Barry driving test centre

The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.

Barry's pass rate has been above Britain's pass rate every year since DVSA's figures began in 2007.

Quick answers

  • Where is it? unit No 16 Business Service Centre, Hood Road, Innovation Quarter, The Waterfront, Vale Of Glamorgan, CF62 5QN. Directions
  • What's the pass rate? 57% overall (manual 59%, automatic 50%), 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 53 of Britain's 276 bigger centres had a higher pass rate.
  • What's nearby? Llantrisant is the closest, 23 minutes away. Its pass rate is 54% and its typical wait about 1½ months.

Waiting times

Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 2½ months, down from about 3 months in the 12 months before. Waits here have been falling, so yours could be shorter.

The wait here has been longer than Britain's typical wait in six of the last eight years.

Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 2 months.

Typical wait at BarryAcross Great Britain
Typical wait by year at Barry and across Great Britain
YearBarryGreat Britain
20191½ months1½ months
20204½ months2½ months
20215½ months4 months
20224½ months2½ months
20233 months2½ months
20242½ months2 months
20253 months2½ months
20262½ months2½ 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

Llantrisant is the only other centre within half an hour's drive. Its pass rate is lower than Barry's, and its wait shorter.

Test centreDriving timePass rateTypical wait
OverallManualAutomatic
Llantrisant
11 miles by road
23 minutes54.0%56.6%45.0%1½ months

Driving times are without traffic.

Pass rate over the years

In the 12 months to March 2026, Barry's pass rate was 57%, compared with 50% across Great Britain.

The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 50%, compared with 59%. That gap is about the same as at most centres, but only 62 of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests had a higher automatic pass rate. 18% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.

Men and women had the same pass rate here, 57%. Across Great Britain, men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.

YearTestsPass ratePlace
OverallManualAutomatic
2025 to 20262,24457.0%58.7%49.8%54th of 276
2024 to 20251,62161.8%62.0%60.7%16th of 275
2023 to 20241,72556.1%56.4%54.5%46th of 277
2022 to 20231,35961.1%60.8%64.0%16th of 271
2021 to 20221,42463.7%--11th 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 Barry.

Frequently asked questions

What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Barry?

50% in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with Britain's automatic pass rate of 45%.

How can I get a test sooner at Barry?

Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.

How busy is Barry test centre?

It ran 2,244 car tests in the 12 months to March 2026. Only 73 of Britain's 311 test centres ran fewer.

Can I move my test from Barry 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 Llantrisant, about 23 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.