual waits.
Shortest median actual waits
- 01Boston3.6 weeks
- 02Kettering4.7 weeks
- 03Nottingham (Chilwell)5.1 weeks
- 04Chesterfield7.9 weeks
- 05Leicester (Cannock Street)7.9 weeks
Longest median actual waits
- 01Melton Mowbray20 weeks
- 02Grantham (Somerby)18.4 weeks
- 03Wellingborough18 weeks
- 04Skegness17.9 weeks
- 05Buxton17.4 weeks
Biggest availability improvements
- 01Loughborough5.1 weeks lower
- 02Buxton4.2 weeks lower
- 03Chesterfield2.7 weeks lower
- 04Worksop1.9 weeks lower
- 05Boston1.5 weeks lower
What the latest East Midlands data shows
In September 2026, Boston recorded the area's shortest median actual wait at 3.6 weeks, while Melton Mowbray recorded the longest at 20 weeks—a gap of 16.4 weeks across published centre medians.
Loughborough recorded the largest centre-level improvement in the separate appointment-availability measure, falling by 5.1 weeks from 19.6 weeks to 14.5 weeks.
Official nearby comparisons
Nearby alternatives with shorter actual waits
Each comparison uses one of the three nearest centres in DVSA's official list. A shorter historical actual wait does not guarantee an earlier appointment, so the separate availability measure is shown alongside it.
About 23 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 14.7 weeks shorter18 weeks → 3.3 weeks
- Appointment availability
- Availability comparison not fully published
About 23 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 14.3 weeks shorter17.9 weeks → 3.6 weeks
- Appointment availability
- Availability comparison not fully published
These are statistical comparisons, not live appointments or booking recommendations. Check travel practicality and use GOV.UK to book or manage a test.
Centres in East Midlands
Showing 20 test centres
Compare selected centres| Test centre | Town | Region | How long learners actually waited | Current appointment availability | Pass rate | Last updated | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashfield | Sutton-in-Ashfield | East Midlands | 15.3 weeks | 24 weeks | 57.3% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Boston | Boston | East Midlands | 3.6 weeks | 22.5 weeks | 50.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Buxton | Buxton | East Midlands | 17.4 weeks | 19.8 weeks | 58.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Chesterfield | Chesterfield | East Midlands | 7.9 weeks | 20.3 weeks | 56.2% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Derby (Alvaston) | Derby | East Midlands | 12.3 weeks | 24 weeks | 51.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Grantham (Somerby) | Grantham | East Midlands | 18.4 weeks | 21.8 weeks | 57.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Hinckley | Hinckley | East Midlands | 9.6 weeks | 24 weeks | 46.4% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Kettering | Kettering | East Midlands | 4.7 weeks | 23.8 weeks | 49.1% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Leicester (Cannock Street) | Leicester | East Midlands | 7.9 weeks | 23.8 weeks | 40.2% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Leicester (Wigston) | Leicester | East Midlands | 12.7 weeks | 23.3 weeks | 51.2% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Lincoln | Lincoln | East Midlands | 12.7 weeks | 23.8 weeks | 52.1% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Loughborough | Loughborough | East Midlands | 10.5 weeks | 14.5 weeks | 42.3% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Louth | Louth | East Midlands | 9 weeks | Not published | 53.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Melton Mowbray | Melton Mowbray | East Midlands | 20 weeks | Not published | 69.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Northampton | Northampton | East Midlands | 8.6 weeks | 24 weeks | 52.1% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Nottingham (Chilwell) | Beeston | East Midlands | 5.1 weeks | 24 weeks | 49.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Nottingham (Colwick) | Nottingham | East Midlands | 13.3 weeks | 23.5 weeks | 46.4% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Skegness | Skegness | East Midlands | 17.9 weeks | Not published | 55.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Wellingborough | Wellingborough | East Midlands | 18 weeks | Not published | 60.0% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Worksop | Worksop | East Midlands | 12.1 weeks | 20.5 weeks | 55.2% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
No exact matches
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Understanding the regional figures
Regional averages include valid numeric DVSA records only and are not weighted by test volume or population. How long learners actually waited is based on the median at each centre; current appointment availability is the separate 10% measure. Neither shows live appointments, and pass rates do not measure centre difficulty.
See the latest UK report, chart and full methodology.
Explore other regions
EnglandView regional comparisonScotlandView regional comparisonWalesView regional comparisonEast of EnglandView regional comparisonLondonView regional comparisonNorth EastView regional comparison
Data source and date
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Latest records for how long learners actually waited and current appointment availability were published 14 October 2026; pass rates cover April 2025 to March 2026.