Derbyshire · Midlands
Derby (Alvaston) driving test centre
51.8% of car practical tests taken at Derby (Alvaston) passed in 2025-26, from 8,086 tests. Pass rates, local road types and how we prepare you for this centre.
Derby (Alvaston) pass rates
Pass rate 2025-26
51.8%
4,186 passes
National average
50%
+1.8 points here
Tests conducted
8,086
about 674 a month
Best published year
51.8%
2025-26
8,086 car practical tests were taken at Derby (Alvaston) in 2025-26. 51.8% passed, 1.8 percentage points above the national average of 50%. It is up on 2019-20, when 48% passed.
The rate has stayed within 4.5 points across the published years, between 47.3% and 51.8%. In 2025-26 the rate was 54.4% for male candidates and 49.1% for female candidates. That works out at roughly 674 tests a month, which is what waiting times at Derby (Alvaston) depend on more than the pass rate does.
- Derby (Alvaston)
- National average
| Year | Tests | Passes | Pass rate | National | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 8,086 | 4,186 | 51.8% | 50% | 54.4% | 49.1% |
| 2024-25 | 9,260 | 4,751 | 51.3% | 48.7% | 52.7% | 49.6% |
| 2023-24 | 9,467 | 4,479 | 47.3% | 47.9% | 49.5% | 44.8% |
| 2022-23 | 8,300 | 4,041 | 48.7% | 48.4% | 51.4% | 45.8% |
| 2021-22 | 10,242 | 5,219 | 51% | 48.9% | 54.1% | 47.5% |
| 2019-20 | 9,139 | 4,391 | 48% | 45.9% | 52.7% | 43.7% |
Source: DVSA table DRT122A, car practical driving test pass rates by test centre, published on GOV.UK. Figures are financial years running April to March.
Where Derby (Alvaston) test centre is
Arrive ten minutes early and park where you can pull out easily. The waiting room is small at most centres, so your instructor will normally wait in the car park while you take the test.
Driving out of Derby (Alvaston)
Routes out of Derby (Alvaston) use the roads around the centre: a6 corridor, residential and rural fringe. Each of them is marked differently, which is why the last few hours of tuition are worked around the centre.
Expect a mix of fast A-road and slow residential driving.
Derby (Alvaston) covers learners in and around Derby, and it is where most of our Derby course students sit the test. If you are choosing between centres, practise the road types listed above rather than picking on pass-rate figures alone.
Most learners who retake at Derby (Alvaston) say the driving was fine and the pressure was not.
Roads you are likely to meet
A6 corridor
Residential
Rural fringe
- Expect a mix of fast A-road and slow residential driving.
Test routes are no longer published by the DVSA, and examiners vary them. Treat this as a guide to the local road types rather than a route list. Book your test and check availability on GOV.UK.
Where marks are lost at Derby (Alvaston)
Priority on narrow streets
The recurring fault is stopping in the gap rather than before it, then having nowhere to go when something comes the other way.
Judgement on unlit lanes
Passing places, mud on the road, horses and tractors are all part of the marking here — and so is progress once the road opens up.
How we prepare you for this centre
Local route practice
The last hours of your course are spent on a6 corridor and residential near the centre, because that is what the examiner will put you on.
One rehearsal, examiner-style
Marked the way an examiner marks it, on a Derby route, with a written debrief of every fault.
All four manoeuvres
Every manoeuvre practised with traffic present, because that is the version that appears on the day.
Test-day rehearsal
Licence and theory certificate checked, show me / tell me covered, and the sat-nav section practised before the day.
Courses that suit test-centre prep
Derby (Alvaston) test centre FAQs
What are the test routes like at Derby (Alvaston)?
The DVSA stopped publishing official routes, and examiners vary them. In practice, routes from Derby (Alvaston) draw on a6 corridor, residential, rural fringe, so those are the conditions to rehearse rather than a fixed sequence of streets.
What do learners most often fail on at Derby (Alvaston)?
priority on narrow streets, judgement on unlit lanes — all of which come directly from the road types on the local network.
Can I take an intensive course and test at Derby (Alvaston)?
Yes. We match you with a DVSA approved instructor who teaches on these roads day to day, and we look for the earliest practical slot at Derby (Alvaston) or a nearby centre serving Derby.
How do I book a practical test at Derby (Alvaston)?
Practical tests are booked through GOV.UK with your provisional licence and theory certificate numbers. We can check cancellations for you once your course dates are set.
What happens when I get to Derby (Alvaston)?
Arrive with your provisional licence and a car that is legal, insured for the test and has no warning lights showing. We handle that side if you use one of our instructors' cars.
Is Derby (Alvaston) an easy test centre?
Pass rates are published by the DVSA, but they say more about the mix of candidates than the difficulty of the routes. Practising the road types above will move your odds more than switching centres.
Not sure how many hours you need?
Answer four quick questions and we will recommend a course based on your experience, not a sales target.