Hamilton driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
Quick answers
- Where is it? 30 Selkirk Street, Hamilton, ML3 6RQ. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 42% overall (manual 44%, automatic 35%), compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 4½ months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? Harder than most. Only 24 of Britain's 276 bigger centres had a lower pass rate.
- What's nearby? East Kilbride is the closest, 16 minutes away. Its pass rate is 58% and its typical wait about 5½ months. Airdrie, 22 minutes away, has a shorter wait, about 1½ months, and a pass rate of 47%.
Waiting times
Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 3½ months, up from about 3 months in the 12 months before. Waits here have been rising, so yours could be longer.
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 1½ months.
| Year | Hamilton | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1½ months | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 3 months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 3 months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 2 months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 2 months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 1½ months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 3 months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 3½ 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 five other centres within half an hour's drive. Of those, Airdrie has the shortest wait, about 1½ months, and East Kilbride the highest pass rate, 58%.
| Test centre | Driving time | Pass rate | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| East Kilbride 7 miles by road | 16 minutes | 57.7% | 60.4% | 46.0% | 5½ months |
| Glasgow (Baillieston) 9 miles by road | 17 minutes | 47.4% | 49.9% | 40.9% | 4½ months |
| Airdrie 9 miles by road | 22 minutes | 47.4% | 48.1% | 44.6% | 1½ months |
| Bishopbriggs 20 miles by road | 27 minutes | 49.8% | 52.6% | 41.7% | 5 months |
| Glasgow (Shieldhall) 19 miles by road | 28 minutes | 39.9% | 40.9% | 37.2% | 4 months |
Driving times are without traffic.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Hamilton's pass rate was 42%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been below Britain's pass rate for the last four years.
The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 35%, compared with 44%. That gap is about the same as at most centres, but only 13 of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests had a lower automatic pass rate. 23% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.
Men and women had the same pass rate here, 42%. Across Great Britain, men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| 2025 to 2026 | 6,112 | 42.0% | 44.2% | 34.5% | 252nd of 276 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 5,608 | 39.5% | 40.1% | 36.9% | 262nd of 275 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 5,677 | 39.8% | 39.9% | 39.2% | 258th of 277 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 4,541 | 47.4% | 47.7% | 45.3% | 166th of 271 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 3,364 | 51.8% | 52.3% | 46.9% | 120th 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 Hamilton.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Hamilton?
35% in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with Britain's automatic pass rate of 45%.
How can I get a test sooner at Hamilton?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there. Or book a centre nearby: Airdrie, 22 minutes away, had a typical wait of about 1½ months.
How busy is Hamilton test centre?
It ran 6,112 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 Hamilton 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 East Kilbride, about 16 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.