Castle Douglas driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
The wait at Castle Douglas has grown. Over the last 12 months the typical wait averaged about 3½ months, up from about 2 months in the 12 months before.
Quick answers
- Where is it? Carlingwark Cottage, Carlingwark Arc, Castle Douglas, DG7 1TH. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 53%, compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 4 months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? About average: it's around the middle of Britain's 276 bigger test centres.
- What's nearby? Dumfries is the closest, 28 minutes away. Its pass rate is 54% and its typical wait about 4 months.
Waiting times
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 2½ months.
| Year | Castle Douglas | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2½ months | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 3½ months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 4 months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 2 months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 1½ months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 2 months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 4 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
Dumfries is the only other centre within half an hour's drive. Its pass rate is higher than Castle Douglas's, and its wait about the same.
| Test centre | Driving time | Pass rate | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| Dumfries 20 miles by road | 28 minutes | 53.9% | 56.8% | 41.0% | 4 months |
Driving times are without traffic.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Castle Douglas's pass rate was 53%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been above Britain's pass rate every year since DVSA's figures began in 2007.
14% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain. That's 75 automatic tests, too few to give a reliable automatic pass rate.
Women had a higher pass rate than men here: 57%, compared with 51%. Across Great Britain it was the other way round: men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 to 2026 | 549 | 53.4% | 98th of 276 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 516 | 50.2% | 126th of 275 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 462 | 54.1% | - |
| 2022 to 2023 | 363 | 52.3% | - |
| 2021 to 2022 | 494 | 50.6% | - |
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 Cumbria.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Castle Douglas?
There were only 75 tests in automatic cars here in the 12 months to March 2026: too few for the pass rate to mean much.
How can I get a test sooner at Castle Douglas?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.
How busy is Castle Douglas test centre?
It ran 549 car tests in the 12 months to March 2026. Only 39 of Britain's 311 test centres ran fewer.
Can I move my test from Castle Douglas 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 Dumfries, about 28 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.