About 49 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 17.4 weeks shorter21 weeks → 3.6 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 3 weeks higher at the alternative (8 weeks → 11 weeks)
South West driving test waiting times and pass rates
Compare 21 driving test centres across South West, including August 2026 actual waits, current appointment availability and the latest published pass rates. Figures are statistical snapshots, not live appointments.
August 2026 regional summary
Read the latest UK reportSouth 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
- 9.4 weeks 21 centres with published medians
- Current appointment availability
- 17.4 weeks Unweighted average of valid centre records
- Month-on-month availability movement
- 0.1 weeks higher 21 centres with both months
South West actual-wait range: published centre medians ran from 3.6 weeks at Bodmin to 21 weeks at Penzance.
Month-on-month context: Across 21 centres with records for both months, the unweighted appointment-availability average rose by 0.1 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 August 2026. Improvements refer only to the appointment-availability measure and are not changes in median actual waits.
Shortest median actual waits
- 01Bodmin3.6 weeks
- 02Weston-super-Mare5 weeks
- 03Bristol (Kingswood)5.3 weeks
- 04Salisbury5.3 weeks
- 05Camborne5.6 weeks
Longest median actual waits
- 01Penzance21 weeks
- 02Gloucester19 weeks
- 03Yeovil16.3 weeks
- 04Cheltenham13.5 weeks
- 05Taunton11.9 weeks
Biggest availability improvements
- 01Exeter5 weeks lower
- 02Launceston3.1 weeks lower
- 03Plymouth1.9 weeks lower
- 04Bristol (Avonmouth)1.4 weeks lower
- 05Salisbury0.9 weeks lower
What the latest South West data shows
In August 2026, Bodmin recorded the area's shortest median actual wait at 3.6 weeks, while Penzance recorded the longest at 21 weeks—a gap of 17.4 weeks across published centre medians.
Exeter recorded the largest centre-level improvement in the separate appointment-availability measure, falling by 5 weeks from 17 weeks to 12 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 32 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 11.3 weeks shorter19 weeks → 7.7 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 6.6 weeks lower at the alternative (24 weeks → 17.4 weeks)
About 37 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 11.3 weeks shorter16.3 weeks → 5 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 1.4 weeks higher at the alternative (20 weeks → 21.4 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 South West
Showing 21 test centres
Compare selected centres| Test centre | Town | Region | How long learners actually waited | Current appointment availability | Pass rate | Last updated | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstaple | Barnstaple | South West | 8 weeks | 11 weeks | 51.4% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Bodmin | Bodmin | South West | 3.6 weeks | 11 weeks | 47.5% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Bristol (Avonmouth) | Avonmouth, | South West | 8 weeks | 13.6 weeks | 55.5% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Bristol (Kingswood) | Bristol | South West | 5.3 weeks | 18 weeks | 51.9% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Camborne | Redruth, Cornwall | South West | 5.6 weeks | 24 weeks | 40.6% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Cheltenham | Cheltenham | South West | 13.5 weeks | 24 weeks | 43.2% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Chippenham | Chippenham | South West | 7.7 weeks | 17.4 weeks | 56.4% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Dorchester | Dorchester | South West | 10.9 weeks | 24 weeks | 69.0% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Exeter | Exeter | South West | 7.6 weeks | 12 weeks | 46.8% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Gloucester | Quedgeley | South West | 19 weeks | 24 weeks | 47.8% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Launceston | Launceston | South West | 7 weeks | 8.4 weeks | 46.3% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Newton Abbot | Newton Abbot | South West | 6.8 weeks | 20.6 weeks | 53.8% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Penzance | Penzance | South West | 21 weeks | 8 weeks | 46.5% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Plymouth | Plymouth | South West | 7 weeks | 13.4 weeks | 40.7% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Poole | Poole | South West | 7.1 weeks | 24 weeks | 53.4% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Salisbury | Salisbury | South West | 5.3 weeks | 15.6 weeks | 48.5% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Swindon | Swindon | South West | 11.7 weeks | 22 weeks | 51.1% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Taunton | Taunton | South West | 11.9 weeks | 16.4 weeks | 59.5% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Trowbridge | Trowbridge | South West | 8.9 weeks | 16.4 weeks | 55.2% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Weston-super-Mare | Weston Super Mare | South West | 5 weeks | 21.4 weeks | 61.0% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Yeovil | Yeovil | South West | 16.3 weeks | 20 weeks | 63.4% | 9 September 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
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Data source and date
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Latest records for how long learners actually waited and current appointment availability were published 9 September 2026; pass rates cover April 2025 to March 2026.