Northumberland · Yorkshire & the North East
Hexham driving test centre
53% of car practical tests taken at Hexham passed in 2025-26, from 1,388 tests. Pass rates, local road types and how we prepare you for this centre.
Hexham pass rates
Pass rate 2025-26
53%
735 passes
National average
50%
+3 points here
Tests conducted
1,388
about 116 a month
Best published year
61.2%
2019-20
1,388 car practical tests were taken at Hexham in 2025-26. 53% passed, 3 percentage points above the national average of 50%. That is down from 61.2% in 2019-20.
Over the published years the rate has moved between 53% in 2025-26 and 61.2% in 2019-20, so a single year's figure is a weak guide on its own. That works out at roughly 116 tests a month, which is what waiting times at Hexham depend on more than the pass rate does.
- Hexham
- National average
| Year | Tests | Passes | Pass rate | National | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,388 | 735 | 53% | 50% | 53.1% | 52.8% |
| 2024-25 | 1,213 | 688 | 56.7% | 48.7% | 55.8% | 57.7% |
| 2023-24 | 1,166 | 691 | 59.3% | 47.9% | 59.5% | 59.1% |
| 2022-23 | 907 | 508 | 56% | 48.4% | 58.4% | 54% |
| 2019-20 | 935 | 572 | 61.2% | 45.9% | 66.2% | 57.4% |
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 Hexham
Tests from Hexham run mostly on high street, suburban streets and rural fringe. Those road types sit close together, so several of them can appear in the first ten minutes.
A calmer centre than the nearby cities, but the rural sections catch people out on speed and positioning. Sat-nav sections usually run on the wider through-routes rather than the back streets. If your lessons have been in a different part of Northumberland, plan at least a couple of sessions on these roads before the test.
Hexham takes candidates from across Northumberland, 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
High street
Suburban streets
Rural fringe
- A calmer centre than the nearby cities, but the rural sections catch people out on speed and positioning.
- Sat-nav sections usually run on the wider through-routes rather than the back streets.
- If your lessons have been in a different part of Northumberland, plan at least a couple of sessions on these roads before the test.
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 Hexham
Busy-centre awareness
Progress matters here too. Sitting at a clear crossing waiting for nobody is marked as undue hesitancy.
Speed for the conditions
The national speed limit is a limit, not a target. Examiners mark both excessive speed into blind bends and undue hesitancy on clear stretches.
How we prepare you for this centre
Local route practice
The last hours of your course are spent on high street and suburban streets 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 Hexham 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
Hexham test centre FAQs
What are the test routes like at Hexham?
The DVSA stopped publishing official routes, and examiners vary them. In practice, routes from Hexham draw on high street, suburban streets, rural fringe, so those are the conditions to rehearse rather than a fixed sequence of streets.
What do learners most often fail on at Hexham?
busy-centre awareness, speed for the conditions — all of which come directly from the road types on the local network.
Can I take an intensive course and test at Hexham?
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 Hexham.
How do I book a practical test at Hexham?
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 Hexham?
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.