Stoke-on-Trent Newcastle-Under-Lyme driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
Quick answers
- Where is it? Lyme Drive, Parklands, Clayton Lane, Trent Vale, ST4 6PQ. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 42% overall (manual 44%, automatic 36%), 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 22 of Britain's 276 bigger centres had a lower pass rate.
- What's nearby? Stoke-On-Trent Cobridge is the closest, 13 minutes away. Its pass rate is 41% and its typical wait about 3 months. Crewe, 25 minutes away, has a shorter wait, about 3 months, and a pass rate of 44%.
Waiting times
Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 4 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 2 months.
| Year | Stoke-on-Trent Newcastle-Under-Lyme | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2 months | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 3½ months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 3½ months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 2½ months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 4 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 three other centres within half an hour's drive. Of those, Crewe has the shortest wait, about 3 months, and Stafford the highest pass rate, 46%.
| Test centre | Driving time | Pass rate | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| Stoke-On-Trent (Cobridge) 4 miles by road | 13 minutes | 40.6% | 43.1% | 35.2% | 3 months |
| Stafford 15 miles by road | 21 minutes | 45.8% | 49.3% | 33.8% | 3½ months |
| Crewe 16 miles by road | 25 minutes | 43.8% | 45.4% | 37.8% | 3 months |
Driving times are without traffic.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Stoke-on-Trent Newcastle-Under-Lyme's pass rate was 42%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been below Britain's pass rate for the last ten years. It wasn't always that way: in the 12 months to March 2014, the first year DVSA has figures for it, it was 47%, above Britain's pass rate of 47%.
The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 36%, compared with 44%. That gap is about the same as at most centres, but only 21 of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests had a lower automatic pass rate. 29% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.
Men had a higher pass rate than women here: 43%, compared with 40%. 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 | 6,646 | 41.6% | 44.2% | 35.5% | 254th of 276 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 7,098 | 40.7% | 42.1% | 36.6% | 253rd of 275 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 6,999 | 42.2% | 43.8% | 36.3% | 238th of 277 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 4,864 | 44.7% | 45.4% | 41.3% | 203rd of 271 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 6,320 | 45.4% | 46.4% | 39.2% | 217th 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 Stoke-on-Trent.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Stoke-on-Trent Newcastle-Under-Lyme?
36% in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with Britain's automatic pass rate of 45%.
How can I get a test sooner at Stoke-on-Trent Newcastle-Under-Lyme?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there. Or book a centre nearby: Crewe, 25 minutes away, had a typical wait of about 3 months.
How busy is Stoke-on-Trent Newcastle-Under-Lyme test centre?
It ran 6,646 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 Stoke-on-Trent Newcastle-Under-Lyme 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 Stoke-On-Trent Cobridge, about 13 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.