North Yorkshire · Yorkshire & the North East
Middlesbrough driving test centre
47.7% of car practical tests taken at Middlesbrough passed in 2025-26, from 8,854 tests. Pass rates, local road types and how we prepare you for this centre.
Middlesbrough pass rates
Pass rate 2025-26
47.7%
4,221 passes
National average
50%
-2.3 points here
Tests conducted
8,854
about 738 a month
Best published year
52.6%
2021-22
8,854 car practical tests were taken at Middlesbrough in 2025-26. 47.7% passed, 2.3 percentage points below the national average of 50%. That is down from 51% in 2019-20.
The rate has stayed within 4.9 points across the published years, between 47.7% and 52.6%. That works out at roughly 738 tests a month, which is what waiting times at Middlesbrough depend on more than the pass rate does.
- Middlesbrough
- National average
| Year | Tests | Passes | Pass rate | National | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 8,854 | 4,221 | 47.7% | 50% | 48.3% | 47% |
| 2024-25 | 8,952 | 4,321 | 48.3% | 48.7% | 48.9% | 47.5% |
| 2023-24 | 8,865 | 4,525 | 51% | 47.9% | 52% | 50% |
| 2022-23 | 10,130 | 5,037 | 49.7% | 48.4% | 51.3% | 47.9% |
| 2021-22 | 8,346 | 4,389 | 52.6% | 48.9% | 54.8% | 50.3% |
| 2019-20 | 8,981 | 4,577 | 51% | 45.9% | 54.6% | 47.4% |
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 Middlesbrough
Routes out of Middlesbrough use the roads around the centre: a19 links, roundabouts and industrial roads. Each of them is marked differently, which is why the last few hours of tuition are worked around the centre.
High-speed dual carriageway is likely.
Middlesbrough covers learners in and around Middlesbrough, and it is where most of our Middlesbrough course students sit the test. If you are choosing between centres, practise the road types listed above rather than picking on pass-rate figures alone.
Book the mock early enough that there is time to fix whatever it finds.
Roads you are likely to meet
A19 links
Roundabouts
Industrial roads
- High-speed dual carriageway is likely.
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 Middlesbrough
Reading roundabouts early
Examiners watch the approach more than the exit. Speed reduced in good time, correct lane held throughout, signal timed to the exit before yours.
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
Practice where you will be marked
Your instructor works the roads around Middlesbrough in the sessions before your test — a19 links included — not generic estate roads.
A marked mock run
Run silently and scored properly — no coaching mid-drive — then debriefed fault by fault.
Manoeuvres to standard
Bay park, parallel park, pull up on the right and forward bay — rehearsed on live roads near the centre rather than an empty car park.
Everything around the drive
Paperwork, show me / tell me questions and the independent drive, run through in advance.
Courses that suit test-centre prep
Middlesbrough test centre FAQs
What are the test routes like at Middlesbrough?
The DVSA stopped publishing official routes, and examiners vary them. In practice, routes from Middlesbrough draw on a19 links, roundabouts, industrial roads, so those are the conditions to rehearse rather than a fixed sequence of streets.
What do learners most often fail on at Middlesbrough?
reading roundabouts early, 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 Middlesbrough?
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 Middlesbrough or a nearby centre serving Middlesbrough.
How do I book a practical test at Middlesbrough?
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 Middlesbrough?
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 Middlesbrough 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 Middlesbrough 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.