About 3 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 13.2 weeks shorter13.8 weeks → 0.6 weeks
- Appointment availability
- Availability comparison not fully published
North West driving test waiting times and pass rates
Compare 32 driving test centres across North West, 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 West 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
- 11.9 weeks 32 centres with published medians
- Current appointment availability
- 19.6 weeks Unweighted average of valid centre records
- Month-on-month availability movement
- 1.1 weeks lower 30 centres with both months
North West actual-wait range: published centre medians ran from 0.6 weeks at Carlisle LGV (Cars) to 19.9 weeks at West Didsbury (Manchester).
Month-on-month context: Across 30 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
- 01Carlisle LGV (Cars)0.6 weeks
- 02Chorley5.4 weeks
- 03Rochdale (Manchester)5.6 weeks
- 04Bury (Manchester)5.7 weeks
- 05Barrow In Furness6.4 weeks
Longest median actual waits
- 01West Didsbury (Manchester)19.9 weeks
- 02Nelson18.9 weeks
- 03Heysham18.3 weeks
- 04Sale (Manchester)18.3 weeks
- 05Norris Green (Liverpool)18 weeks
Biggest availability improvements
- 01Wallasey10.4 weeks lower
- 02Barrow In Furness8.9 weeks lower
- 03Heysham5.2 weeks lower
- 04Rochdale (Manchester)3.7 weeks lower
- 05Blackpool3.4 weeks lower
What the latest North West data shows
In September 2026, Carlisle LGV (Cars) recorded the area's shortest median actual wait at 0.6 weeks, while West Didsbury (Manchester) recorded the longest at 19.9 weeks—a gap of 19.3 weeks across published centre medians.
Wallasey recorded the largest centre-level improvement in the separate appointment-availability measure, falling by 10.4 weeks from 18.4 weeks to 8 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 8 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 10.5 weeks shorter16.1 weeks → 5.6 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 3.5 weeks lower at the alternative (23.8 weeks → 20.3 weeks)
About 8 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 10.5 weeks shorter18 weeks → 7.5 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 7.5 weeks lower at the alternative (24 weeks → 16.5 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 West
Showing 32 test centres
Compare selected centres| Test centre | Town | Region | How long learners actually waited | Current appointment availability | Pass rate | Last updated | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atherton (Manchester) | Manchester | North West | 10 weeks | 24 weeks | 44.3% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Barrow In Furness | Barrow-In-Furness | North West | 6.4 weeks | 1.5 weeks | 69.6% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Blackburn with Darwen | Darwen | North West | 13.1 weeks | 24 weeks | 46.6% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Blackpool | Blackpool | North West | 9.1 weeks | 10.8 weeks | 51.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Bolton (Manchester) | Bolton | North West | 12.4 weeks | 24 weeks | 51.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Bredbury (Manchester) | Stockport | North West | 16.1 weeks | 24 weeks | 56.0% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Bury (Manchester) | Bury | North West | 5.7 weeks | 24 weeks | 46.3% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Carlisle | Carlisle | North West | 13.8 weeks | 20 weeks | 58.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Carlisle LGV (Cars) | Carlisle | North West | 0.6 weeks | Not published | 44.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Chadderton | Oldham | North West | 16.1 weeks | 23.8 weeks | 46.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Cheetham Hill (Manchester) | Manchester | North West | 10 weeks | 24 weeks | 44.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Chester | Chester | North West | 7.5 weeks | 19.5 weeks | 47.3% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Chorley | Chorley | North West | 5.4 weeks | 23 weeks | 52.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Crewe | Crewe | North West | 12.1 weeks | 21.3 weeks | 43.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Heysham | Heysham | North West | 18.3 weeks | 12 weeks | 59.2% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Kendal (Oxenholme Road) | Kendal | North West | 8.9 weeks | 7.5 weeks | 65.1% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Macclesfield | Macclesfield | North West | 16.4 weeks | 20.8 weeks | 51.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Nelson | Nelson | North West | 18.9 weeks | 24 weeks | 51.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Norris Green (Liverpool) | Norris Green | North West | 18 weeks | 24 weeks | 37.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Northwich | Northwich | North West | 7.3 weeks | Not published | 57.6% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Preston | Preston | North West | 14.4 weeks | 21.8 weeks | 56.3% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Rochdale (Manchester) | Rochdale | North West | 5.6 weeks | 20.3 weeks | 48.3% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Sale (Manchester) | Sale | North West | 18.3 weeks | 24 weeks | 51.4% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Southport (Liverpool) | Southport | North West | 18 weeks | 23.5 weeks | 56.5% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Speke (Liverpool) | Liverpool | North West | 7.5 weeks | 16.5 weeks | 40.5% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| St Helens (Liverpool) | Liverpool | North West | 11.4 weeks | 12.8 weeks | 40.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Upton | Upton | North West | 12.1 weeks | 22.3 weeks | 52.6% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Wallasey | Wallasey | North West | 12.6 weeks | 8 weeks | 54.3% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Warrington | Warrington | North West | 17.1 weeks | 20.8 weeks | 55.5% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| West Didsbury (Manchester) | West Didsbury | North West | 19.9 weeks | 24 weeks | 47.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Widnes | Widnes | North West | 9.1 weeks | 18.3 weeks | 42.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Workington | Workington | North West | 7.8 weeks | 22.8 weeks | 61.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
No exact matches
Try a town, postcode, broader region or clear the filters.
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.