48.2% is the current pass rate at Swansea — 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
Burrows Road, off Langdon Road, Kings Dock, St Thomas
Swansea, SA1 8QY
Official DVSA booking — opens in a new tab
Pass Rate at Swansea
The pass rate at Swansea is 48.2%, close to the national average of 50.1%. At this centre, the road conditions don't significantly tilt the outcome in either direction — which means the result depends almost entirely on preparation. Candidates who have put in the work on junction observation and mirror habits pass here at standard rates; those who haven't fail for the same reasons they'd fail anywhere else.
Among Wales test centres, Swansea's 48.2% pass rate places it 24th out of 25 — above Cardiff (46.5%), and below Aberdare (50.8%) and Port Talbot (49.3%). The highest in Wales is Welshpool at 66.2%; the lowest is Cardiff at 46.5%.
Pass rate sourced from DVSA open data (April 2024–March 2025). DVSA statistics ↗
Pass Rate Comparison — All Wales Test Centres
The table below shows every driving test centre in Wales, sorted by pass rate. Swansea is highlighted. All figures are sourced from DVSA open data where available.
| Test Centre | Pass Rate | vs UK avg (50.1%) |
|---|---|---|
| Welshpool | 66.2% | +16.1% |
| Haverfordwest | 64.6% | +14.5% |
| Holyhead | 63.7% | +13.6% |
| Bangor | 62.2% | +12.1% |
| Caernarfon | 62.1% | +12% |
| Llandudno | 60.4% | +10.3% |
| Newtown | 58% | +7.9% |
| Colwyn Bay | 57.9% | +7.8% |
| Barry | 57% | +6.9% |
| Rhyl | 56.9% | +6.8% |
| Flint | 56.3% | +6.2% |
| Aberystwyth | 55.1% | +5% |
| Carmarthen | 54.2% | +4.1% |
| Newport | 54.1% | +4% |
| Pontypridd | 54% | +3.9% |
| Bridgend | 53.3% | +3.2% |
| Neath | 53.2% | +3.1% |
| Wrexham | 51.9% | +1.8% |
| Caerphilly | 51.4% | +1.3% |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 51.2% | +1.1% |
| Llanelli | 51% | +0.9% |
| Aberdare | 50.8% | +0.7% |
| Port Talbot | 49.3% | -0.8% |
| Swansea ★ | 48.2% | -1.9% |
| Cardiff | 46.5% | -3.6% |
Test Centres Near Swansea
Before booking at Swansea, it's worth checking how it stacks up against other centres near Swansea — 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.
- Neath driving test centre (6 miles — 53.2% pass rate)
- Port Talbot driving test centre (6 miles — 49.3% pass rate)
- Llanelli driving test centre (11 miles — 51% pass rate)
- Bridgend driving test centre (17 miles — 53.3% pass rate)
What to Expect on Test Routes from Swansea
Single-carriageway roads at the national speed limit make up a real part of the test route from Swansea. 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 Swansea
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 Swansea and other Wales 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 Swansea
Book your practical driving test at Swansea 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.
Test centre availability in Wales can be limited at rural centres. If Swansea has no slots in your target window, the nearest alternative is worth checking — the DVSA booking tool lists all centres within a radius.
Find a Driving Instructor Near Swansea
Choosing an instructor familiar with Swansea's test routes is one of the most effective things you can do before test day. Local route knowledge means your final lessons can focus on the exact junctions and manoeuvres you'll face — not generic practice.
National speed limit country roads, low-visibility bends, junctions shared with farm traffic — Swansea'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 Swansea using the official tool below, then ask this directly: "How well do you know the specific rural routes used at Swansea, 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 Swansea →
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