Ayr driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
Ayr's pass rate is the highest it has been since 2011, the first year DVSA has figures for it.
Quick answers
- Where is it? 40 Boundary Road, Heathfield Industrial Estate, Ayr, KA8 9DJ. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 58% overall (manual 60%, automatic 46%), compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 2 months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? Easier than most. Only 48 of Britain's 276 bigger centres had a higher pass rate.
- What's nearby? Irvine is the closest, 17 minutes away. Its pass rate is 56% and its typical wait about 4 months.
Waiting times
Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 2½ months, about the same as in the 12 months before.
The wait here has been shorter than Britain's typical wait in seven of the last eight years.
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 1 month.
| Year | Ayr | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 month | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 2 months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 3½ months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 1½ months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 1½ months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 1½ months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 3 months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 2 months | 2½ months |
2019 starts in May and 2026 runs to September.
See how waits have changed across Britain in our report on driving test waiting times.
Other test centres nearby
There are two other centres within half an hour's drive. Of those, Irvine has the shortest wait, about 4 months, and Cumnock the highest pass rate, 67%.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Ayr's pass rate was 58%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been above Britain's pass rate for the last eight years.
The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 46%, compared with 60%. That gap is wider than at most centres. Its automatic pass rate is around the middle of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests. 18% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.
Women had a higher pass rate than men here: 58%, compared with 57%. Across Great Britain it was the other way round: men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| 2025 to 2026 | 2,189 | 57.5% | 59.8% | 46.4% | 49th of 276 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 2,015 | 56.8% | 57.6% | 52.1% | 45th of 275 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 2,672 | 54.1% | 54.7% | 50.5% | 68th of 277 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 1,925 | 54.6% | 55.1% | 51.0% | 63rd of 271 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 1,734 | 53.0% | - | - | 101st of 280 |
Each year runs from April to March.
Compare every centre in our report on driving test pass rates.
Before your test
In the weeks before your test, ask your instructor to take you round the roads near the centre, and practise the faults learners make most often. If you're still looking for an instructor, see who teaches in Ayr.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Ayr?
46% in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with Britain's automatic pass rate of 45%.
How can I get a test sooner at Ayr?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.
How busy is Ayr test centre?
It ran 2,189 car tests in the 12 months to March 2026. Only 69 of Britain's 311 test centres ran fewer.
Can I move my test from Ayr to another centre?
Yes. You can move it to any centre with a free date, on gov.uk. Before you do, check your instructor can take you there, and bear in mind it's harder to pass on roads you don't know. The closest other centre is Irvine, about 17 minutes away by road.
Figures from DVSA: pass rates for the 12 months to March 2026, waits for September 2026, published 14 October 2026. Driving times by road, from OpenRouteService. How we worked these out.