Lincolnshire · Midlands
Lincoln driving test centre
52.1% of car practical tests taken at Lincoln passed in 2025-26, from 6,192 tests. Pass rates, local road types and how we prepare you for this centre.
Lincoln pass rates
Pass rate 2025-26
52.1%
3,225 passes
National average
50%
+2.1 points here
Tests conducted
6,192
about 516 a month
Best published year
52.1%
2025-26
6,192 car practical tests were taken at Lincoln in 2025-26. 52.1% passed, 2.1 percentage points above the national average of 50%. It is up on 2019-20, when 45.4% passed.
Over the published years the rate has moved between 45.4% in 2019-20 and 52.1% in 2025-26, so a single year's figure is a weak guide on its own. In 2025-26 the rate was 53.6% for male candidates and 50.4% for female candidates. That works out at roughly 516 tests a month, which is what waiting times at Lincoln depend on more than the pass rate does.
- Lincoln
- National average
| Year | Tests | Passes | Pass rate | National | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 6,192 | 3,225 | 52.1% | 50% | 53.6% | 50.4% |
| 2024-25 | 6,345 | 3,161 | 49.8% | 48.7% | 50.9% | 48.5% |
| 2023-24 | 8,043 | 3,887 | 48.3% | 47.9% | 49.3% | 47.1% |
| 2022-23 | 7,151 | 3,635 | 50.8% | 48.4% | 53.3% | 48.1% |
| 2021-22 | 6,029 | 3,115 | 51.7% | 48.9% | 54.6% | 48.5% |
| 2019-20 | 5,824 | 2,646 | 45.4% | 45.9% | 49.7% | 41.7% |
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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln
Expect through-route a-road, village 30mph zones and estate cul-de-sacs on a test out of Lincoln. The demands are ordinary, but they are specific to this area.
Progress is marked as well as caution: hanging back on clear A-road stretches reads as hesitancy. Sat-nav sections usually run on the wider through-routes rather than the back streets. Lincoln covers a wide slice of Lincolnshire, and instructors who teach it weekly know which approach roads back up.
Lincoln 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.
Most learners who retake at Lincoln 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.
- Sat-nav sections usually run on the wider through-routes rather than the back streets.
- Lincoln covers a wide slice of Lincolnshire, 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 Lincoln
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.
How we prepare you for this centre
Time on the real roads
We plan the final sessions around Lincoln itself, so the through-route a-road you meet on test day are ones you have already driven.
A full mock test
A full-length mock from the Lincoln area, scored on the DVSA sheet so you see exactly where the marks went.
Manoeuvres in real locations
All four test manoeuvres, practised in the kind of streets examiners around Lincoln actually use.
The paperwork and the routine
We walk the whole sequence — arrival, documents, eyesight check, independent drive — so nothing on the day is new.
Courses that suit test-centre prep
Lincoln test centre FAQs
What are the test routes like at Lincoln?
The DVSA stopped publishing official routes, and examiners vary them. In practice, routes from Lincoln 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 Lincoln?
parked cars and passing gaps — all of which come directly from the road types on the local network.
Can I take an intensive course and test at Lincoln?
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 Lincoln.
How do I book a practical test at Lincoln?
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 Lincoln?
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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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.