Skipton driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
Skipton's pass rate is the highest it has been since DVSA's figures began in 2007.
Quick answers
- Where is it? Foundry House Carleton Road, Skipton, BD23 2BE. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 57% overall (manual 58%, automatic 55%), compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 3 months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? Easier than most. Only 51 of Britain's 276 bigger centres had a higher pass rate.
- What's nearby? Steeton is the closest, 10 minutes away. Its pass rate is 53% and its typical wait about 3½ months.
Waiting times
Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 3 months, down from about 4 months in the 12 months before. Waits here have been falling, so yours could be shorter.
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 2 months.
| Year | Skipton | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2 months | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 2 months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 3½ months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 3 months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 4 months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 2½ months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 4 months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 2½ 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 three other centres within half an hour's drive. Of those, Bradford Heaton has the shortest wait, about 3 months, and the highest pass rate too, 56%.
| Test centre | Driving time | Pass rate | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| Steeton 6 miles by road | 10 minutes | 52.8% | 54.0% | 47.9% | 3½ months |
| Nelson 13 miles by road | 27 minutes | 51.7% | 52.3% | 49.4% | 4½ months |
| Bradford (Heaton) 16 miles by road | 28 minutes | 56.1% | 56.7% | 55.0% | 3 months |
Driving times are without traffic.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Skipton's pass rate was 57%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been above Britain's pass rate every year since 2007.
The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 55%, compared with 58%. That gap is narrower than at most centres. Only 14 of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests had a higher automatic pass rate. 10% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.
Men had a higher pass rate than women here: 60%, compared with 54%. That's a wider gap than across Great Britain, where men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| 2025 to 2026 | 3,197 | 57.3% | 57.5% | 55.1% | 52nd of 276 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 2,812 | 54.4% | 54.4% | 54.0% | 64th of 275 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 3,120 | 53.7% | 53.9% | 51.3% | 72nd of 277 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 2,700 | 53.0% | 52.9% | 53.3% | 79th of 271 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 3,059 | 54.7% | 54.7% | 53.3% | 81st 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 Skipton.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Skipton?
55% in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with Britain's automatic pass rate of 45%.
How can I get a test sooner at Skipton?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.
How busy is Skipton test centre?
It ran 3,197 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 Skipton 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 Steeton, about 10 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.