# Bala Practical Driving Test Centre > Source: https://drivings.com/test-centres/bala-practical-test-centre > Bala Practical Driving Test Centre in Bala, Wales has a 61.6% car test pass rate in 2025/26 and a median wait of 12.1 weeks for a driving test, according to the latest DVSA figures. > Region: United Kingdom (en-GB) > Last updated: 2026-07-13 ## Pass rate DVSA recorded 607 car driving tests at Bala in 2025/26, of which 374 passed — a 61.6% pass rate, 11.6 points above the 50.0% national average. That is 44th of 317 car test centres in Great Britain. The rate is 0.1 points higher than the 61.5% recorded in 2024/25. | Measure | Value | | --- | --- | | Pass rate | 61.6% | | National average | 50.0% | | Difference vs national | +11.6 points | | Rank among GB car test centres | 44th of 317 | | Car tests conducted | 607 | | Car tests passed | 374 | | Pass rate in 2024/25 | 61.5% | Among the 5 nearest driving test centres with published figures, Bangor has the highest pass rate at 62.2% and Wrexham the lowest at 51.9%. 1 of those 5 pass more candidates than Bala. Source: DVSA table DRT122A, financial year 2025/26 and 2024/25, published at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/driving-test-and-theory-test-data-cars. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. ## Waiting time and appointment availability DVSA reports a median wait of 12.1 weeks for a car driving test at Bala, 5.5 weeks shorter than a year earlier. 123 of 367 appointment slots in the current booking window are still open. Figures are for June 2026. | Measure | Value | | --- | --- | | Median wait | 12.1 weeks | | Change vs a year earlier | -5.5 weeks | | Weeks until 10% of slots are free | 5.8 | | Slots still open | 123 (33.5% of capacity) | | Slots booked | 244 | | Booking-window capacity | 367 | "Weeks until 10% of slots are free" is not the wait for a test: it measures the distance from the June 2026 snapshot to the first week in which at least 10% of standard slots remain open. The wait at Bala is the median of 12.1 weeks above. Neither figure rules out an earlier cancellation or newly released capacity. ### Median wait over the last 12 months | Month | Median wait (weeks) | | --- | --- | | July 2025 | 16.3 | | August 2025 | 17.4 | | September 2025 | 17 | | October 2025 | 20.1 | | November 2025 | 19.4 | | December 2025 | 17.7 | | January 2026 | 17.2 | | February 2026 | 17.4 | | March 2026 | 16.9 | | April 2026 | 17.9 | | May 2026 | 16.7 | | June 2026 | 12.1 | The longest wait for a driving test at Bala in this period was 20.1 weeks in October 2025, and the shortest was 12.1 weeks in June 2026. DVSA measures this as the median wait across appointments booked at the test centre, so it moves as examiner capacity and demand change. Source: DVSA table DRT122F, published 2026-07-08 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a4bba63045e1108aaa5ec22/drt122f-car-driving-test-availability-by-driving-test-centre.ods). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. ## Location and contact - **Address:** Unit 4, Penllyn Workshops, Bala, LL23 7SP - **Coordinates:** 52.908905, -3.600095 - **Run by:** Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) - **Official listing:** https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/driver-and-vehicle-standards-agency - **Status:** Listed as active - **Information last checked:** 13 July 2026 - **Access:** You can access this test centre if you use a wheelchair. Listed in the official practical test-centre dataset at the snapshot time. This directory status is not real-time opening-hours confirmation. Check the official office page for same-day changes before travelling. ## Tests available - **Practical test:** available here. Test types: car. ## Bala driving test centre guide Bala follows the standard DVSA car-test format. Build reliable observation, speed, positioning, and independent-driving habits across a varied road mix instead of trying to predict the route. ### Plan the arrival before test day The published address is Unit 4, Penllyn Workshops, Bala, LL23 7SP. Check the map, your booking confirmation, and any reporting instructions before you travel; this listing does not assume that candidate parking is available. Local access, parking, and reception arrangements can change. Follow current signs and official appointment instructions when you arrive. ### Useful skills and road types to practise Treat these as preparation themes, not published test routes. Change the direction, timing, and traffic conditions with your instructor so you practise reading the road. #### Vehicle control Make moving off, stopping, steering, speed changes, and safe clearance feel routine enough that your attention stays on the road around you. #### Junction observations Vary the junctions and roundabouts you practise. Look early, judge gaps without pressure, and choose the correct lane before the decision becomes rushed. #### Independent decisions Follow signs or sat-nav directions while continuing safely. If you miss a turn, respond to the road in front of you instead of making a sudden correction. #### A complete road mix Practise residential, urban, rural, and higher-speed roads that are appropriate locally. The aim is adaptable driving, not predicting a route. ### What happens on the day 1. **Eyesight and safety question.** Read a number plate from 20 metres away (or 20.5 metres for an old-style plate), then answer a “tell me” vehicle-safety question before driving. 2. **Around 35 minutes of driving.** GOV.UK says the driving portion lasts around 35 minutes. You drive in varied road and traffic conditions while the examiner assesses observation, control, and safe decisions. 3. **Independent driving.** Follow a sat nav, traffic signs, or both for 20 to 35 minutes. A wrong turn is not a fault if you continue safely. 4. **Reversing and vehicle safety.** Complete one reversing exercise and answer a “show me” question while driving. You might also be asked for an emergency stop. > **Routes change. Good decisions travel.** DVSA does not publish real driving-test routes. If you take a wrong turn during independent driving, the examiner helps you get back on route; the turn itself is not marked as a fault. Use local practice to build adaptable habits, not to learn a script. ### Test-day checklist - Bring your physical UK driving licence and your theory test pass certificate if you have it. - Use a suitable car—most learners use their instructor’s—and check the DVSA rules if you bring your own. - Recheck the appointment time, published address, route to the centre, and any instructions in your confirmation. - Allow for normal travel disruption while following any centre-specific arrival time in your booking confirmation. ### Test-day questions #### Does DVSA publish the Bala driving test routes? No. DVSA does not publish routes used for real driving tests at Bala or any other test centre. Practise a varied mix of suitable roads and junctions rather than memorising an unofficial route. #### How long does the car driving test at Bala take? GOV.UK says you drive for around 35 minutes. The test also includes an eyesight check, two vehicle-safety questions, independent driving, and one reversing exercise. #### What should I bring to my Bala driving test? Bring your UK driving licence, your theory test pass certificate if you have it, and a suitable car. If you use your own car, it must meet the DVSA rules for driving tests. Official preparation guidance: [what happens during the car test](https://www.gov.uk/driving-test/what-happens-during-test), [what to take to a car test](https://www.gov.uk/driving-test/what-to-take), [book or manage a practical test](https://www.gov.uk/book-driving-test), [driving-test faults and results](https://www.gov.uk/driving-test/driving-test-faults-result). Recheck the official requirements before the appointment. ## Where you take the theory test Bala does not run the theory test. The nearest centre that does is [Bala Theory Test Centre](https://drivings.com/test-centres/bala-theory-test-centre.md), 0.3 miles away. ## Nearest alternative centres If this centre is fully booked, these are the closest locations offering the same test. - [Oswestry](https://drivings.com/test-centres/oswestry-practical-test-centre.md) — 23.7 miles away — 52.4% pass rate, 7.4-week median wait - [Wrexham](https://drivings.com/test-centres/wrexham-practical-test-centre.md) — 26.2 miles away — 51.9% pass rate, 5.6-week median wait - [Wrexham LGV](https://drivings.com/test-centres/wrexham-lgv-practical-test-centre.md) — 27.8 miles away - [Rhyl](https://drivings.com/test-centres/rhyl-practical-test-centre.md) — 28.4 miles away — 56.9% pass rate, 5-week median wait - [Newtown](https://drivings.com/test-centres/newtown-practical-test-centre.md) — 29.8 miles away — 58% pass rate, 10-week median wait - [Bangor](https://drivings.com/test-centres/bangor-practical-test-centre.md) — 30.1 miles away — 62.2% pass rate, 12.9-week median wait Distances are straight-line from each centre's published coordinates. ## Sources and verification Identity, address and service availability for this centre come from: - [Official practical test-centre listing for Bala](https://places-manager.publishing.service.gov.uk/places/driving-test-centres.json) — GOV.UK Places, dataset version 220, retrieved 2026-07-13, source updated 2026-07-06 - [Complete official theory test-centre catalogue checked for exact-address absence](https://places-manager.publishing.service.gov.uk/places/theory-test-centres.json) — GOV.UK Places, dataset version 259, retrieved 2026-07-13 The official source was last checked on the date shown above, so the centre's status may have changed since then. 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