Nottinghamshire · Midlands
Nottingham (Chilwell) driving test centre
49.9% of car practical tests taken at Nottingham (Chilwell) passed in 2025-26, from 9,415 tests. Pass rates, local road types and how we prepare you for this centre.
Nottingham (Chilwell) pass rates
Pass rate 2025-26
49.9%
4,697 passes
National average
50%
-0.1 points here
Tests conducted
9,415
about 785 a month
Best published year
52.1%
2019-20
9,415 car practical tests were taken at Nottingham (Chilwell) in 2025-26 and 49.9% of them passed. The national average that year was 50%, so this centre sits in line with the rest of Great Britain. That is down from 52.1% in 2019-20.
Over the published years the rate has moved between 39.3% in 2023-24 and 52.1% in 2019-20, so a single year's figure is a weak guide on its own. That works out at roughly 785 tests a month, which is what waiting times at Nottingham (Chilwell) depend on more than the pass rate does.
- Nottingham (Chilwell)
- National average
| Year | Tests | Passes | Pass rate | National | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 9,415 | 4,697 | 49.9% | 50% | 50.5% | 49.1% |
| 2024-25 | 10,561 | 4,639 | 43.9% | 48.7% | 44.7% | 42.9% |
| 2023-24 | 9,016 | 3,542 | 39.3% | 47.9% | 40.2% | 38.1% |
| 2022-23 | 7,589 | 3,226 | 42.5% | 48.4% | 43.5% | 41.4% |
| 2021-22 | 6,008 | 2,940 | 48.9% | 48.9% | 51.3% | 46.5% |
| 2019-20 | 4,854 | 2,531 | 52.1% | 45.9% | 56.6% | 47.8% |
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 Nottingham (Chilwell)
Instructors who teach out of Nottingham (Chilwell) report the same road mix on most routes: one-way system, a-road dual carriageway and estate roads. Learners who have only driven quiet estate roads tend to find the pace higher than they expect.
Lane discipline on the ring road is where most marks are lost. Expect a spell at 40mph or more before dropping straight back into 30mph streets. Nottingham (Chilwell) covers a wide slice of Nottinghamshire, and instructors who teach it weekly know which approach roads back up.
Nottingham (Chilwell) covers learners in and around Nottingham, and it is where most of our Nottingham 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.
The aim is simple: nothing on the drive should be new on the day.
Roads you are likely to meet
One-way system
A-road dual carriageway
Estate roads
- Lane discipline on the ring road is where most marks are lost.
- Expect a spell at 40mph or more before dropping straight back into 30mph streets.
- Nottingham (Chilwell) covers a wide slice of Nottinghamshire, 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 Nottingham (Chilwell)
Early lane planning
Systems like this punish late decisions. Positioning early and signalling once, clearly, is what the examiner is looking for.
Merging with faster traffic
Emerging too slowly forces other drivers to react, and that is marked. Use the full length of the slip road and match the flow before you merge.
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
Practice where you will be marked
Your instructor works the roads around Nottingham (Chilwell) in the sessions before your test — one-way system 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
Nottingham (Chilwell) test centre FAQs
What are the test routes like at Nottingham (Chilwell)?
The DVSA stopped publishing official routes, and examiners vary them. In practice, routes from Nottingham (Chilwell) draw on one-way system, a-road dual carriageway, estate roads, so those are the conditions to rehearse rather than a fixed sequence of streets.
What do learners most often fail on at Nottingham (Chilwell)?
early lane planning, merging with faster traffic, 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 Nottingham (Chilwell)?
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 Nottingham (Chilwell) or a nearby centre serving Nottingham.
How do I book a practical test at Nottingham (Chilwell)?
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 happens when I get to Nottingham (Chilwell)?
Arrive with your provisional licence and a car that is legal, insured for the test and has no warning lights showing. We handle that side if you use one of our instructors' cars.
Is Nottingham (Chilwell) an easy test centre?
Pass rates are published by the DVSA, but they say more about the mix of candidates than the difficulty of the routes. Practising the road types above will move your odds more than switching centres.
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.