Derby Alvaston driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
The wait at Derby Alvaston has come down. Over the last 12 months the typical wait averaged about 2½ months, down from about 4½ months in the 12 months before.
Quick answers
- Where is it? Off Belmore Way, Alvaston, Derby, DE21 7AY. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 52% overall (manual 55%, automatic 46%), compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 3 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? Nottingham Chilwell is the closest, 18 minutes away. Its pass rate is 50% and its typical wait about 1 month.
Waiting times
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 1 month.
| Year | Derby Alvaston | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 month | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 2 months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 3½ months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 3½ months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 3 months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 4½ months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 2½ 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 three other centres within half an hour's drive. Of those, Nottingham Chilwell has the shortest wait, about 1 month, and Burton on Trent the highest pass rate, 55%.
| Test centre | Driving time | Pass rate | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| Nottingham (Chilwell) 10 miles by road | 18 minutes | 49.9% | 52.2% | 43.4% | 1 month |
| Burton on Trent 19 miles by road | 24 minutes | 54.7% | 58.0% | 43.9% | 3 months |
| Loughborough 17 miles by road | 28 minutes | 42.3% | 44.6% | 33.2% | 2½ months |
Driving times are without traffic.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Derby Alvaston's pass rate was 52%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been above Britain's pass rate for the last two years.
The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 46%, compared with 55%. That gap is about the same as at most centres. Its automatic pass rate is around the middle of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests. 33% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.
Men had a higher pass rate than women here: 54%, compared with 49%. That's a wider gap than across Great Britain, where men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| 2025 to 2026 | 8,086 | 51.8% | 54.5% | 46.3% | 132nd of 276 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 9,260 | 51.3% | 53.1% | 46.5% | 98th of 275 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 9,467 | 47.3% | 49.3% | 40.3% | 177th of 277 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 8,300 | 48.7% | 49.9% | 43.3% | 148th of 271 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 10,242 | 51.0% | 52.5% | 42.2% | 129th 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 Derby.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Derby Alvaston?
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 Derby Alvaston?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there. Or book a centre nearby: Nottingham Chilwell, 18 minutes away, had a typical wait of about 1 month.
How busy is Derby Alvaston test centre?
It ran 8,086 car tests in the 12 months to March 2026. That's around the middle for Britain's test centres.
Can I move my test from Derby Alvaston 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 Nottingham Chilwell, about 18 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.