Herefordshire · Midlands
Hereford driving test centre
58.8% of car practical tests taken at Hereford passed in 2025-26, from 4,110 tests. Pass rates, local road types and how we prepare you for this centre.
Hereford pass rates
Pass rate 2025-26
58.8%
2,416 passes
National average
50%
+8.8 points here
Tests conducted
4,110
about 343 a month
Best published year
61.2%
2021-22
4,110 car practical tests were taken at Hereford in 2025-26. 58.8% passed, 8.8 percentage points above the national average of 50%. It is up on 2019-20, when 54.7% passed.
Over the published years the rate has moved between 54.7% in 2019-20 and 61.2% in 2021-22, so a single year's figure is a weak guide on its own. In 2025-26 the rate was 59.9% for male candidates and 57.4% for female candidates. That works out at roughly 343 tests a month, which is what waiting times at Hereford depend on more than the pass rate does.
- Hereford
- National average
| Year | Tests | Passes | Pass rate | National | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 4,110 | 2,416 | 58.8% | 50% | 59.9% | 57.4% |
| 2024-25 | 3,352 | 1,992 | 59.4% | 48.7% | 60.1% | 58.6% |
| 2023-24 | 4,088 | 2,280 | 55.8% | 47.9% | 56.8% | 54.4% |
| 2022-23 | 3,336 | 1,927 | 57.8% | 48.4% | 61.7% | 54% |
| 2021-22 | 3,021 | 1,850 | 61.2% | 48.9% | 65.5% | 57.1% |
| 2019-20 | 2,801 | 1,532 | 54.7% | 45.9% | 57.5% | 52.1% |
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 Hereford
Tests from Hereford run mostly on through-route a-road, village 30mph zones and estate cul-de-sacs. Those road types sit close together, so several of them can appear in the first ten minutes.
Progress is marked as well as caution: hanging back on clear A-road stretches reads as hesitancy. Junction observation on the approach roads is the recurring theme. Hereford covers a wide slice of Herefordshire, and instructors who teach it weekly know which approach roads back up.
Hereford takes candidates from across Herefordshire, so plenty arrive having learned on a different road mix. That usually shows in the first five minutes of the drive.
Most learners who retake at Hereford say the driving was fine and the pressure was not.
Roads you are likely to meet
Through-route A-road
Village 30mph zones
Estate cul-de-sacs
- Progress is marked as well as caution: hanging back on clear A-road stretches reads as hesitancy.
- Junction observation on the approach roads is the recurring theme.
- Hereford covers a wide slice of Herefordshire, and instructors who teach it weekly know which approach roads back up.
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 Hereford
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 through-route a-road and village 30mph zones 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 Hereford 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
Hereford test centre FAQs
What are the test routes like at Hereford?
The DVSA stopped publishing official routes, and examiners vary them. In practice, routes from Hereford draw on through-route a-road, village 30mph zones, estate cul-de-sacs, so those are the conditions to rehearse rather than a fixed sequence of streets.
What do learners most often fail on at Hereford?
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 Hereford?
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 Hereford.
How do I book a practical test at Hereford?
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.
How early should I arrive at Hereford?
Ten minutes early is enough. Bring your provisional licence; the eyesight check happens outside before you get in the car, so know which plate you can read.
Should I travel to a different centre instead?
We will not sell you a pass rate. Published DVSA figures reflect who books there as much as the roads, and a centre an hour away that you cannot practise around is a worse bet than the one your instructor drives every week.
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.