Gateshead driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
Gateshead is one of Britain's 10 hardest driving test centres.
Quick answers
- Where is it? Waterside Drive, Dunston, NE11 9HU. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 38% overall (manual 39%, automatic 33%), compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 2½ months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? Harder than most. Only five of Britain's 276 bigger centres had a lower pass rate.
- What's nearby? Gosforth is the closest, 15 minutes away. Its pass rate is 48% and its typical wait about 5 months.
Waiting times
Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 2 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 | Gateshead | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1½ months | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 2 months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 4 months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 2 months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 1 month | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 1½ months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 1½ 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 four other centres within half an hour's drive. Of those, Sunderland has the shortest wait, about 2 months, and Hexham the highest pass rate, 53%.
| Test centre | Driving time | Pass rate | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| Gosforth 9 miles by road | 15 minutes | 48.4% | 50.7% | 44.3% | 5 months |
| Sunderland 12 miles by road | 17 minutes | 51.1% | 53.6% | 42.7% | 2 months |
| Hexham 22 miles by road | 28 minutes | 53.0% | 58.5% | 37.2% | 4 months |
| Blyth 20 miles by road | 28 minutes | 50.9% | 54.9% | 39.4% | 2½ months |
Driving times are without traffic.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Gateshead's pass rate was 38%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been below Britain's pass rate every year since 2008, the first year DVSA has figures for it.
The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 33%, compared with 39%. That gap is about the same as at most centres, but only five of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests had a lower automatic pass rate. 27% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.
Women had a higher pass rate than men here: 38%, compared with 37%. 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 | 9,512 | 37.5% | 39.3% | 32.7% | 271st of 276 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 8,109 | 37.4% | 39.4% | 31.0% | 271st of 275 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 8,482 | 40.9% | 42.3% | 35.6% | 248th of 277 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 5,632 | 41.6% | 43.1% | 34.0% | 241st of 271 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 3,262 | 44.1% | 45.1% | 37.7% | 227th 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 Gateshead.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Gateshead?
33% in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with Britain's automatic pass rate of 45%.
How can I get a test sooner at Gateshead?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.
How busy is Gateshead test centre?
It ran 9,512 car tests in the 12 months to March 2026. Only 73 of Britain's 311 test centres ran more.
Can I move my test from Gateshead 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 Gosforth, about 15 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.