Berkshire · London & the South East
Slough driving test centre
50.8% of car practical tests taken at Slough passed in 2025-26, from 10,509 tests. Pass rates, local road types and how we prepare you for this centre.
Slough pass rates
Pass rate 2025-26
50.8%
5,343 passes
National average
50%
+0.8 points here
Tests conducted
10,509
about 876 a month
Best published year
50.8%
2025-26
10,509 car practical tests were taken at Slough in 2025-26 and 50.8% of them passed. The national average that year was 50%, so this centre sits in line with the rest of Great Britain. It is up on 2019-20, when 43% passed.
Over the published years the rate has moved between 43% in 2019-20 and 50.8% in 2025-26, so a single year's figure is a weak guide on its own. In 2025-26 the rate was 54.1% for male candidates and 46.8% for female candidates. That works out at roughly 876 tests a month, which is what waiting times at Slough depend on more than the pass rate does.
- Slough
- National average
| Year | Tests | Passes | Pass rate | National | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 10,509 | 5,343 | 50.8% | 50% | 54.1% | 46.8% |
| 2024-25 | 9,181 | 4,186 | 45.6% | 48.7% | 49.1% | 41.5% |
| 2023-24 | 14,588 | 6,934 | 47.5% | 47.9% | 50.9% | 43.5% |
| 2022-23 | 13,420 | 6,370 | 47.5% | 48.4% | 51% | 43.3% |
| 2021-22 | 11,705 | 5,503 | 47% | 48.9% | 49.8% | 43.8% |
| 2019-20 | 10,009 | 4,305 | 43% | 45.9% | 49.6% | 37.9% |
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 Slough
Expect large roundabouts, dual carriageway and industrial estate roads on a test out of Slough. The demands are ordinary, but they are specific to this area.
Roundabout chains are the defining feature — plan two junctions ahead.
Slough covers learners in and around Slough, and it is where most of our Slough 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
Large roundabouts
Dual carriageway
Industrial estate roads
- Roundabout chains are the defining feature — plan two junctions ahead.
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 Slough
Lane discipline on roundabouts
The fault is usually committed before the give-way line: late lane selection, a signal that contradicts the exit taken, or creeping forward while still looking left.
Slip roads and lane changes
Two things get marked here: arriving at the merge under-speed, and changing lanes on mirrors alone without the blind-spot check.
Meeting traffic and clearance
Whose priority it is, how much room you leave for parked cars, and whether you wait in a safe place — all marked closely on these streets.
Sharing the road with lorries
If you cannot see the lorry's mirrors, the driver cannot see you — and an examiner sitting alongside will mark the position.
How we prepare you for this centre
Practice where you will be marked
Your instructor works the roads around Slough in the sessions before your test — large roundabouts 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
Slough test centre FAQs
What are the test routes like at Slough?
The DVSA stopped publishing official routes, and examiners vary them. In practice, routes from Slough draw on large roundabouts, dual carriageway, industrial estate roads, so those are the conditions to rehearse rather than a fixed sequence of streets.
What do learners most often fail on at Slough?
lane discipline on roundabouts, slip roads and lane changes, meeting traffic and clearance, sharing the road with lorries — all of which come directly from the road types on the local network.
Can I take an intensive course and test at Slough?
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 Slough or a nearby centre serving Slough.
How do I book a practical test at Slough?
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 Slough?
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 Slough 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 Slough 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.