Fort William driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
Fort William's pass rate has been above Britain's pass rate every year since DVSA's figures began in 2007.
Quick answers
- Where is it? Lochaber College, An Aird, Fort William, PH33 6AN. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 66%, compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 3½ months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? Hard to say: it ran 374 tests in the 12 months to March 2026, just under the 500 a centre needs to be in our ranking.
- What's nearby? None within half an hour. The nearest is Mallaig, about 30 miles away in a straight line.
Waiting times
Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 4 months, about the same as in the 12 months before.
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 1½ months.
| Year | Fort William | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 month | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 3 months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 3½ months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 2½ months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 4 months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 4 months | 2½ months |
2019 starts in June and 2026 runs to September.
See how waits have changed across Britain in our report on driving test waiting times.
Other test centres nearby
No other test centre is within half an hour's drive of Fort William. The nearest is Mallaig, about 30 miles away in a straight line.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Fort William's pass rate was 66%, compared with 50% across Great Britain.
Men had a higher pass rate than women here: 66%, compared with 65%. That's a similar gap to Great Britain's, where men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 to 2026 | 374 | 65.5% | 50.0% |
| 2024 to 2025 | 308 | 62.0% | 48.7% |
| 2023 to 2024 | 382 | 56.5% | 47.9% |
| 2022 to 2023 | 441 | 55.3% | 48.3% |
| 2021 to 2022 | 362 | 58.8% | 48.9% |
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.
Frequently asked questions
How can I get a test sooner at Fort William?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.
How busy is Fort William test centre?
It ran 374 car tests in the 12 months to March 2026. Only 33 of Britain's 311 test centres ran fewer.
Can I move my test from Fort William 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 nearest other centre is Mallaig, about 30 miles away in a straight line.
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.