Kelso driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
The wait at Kelso has grown. Over the last 12 months the typical wait averaged about 5 months, up from about 3 months in the 12 months before.
Quick answers
- Where is it? Lloyd Land Rover, Pinnaclehill Ind Est, Lee Forbes Way, Kelso, TD5 8WD. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 59% overall (manual 65%, automatic 46%), compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 5½ months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? Hard to say: it ran 434 tests in the 12 months to March 2026, just under the 500 a centre needs to be in our ranking.
- What's nearby? Haddington is the closest, 28 minutes away. Its pass rate is 58% and its typical wait about 5½ months.
Waiting times
The wait here has been longer than Britain's typical wait in seven of the last eight years.
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 2½ months.
| Year | Kelso | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2½ months | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 4 months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 4 months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 3 months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 3 months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 2½ months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 3½ months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 5 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 two other centres within half an hour's drive. Of those, Duns has the shortest wait, about 5 months, and the highest pass rate too, 70%.
| Test centre | Driving time | Pass rate | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| Haddington 20 miles by road | 28 minutes | 57.5% | 60.3% | 46.3% | 5½ months |
| Duns 19 miles by road | 30 minutes | 70.2% | - | - | 5 months |
Driving times are without traffic.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Kelso's pass rate was 59%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been above Britain's pass rate every year since DVSA's figures began in 2007.
The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 46%, compared with 65%. That gap is wider than at most centres. Its automatic pass rate is around the middle of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests. 28% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.
Women had a higher pass rate than men here: 60%, compared with 58%. Across Great Britain it was the other way round: men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| 2025 to 2026 | 434 | 59.2% | 64.5% | 45.5% | 50.0% |
| 2024 to 2025 | 381 | 57.0% | - | - | 48.7% |
| 2023 to 2024 | 381 | 65.6% | - | - | 47.9% |
| 2022 to 2023 | 247 | 74.5% | - | - | 48.3% |
| 2021 to 2022 | 244 | 70.1% | - | - | 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. If you're still looking for an instructor, see who teaches in Northumberland.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Kelso?
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 Kelso?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.
How busy is Kelso test centre?
It ran 434 car tests in the 12 months to March 2026. Only 36 of Britain's 311 test centres ran fewer.
Can I move my test from Kelso 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 Haddington, 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.