Lincolnshire · Midlands
Grantham (Somerby) driving test centre
57.9% of car practical tests taken at Grantham (Somerby) passed in 2025-26, from 7,318 tests. Pass rates, local road types and how we prepare you for this centre.
Grantham (Somerby) pass rates
Pass rate 2025-26
57.9%
4,237 passes
National average
50%
+7.9 points here
Tests conducted
7,318
about 610 a month
Best published year
58.1%
2024-25
7,318 car practical tests were taken at Grantham (Somerby) in 2025-26. 57.9% passed, 7.9 percentage points above the national average of 50%. It is up on 2019-20, when 48.6% passed.
Over the published years the rate has moved between 48.6% in 2019-20 and 58.1% in 2024-25, so a single year's figure is a weak guide on its own. That works out at roughly 610 tests a month, which is what waiting times at Grantham (Somerby) depend on more than the pass rate does.
- Grantham (Somerby)
- National average
| Year | Tests | Passes | Pass rate | National | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 7,318 | 4,237 | 57.9% | 50% | 57.9% | 57.9% |
| 2024-25 | 5,959 | 3,461 | 58.1% | 48.7% | 58.9% | 57% |
| 2023-24 | 6,416 | 3,492 | 54.4% | 47.9% | 54.8% | 53.9% |
| 2022-23 | 5,583 | 2,909 | 52.1% | 48.4% | 52.4% | 51.7% |
| 2021-22 | 5,404 | 2,961 | 54.8% | 48.9% | 57.2% | 52.1% |
| 2019-20 | 3,965 | 1,927 | 48.6% | 45.9% | 52.4% | 45.2% |
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.
Driving out of Grantham (Somerby)
Instructors who teach out of Grantham (Somerby) report the same road mix on most routes: industrial-estate approaches, level crossing or bridge pinch points and quiet outer streets. Learners who have only driven quiet estate roads tend to find the pace higher than they expect.
Routes leave the built-up area quickly, so speed adjustment between limits is heavily assessed. Expect at least one manoeuvre on a residential street with parked cars. Most candidates here travel in from around Lincolnshire, so allow for the journey when you pick a slot.
Grantham (Somerby) takes candidates from across Lincolnshire, so plenty arrive having learned on a different road mix. That usually shows in the first five minutes of the drive.
The aim is simple: nothing on the drive should be new on the day.
Roads you are likely to meet
Industrial-estate approaches
Level crossing or bridge pinch points
Quiet outer streets
- Routes leave the built-up area quickly, so speed adjustment between limits is heavily assessed.
- Expect at least one manoeuvre on a residential street with parked cars.
- Most candidates here travel in from around Lincolnshire, 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 Grantham (Somerby)
Parked cars and passing gaps
Leave a door's width past parked cars, and give way early enough that the oncoming driver can see you have decided.
Space around large vehicles
Leave bigger gaps and hang back at junctions so you can see past. Cutting in front of a lorry is a common serious fault on these routes.
How we prepare you for this centre
Local route practice
The last hours of your course are spent on industrial-estate approaches and level crossing or bridge pinch points 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 Grantham (Somerby) 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
Grantham (Somerby) test centre FAQs
What are the test routes like at Grantham (Somerby)?
The DVSA stopped publishing official routes, and examiners vary them. In practice, routes from Grantham (Somerby) draw on industrial-estate approaches, level crossing or bridge pinch points, quiet outer streets, so those are the conditions to rehearse rather than a fixed sequence of streets.
What do learners most often fail on at Grantham (Somerby)?
parked cars and passing gaps, space around large vehicles — all of which come directly from the road types on the local network.
Can I take an intensive course and test at Grantham (Somerby)?
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 Grantham (Somerby).
How do I book a practical test at Grantham (Somerby)?
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 do I need to bring to Grantham (Somerby)?
Aim to be there ten minutes before your slot with your provisional licence. Your instructor will normally use the half hour beforehand for a warm-up drive on nearby roads rather than sitting in the car park.
Does Grantham (Somerby) have a good pass rate?
Travelling for a higher published pass rate usually backfires: you arrive tired, on roads you have never driven. Preparing properly for Grantham (Somerby) is the better use of the same hours.
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.