About 53 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 8.4 weeks shorter13.8 weeks → 5.4 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 0.2 weeks lower at the alternative (7.4 weeks → 7.2 weeks)
Wales driving test waiting times and pass rates
Compare 21 driving test centres across Wales, 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 reportWales 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
- 9.1 weeks 21 centres with published medians
- Current appointment availability
- 11.9 weeks Unweighted average of valid centre records
- Month-on-month availability movement
- 0.5 weeks lower 21 centres with both months
Wales actual-wait range: published centre medians ran from 5.4 weeks at Llanelli to 14 weeks at Newtown.
Month-on-month context: Across 21 centres with records for both months, the unweighted appointment-availability average fell 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 August 2026. Improvements refer only to the appointment-availability measure and are not changes in median actual waits.
Shortest median actual waits
- 01Llanelli5.4 weeks
- 02Bridgend5.7 weeks
- 03Abergavenny5.9 weeks
- 04Swansea5.9 weeks
- 05Rhyl6 weeks
Longest median actual waits
- 01Newtown14 weeks
- 02Pembroke Dock13.8 weeks
- 03Pwllheli12.7 weeks
- 04Bangor11.9 weeks
- 05Monmouth11.6 weeks
Biggest availability improvements
- 01Newport (Gwent)7.2 weeks lower
- 02Abergavenny3.1 weeks lower
- 03Llantrisant2.8 weeks lower
- 04Carmarthen1.9 weeks lower
- 05Pwllheli1.9 weeks lower
What the latest Wales data shows
In August 2026, Llanelli recorded the area's shortest median actual wait at 5.4 weeks, while Newtown recorded the longest at 14 weeks—a gap of 8.6 weeks across published centre medians.
Newport (Gwent) recorded the largest centre-level improvement in the separate appointment-availability measure, falling by 7.2 weeks from 20 weeks to 12.8 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 36 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 7.7 weeks shorter14 weeks → 6.3 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 0.2 weeks higher at the alternative (16.2 weeks → 16.4 weeks)
About 63 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 6.7 weeks shorter12.7 weeks → 6 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 3.6 weeks higher at the alternative (15.4 weeks → 19 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 Wales
Showing 21 test centres
Compare selected centres| Test centre | Town | Region | How long learners actually waited | Current appointment availability | Pass rate | Last updated | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abergavenny | Abergavenny | Wales | 5.9 weeks | 12.4 weeks | 64.2% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Aberystwyth (Park Avenue) | Aberystwyth | Wales | 10.6 weeks | 12.6 weeks | 55.1% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Bala | Bala | Wales | 11.4 weeks | 12.2 weeks | 61.6% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Bangor | Bangor | Wales | 11.9 weeks | 14.8 weeks | 62.2% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Barry | Barry | Wales | 10 weeks | 10.4 weeks | 57.0% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Brecon | Brecon | Wales | 6.9 weeks | 9 weeks | 58.7% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Bridgend | Bridgend | Wales | 5.7 weeks | 7.8 weeks | 53.3% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Cardiff (Llanishen) | Cardiff | Wales | 11.1 weeks | 14.8 weeks | 46.5% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Cardigan | Cardigan | Wales | 7.1 weeks | 7.6 weeks | 41.0% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Carmarthen | Carmarthen | Wales | 9.7 weeks | 12.6 weeks | 54.2% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Llanelli | Llanelli | Wales | 5.4 weeks | 7.2 weeks | 51.0% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Llantrisant | Llantrisant | Wales | 8.6 weeks | 12 weeks | 54.0% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Merthyr Tydfil | Merthyr Tydfil | Wales | 8.9 weeks | 14.4 weeks | 51.2% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Monmouth | Monmouth | Wales | 11.6 weeks | 5.8 weeks | 51.0% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Newport (Gwent) | Newport | Wales | 6.2 weeks | 12.8 weeks | 48.9% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Newtown | Newtown | Wales | 14 weeks | 16.2 weeks | 58.0% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Pembroke Dock | Pembroke Dock | Wales | 13.8 weeks | 7.4 weeks | 50.1% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Pwllheli | Pwllheli | Wales | 12.7 weeks | 15.4 weeks | 68.1% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Rhyl | Rhyl | Wales | 6 weeks | 19 weeks | 56.9% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Swansea | Swansea | Wales | 5.9 weeks | 9 weeks | 48.2% | 9 September 2026 | View details |
| Wrexham | Wrexham | Wales | 7 weeks | 16.6 weeks | 51.9% | 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
EnglandView regional comparisonScotlandView regional comparisonEast MidlandsView 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 9 September 2026; pass rates cover April 2025 to March 2026.