About 15 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 12.1 weeks shorter21.1 weeks → 9 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 5.7 weeks lower at the alternative (24 weeks → 18.3 weeks)
North East driving test waiting times and pass rates
Compare 11 driving test centres across North East, 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 reportNorth East 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
- 14.7 weeks 11 centres with published medians
- Current appointment availability
- 20.1 weeks Unweighted average of valid centre records
- Month-on-month availability movement
- 0.5 weeks higher 8 centres with both months
North East actual-wait range: published centre medians ran from 7.6 weeks at Darlington to 22.1 weeks at Berwick-On-Tweed.
Month-on-month context: Across 8 centres with records for both months, the unweighted appointment-availability average rose by 0.5 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
- 01Darlington7.6 weeks
- 02Sunderland9 weeks
- 03Gateshead11.1 weeks
- 04Blyth11.7 weeks
- 05Alnwick14.6 weeks
Longest median actual waits
- 01Berwick-On-Tweed22.1 weeks
- 02Gosforth21.1 weeks
- 03Hexham17.9 weeks
- 04Durham15.9 weeks
- 05Middlesbrough15.9 weeks
Biggest availability improvements
- 01Gateshead5.1 weeks lower
- 02Blyth1.5 weeks lower
- 03Sunderland0.1 weeks lower
What the latest North East data shows
In September 2026, Darlington recorded the area's shortest median actual wait at 7.6 weeks, while Berwick-On-Tweed recorded the longest at 22.1 weeks—a gap of 14.5 weeks across published centre medians.
Gateshead recorded the largest centre-level improvement in the separate appointment-availability measure, falling by 5.1 weeks from 21.4 weeks to 16.3 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 16 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 8.3 weeks shorter15.9 weeks → 7.6 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 11.2 weeks lower at the alternative (24 weeks → 12.8 weeks)
About 22 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 8.3 weeks shorter15.9 weeks → 7.6 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 11 weeks lower at the alternative (23.8 weeks → 12.8 weeks)
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 North East
Showing 11 test centres
Compare selected centres| Test centre | Town | Region | How long learners actually waited | Current appointment availability | Pass rate | Last updated | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alnwick | Alnwick | North East | 14.6 weeks | Not published | 55.5% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Berwick-On-Tweed | Berwick-upon-Tweed | North East | 22.1 weeks | Not published | 53.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Blyth | Blyth | North East | 11.7 weeks | 22.3 weeks | 50.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Darlington | Darlington | North East | 7.6 weeks | 12.8 weeks | 47.1% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Durham | Meadowfield | North East | 15.9 weeks | 23.8 weeks | 53.2% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Gateshead | Gateshead | North East | 11.1 weeks | 16.3 weeks | 37.5% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Gosforth | Newcastle Upon Tyne | North East | 21.1 weeks | 24 weeks | 48.4% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Hartlepool | Hartlepool | North East | 15.1 weeks | 19.3 weeks | 51.0% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Hexham | Hexham | North East | 17.9 weeks | Not published | 53.0% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Middlesbrough | Middlesbrough | North East | 15.9 weeks | 24 weeks | 47.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Sunderland | Sunderland | North East | 9 weeks | 18.3 weeks | 51.1% | 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 MidlandsView regional comparisonEast of EnglandView regional comparisonLondonView 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.