43.2% is the current pass rate at Cheltenham — below the UK average of 50.1%. Expect both town driving and genuine open-road sections where the national speed limit applies — candidates who've only practised in built-up areas tend to find the unmarked rural junctions catch them out.
📍 Test Centre Address
Bishopsgate House, 94 All Saints Road
Cheltenham, GL52 2HQ
Official DVSA booking — opens in a new tab
Pass Rate at Cheltenham
The pass rate at Cheltenham is 43.2%, below the national average of 50.1%. The local road network is unforgiving on observation errors — expect busy junctions and conditions where mirror discipline and precise positioning matter. Well-prepared candidates pass at similar rates to anywhere else.
Among South West test centres, Cheltenham's 43.2% pass rate places it 27th out of 29 — above Plymouth (40.7%) and Camborne (40.6%), and below Exeter (46.8%) and Penzance (46.5%). The highest in South West is Dorchester at 69%; the lowest is Camborne at 40.6%.
Pass rate sourced from DVSA open data (April 2024–March 2025). DVSA statistics ↗
Pass Rate Comparison — All South West Test Centres
The table below shows every driving test centre in South West, sorted by pass rate. Cheltenham is highlighted. All figures are sourced from DVSA open data where available.
| Test Centre | Pass Rate | vs UK avg (50.1%) |
|---|---|---|
| Dorchester | 69% | +18.9% |
| Callington | 68.2% | +18.1% |
| Newquay | 66.4% | +16.3% |
| Minehead | 65.8% | +15.7% |
| Truro | 63.7% | +13.6% |
| Yeovil | 63.4% | +13.3% |
| Warminster | 62.7% | +12.6% |
| Tiverton | 61.4% | +11.3% |
| Frome | 60.3% | +10.2% |
| Bridgwater | 59.7% | +9.6% |
| Taunton | 59.5% | +9.4% |
| Weymouth | 59.3% | +9.2% |
| Stroud | 56.8% | +6.7% |
| Chippenham | 56.4% | +6.3% |
| Torquay | 55.6% | +5.5% |
| Bath | 54.6% | +4.5% |
| Poole | 53.4% | +3.3% |
| Bristol Brislington | 51.9% | +1.8% |
| Bristol Kingswood | 51.9% | +1.8% |
| Barnstaple | 51.4% | +1.3% |
| Swindon | 51.1% | +1% |
| Salisbury | 48.5% | -1.6% |
| Bournemouth | 47.8% | -2.3% |
| Gloucester | 47.8% | -2.3% |
| Exeter | 46.8% | -3.3% |
| Penzance | 46.5% | -3.6% |
| Cheltenham ★ | 43.2% | -6.9% |
| Plymouth | 40.7% | -9.4% |
| Camborne | 40.6% | -9.5% |
Test Centres Near Cheltenham
Before booking at Cheltenham, it's worth checking how it stacks up against other centres near Cheltenham — pass rate, route type, and typical wait for a slot can all vary more than you'd expect between centres just a few miles apart.
- Gloucester driving test centre (10 miles — 47.8% pass rate)
- Stroud driving test centre (13 miles — 56.8% pass rate)
- Worcester driving test centre (22 miles — 51.9% pass rate)
- Swindon driving test centre (25 miles — 51.1% pass rate)
What to Expect on Test Routes from Cheltenham
Single-carriageway roads at the national speed limit make up a real part of the test route from Cheltenham. Country lanes and A-roads test safe speed management directly — judging a safe following distance behind slower vehicles, and knowing when not to try an overtake, come up on most routes here.
Where candidates tend to lose marks is the transition back down in speed after the rural stretches — carrying too much speed into a 30mph village or town approach racks up speed-related faults fast.
Most Common Fail Reasons at Cheltenham
DVSA doesn't break fault data down by centre, so the list below is the national picture, weighted for the kind of roads you'll actually face at Cheltenham and other South West centres.
- Speed — national speed limit roads: Driving significantly below the limit without reason on open country roads, or failing to reduce speed early enough when re-entering a village or 30mph zone.
- Junctions — observation: Emerging too quickly at rural T-junctions where visibility may be limited by hedges, bends, or crests.
- Mirrors — change direction: Failing to check mirrors before slowing, pulling over, or turning onto rural side roads.
- Road positioning: Incorrect positioning on single-carriageway roads — too far left on narrow lanes or too central on roads with oncoming traffic.
- Response to hazards: Not responding early enough to agricultural vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians on rural routes.
Full breakdown: The 10 Most Common Driving Test Fails →
Booking Your Test at Cheltenham
Book your practical driving test at Cheltenham through the official DVSA service. You will need your provisional driving licence number and a debit or credit card. The current fee is £62 for weekday tests and £75 for evenings, weekends, and bank holidays.
Your theory test certificate must be valid when you book — theory passes expire two years from the test date. Check yours before starting a booking.
If Cheltenham has no availability on your target date, the DVSA booking tool lets you search other test centres nearby — useful if you are flexible on location.
Find a Driving Instructor Near Cheltenham
With a pass rate of 43.2% — below the national average of 50.1% — choosing the right instructor is especially important at Cheltenham. Look for an ADI who takes pupils to this specific centre regularly and can focus lessons on the exact junctions and manoeuvres examiners use here.
National speed limit country roads, low-visibility bends, junctions shared with farm traffic — Cheltenham's rural test routes feel genuinely different from town driving, and many candidates underestimate the gap. A local instructor who covers these roads makes a real difference.
Search for ADIs near Cheltenham using the official tool below, then ask this directly: "How well do you know the specific rural routes used at Cheltenham, and do your lessons cover national speed limit roads and low-visibility junctions?" Any instructor worth their fee will give you a specific answer, not a vague one.
Find an Approved Driving Instructor near Cheltenham →
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