Hampshire · London & the South East
Farnborough driving test centre
59.7% of car practical tests taken at Farnborough passed in 2025-26, from 10,482 tests. Pass rates, local road types and how we prepare you for this centre.
Farnborough pass rates
Pass rate 2025-26
59.7%
6,258 passes
National average
50%
+9.7 points here
Tests conducted
10,482
about 874 a month
Best published year
59.7%
2025-26
10,482 car practical tests were taken at Farnborough in 2025-26. 59.7% passed, 9.7 percentage points above the national average of 50%. It is up on 2019-20, when 51.4% passed.
Over the published years the rate has moved between 51.4% in 2019-20 and 59.7% in 2025-26, so a single year's figure is a weak guide on its own. In 2025-26 the rate was 61.7% for male candidates and 57.6% for female candidates. That works out at roughly 874 tests a month, which is what waiting times at Farnborough depend on more than the pass rate does.
- Farnborough
- National average
| Year | Tests | Passes | Pass rate | National | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 10,482 | 6,258 | 59.7% | 50% | 61.7% | 57.6% |
| 2024-25 | 8,041 | 4,689 | 58.3% | 48.7% | 60.8% | 55.6% |
| 2023-24 | 10,712 | 6,253 | 58.4% | 47.9% | 60.8% | 55.8% |
| 2022-23 | 8,889 | 4,957 | 55.8% | 48.4% | 59.3% | 52.1% |
| 2021-22 | 8,257 | 4,719 | 57.2% | 48.9% | 59.3% | 54.9% |
| 2019-20 | 10,871 | 5,588 | 51.4% | 45.9% | 55.6% | 47.7% |
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 Farnborough 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 Farnborough
Expect one-way system, a-road dual carriageway and estate roads on a test out of Farnborough. The demands are ordinary, but they are specific to this area.
Multi-lane roundabouts appear more than once, so plan two junctions ahead. Expect a spell at 40mph or more before dropping straight back into 30mph streets. Most candidates here travel in from around Hampshire, so allow for the journey when you pick a slot.
Farnborough takes candidates from across Hampshire, so plenty arrive having learned on a different road mix. That usually shows in the first five minutes of the drive.
Book the mock early enough that there is time to fix whatever it finds.
Roads you are likely to meet
One-way system
A-road dual carriageway
Estate roads
- Multi-lane roundabouts appear more than once, so plan two junctions ahead.
- Expect a spell at 40mph or more before dropping straight back into 30mph streets.
- Most candidates here travel in from around Hampshire, so allow for the journey when you pick a slot.
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 Farnborough
One-way systems and box junctions
The fault here is almost always a late lane change under pressure, forcing someone else to brake.
Joining and leaving at speed
Build up to the speed of the traffic on the slip road rather than emerging slowly, and check the mirror–blind spot pair before every lane change.
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.
How we prepare you for this centre
Local route practice
The last hours of your course are spent on one-way system and a-road dual carriageway 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 Farnborough 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
Farnborough test centre FAQs
What are the test routes like at Farnborough?
The DVSA stopped publishing official routes, and examiners vary them. In practice, routes from Farnborough draw on one-way system, a-road dual carriageway, estate roads, so those are the conditions to rehearse rather than a fixed sequence of streets.
What do learners most often fail on at Farnborough?
one-way systems and box junctions, joining and leaving at speed, priority on narrow streets — all of which come directly from the road types on the local network.
Can I take an intensive course and test at Farnborough?
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 Farnborough.
How do I book a practical test at Farnborough?
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 Farnborough?
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 Farnborough 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.