How long learners actually waited
Time between booking and taking a test for people who completed one that month. Half waited less and half waited longer.
Address, postcode, current appointment availability, how long learners actually waited and pass-rate information from official published sources.
Location source: the live GOV.UK driving-test-centre directory, checked 9 September 2026 (dataset version 231).
GOV.UK remains the definitive source for temporary locations, facilities and special instructions.
DVSA will make arrangements for you at this test centre if you have a disability.
This test centre provides these types of tests: car, ADI part 3.
DVSA publishes both figures because they answer different questions.
Time between booking and taking a test for people who completed one that month. Half waited less and half waited longer.
Point where at least 10% of weekly appointments remained available. It is not a live appointment search.
At Bradford (Heaton), the median actual wait was 15.1 weeks—0.3 weeks shorter than the 15.4 weeks appointment-availability measure. These figures do not contradict one another.
These official DVSA figures add context to the overall pass rate by showing first attempts and automatic-car tests separately.
2,109 passes from 3,882 first attempts.
1,492 passes from 2,715 automatic-car tests.
These figures describe different groups. The first-attempt figure includes first attempts in manual and automatic cars. The automatic-car figure includes automatic tests across all attempts, so it is not an automatic first-attempt rate. The percentages should not be subtracted or treated as a like-for-like comparison.
The annual tables cover April 2025 to March 2026. Sample-size warnings follow DVSA's published guidance. The figures do not predict an individual result or prove that one centre is easier. View the official DVSA source tables (opens on GOV.UK in a new tab)
At this centre, the median actual wait was 0.3 weeks shorter than the appointment-availability measure. The comparisons below use published centre records and the three official nearby relationships, not live booking availability.
The median actual wait of 15.1 weeks ranks 24th shortest of 28 centres with published figures in Yorkshire and the Humber. It is 5 weeks above the Yorkshire and the Humber centre median of 10.1 weeks.
Across Great Britain, it ranks 202nd shortest of 311 published centre medians. It is 3.2 weeks above the Great Britain centre median of 11.9 weeks.
The separate appointment-availability measure of 15.4 weeks ranks 9th shortest of 28 in Yorkshire and the Humber.
From September 2025 to August 2026, appointment availability fell by 8.6 weeks, from 24 weeks to 15.4 weeks. This direction describes the published 10% measure, not live appointments.
The lowest recorded point was 15.4 weeks in August 2026; the highest was 24 weeks in September 2025.
Bradford (Thornbury) recorded a median actual wait of 6.5 weeks—8.6 weeks shorter than Bradford (Heaton)—and is about 5 miles away on DVSA's list.
For appointment availability, Bradford (Thornbury) had the lowest matched figure at 11 weeks, 4.4 weeks below this centre.
The 56.1% overall pass rate ranks 8th highest of 28 published centres in Yorkshire and the Humber, and 97th of 314 across Great Britain.
It is based on 8,354 tests from April 2025 to March 2026. Pass rates reflect the candidates and tests taken; they do not prove that one centre is easier.
Ranks use all centres with a numeric value in the same release. Tied values share a rank. A shorter historical figure does not guarantee an earlier appointment.
Analysis coverage: 12 published monthly points and comparisons with 28 centres in Yorkshire and the Humber. Rankings and differences are calculated by Drive Test Finder UK from the cited DVSA records.
Since 9 June 2026, a car driving test can normally be moved only to the three nearest centres DVSA lists for the booked centre. The original centre remains an option.
| Centre | Official distance | How long learners actually waited | Current appointment availability | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford (Thornbury) | About 5 miles | 6.5 weeks | 11 weeks | 47.8% |
| Horsforth | About 9 miles | 10.7 weeks | 13.2 weeks | 49.7% |
| Heckmondwike | About 10 miles | 10.1 weeks | 15 weeks | 45.8% |
These are different kinds of information: DVSA's nearest-centre list supplies the relationships and approximate driving distances; the waiting and pass-rate figures come from separate published statistics and are not live appointments.
DVSA says distances are approximate driving distances calculated using Google Maps while avoiding motorways. The published list was last updated 28 May 2026 and may change.
From September 2025 to August 2026, current appointment availability fell by 8.6 weeks, from 24 to 15.4 weeks.
This chart tracks the published 10% appointment-availability measure, not how long learners actually waited or live appointments.
| Month | Current appointment availability |
|---|---|
| 24 weeks | |
| 24 weeks | |
| 24 weeks | |
| 24 weeks | |
| 24 weeks | |
| 22 weeks | |
| 18.8 weeks | |
| 19 weeks | |
| 18.3 weeks | |
| 17.4 weeks | |
| 17.5 weeks | |
| 15.4 weeks |
The published overall pass rate is 56.1%, based on 8,354 tests during April 2025 to March 2026. Candidate preparation, the mix of tests and local conditions all affect outcomes.
A higher recorded pass rate does not prove that this centre is easier, and it should not be the sole reason to travel a long distance.
Review date: 19 September 2026
How we review: We match each page to the latest imported DVSA tables, check location details against the live GOV.UK centre directory and show missing figures as not published rather than estimating them.
Sources checked: DVSA driving-test data tables (opens on GOV.UK in a new tab), GOV.UK driving-test-centre directory (opens on GOV.UK in a new tab), DVSA nearest-centre list (opens on GOV.UK in a new tab).
The collective byline used by Jamhawks Trading Ltd for source checking, data processing and content updates. It does not represent a named individual or a claim of DVSA affiliation or professional driving-instructor status.