Rhyl driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
Rhyl's pass rate is the highest it has been since DVSA's figures began in 2007.
Quick answers
- Where is it? Victoria Road, Rhyl, LL18 2EL. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 57% overall (manual 59%, automatic 51%), compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 2 months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? Easier than most. Only 54 of Britain's 276 bigger centres had a higher pass rate.
- What's nearby? None within half an hour. The nearest is Chester, about a 39 minute drive away.
Waiting times
Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 1½ months, down from about 2½ months in the 12 months before.
The wait here has been longer than Britain's typical wait in six of the last eight years.
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 2 months.
| Year | Rhyl | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2 months | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 3 months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 4½ months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 3 months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 3 months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 2½ 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
No other test centre is within half an hour's drive of Rhyl. The nearest is Chester, about a 39 minute drive away. Its pass rate is 47% and its typical wait about 1½ months.
| Test centre | Driving time | Pass rate | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| Chester 30 miles by road | 39 minutes | 47.3% | 49.4% | 40.1% | 1½ months |
Driving times are without traffic.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Rhyl's pass rate was 57%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been above Britain's pass rate for the last seven years. It wasn't always that way: when DVSA's figures began, in the 12 months to March 2008, it was 35%, below Britain's pass rate of 44%.
The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 51%, compared with 59%. That gap is about the same as at most centres, but only 49 of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests had a higher automatic pass rate. 21% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.
Men had a higher pass rate than women here: 58%, compared with 56%. That's a similar gap to Great Britain's, where men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| 2025 to 2026 | 4,011 | 56.9% | 58.7% | 50.5% | 55th of 276 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 3,232 | 55.9% | 57.0% | 51.0% | 52nd of 275 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 4,343 | 50.4% | 51.6% | 43.5% | 118th of 277 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 3,423 | 55.0% | 55.6% | 50.8% | 62nd of 271 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 3,456 | 52.5% | 53.5% | 40.8% | 112th 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 Rhyl.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Rhyl?
51% in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with Britain's automatic pass rate of 45%.
How can I get a test sooner at Rhyl?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.
How busy is Rhyl test centre?
It ran 4,011 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 Rhyl 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 Chester, about a 39 minute drive away.
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.