What is the pass rate at Carlisle?

DVSA figures show 58.7% of car driving tests taken at Carlisle were passed — 2,065 passes from 3,518 tests. That is 8.7 percentage points above the 50.0% national average, ranking it 65th of 317 car test centres in Great Britain, and 3.8 points higher than 54.9% in 2024/25.

How long is the wait for a driving test at Carlisle?

DVSA reports a median wait of 8.6 weeks, compared with 14.6 weeks a year earlier. 59 of 1,063 appointment slots in the current booking window remain open.

Does DVSA publish the Carlisle driving test routes?

No. DVSA does not publish routes used for real driving tests at Carlisle 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 Carlisle 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 Carlisle 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.

What tests can I take at Carlisle?

You can take practical driving tests at Carlisle.

Carlisle is run by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). DVSA publishes the pass-rate and waiting-time figures shown on this page.

Which other practical test centres are near Carlisle?

The closest are Carlisle LGV (1.8 miles), Dumfries LGV (28.1 miles), Dumfries (28.2 miles). 1 of the 6 nearest is within 25 miles.

How do I get into Carlisle?

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency publishes this note for Carlisle: You can access this test centre if you use a wheelchair.

Carlisle Practical Driving Test Centre

Listed as active

Information checked 13 July 2026

Centre details

Address: Port Road Business Park, Port Road, Carlisle, CA2 7AF
Run by: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)
Official website: View official office page

Before you travel

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

You can take your practical test at this location.

Test types: car, motorcycle module 1 (off-road), motorcycle module 2 (on-road)

Practical test · Official requirements

Carlisle driving test centre guide

Carlisle 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.

Before test day

Plan the arrival before test day

The published address is Port Road Business Park, Port Road, Carlisle, CA2 7AF. 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

01
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.
02
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.
03
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.
04
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.

Official guidance: what happens during the car test, what to take to a car test, book or manage a practical test and driving-test faults and results. Always recheck the official requirements before the appointment.

Pass rate at this centre

DVSA recorded 3,518 car driving tests at Carlisle in 2025/26, of which 2,065 passed — a 58.7% pass rate, 8.7 points above the 50.0% national average. That is 65th of 317 car test centres in Great Britain. The rate is 3.8 points higher than the 54.9% recorded in 2024/25.

Pass rate

58.7%

+8.7vs national

Tests conducted

3,518

Tests passed

2,065

National rank

65th

of 317

Among the 4 nearest driving test centres with published figures, Hawick has the highest pass rate at 64.3% and Hexham the lowest at 53.0%. 2 of those 4 pass more candidates than Carlisle.

Source: DVSA table DRT122A, financial year 2025/26 and 2024/25. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Waiting time and appointment availability

DVSA reports a median wait of 8.6 weeks for a car driving test at Carlisle, 6 weeks shorter than a year earlier. 59 of 1,063 appointment slots in the current booking window are still open. Figures are for June 2026.

Median wait

8.6 wks

-6 wksvs last year

Slots still open

5.6% of capacity

Booked slots

1,004

First availability

24 wks

until 10% free

12-month waiting-time trend

July 2025 to June 2026

Median wait in weeks

Latest: 8.6 wks
Peak: 15.3 wks
Lowest: 6.3 wks

Ranged from 6.3 to 15.3 weeks over the period. Each point is the DVSA-published monthly median, not a live appointment quote.

The longest wait for a driving test at Carlisle in this period was 15.3 weeks in July 2025, and the shortest was 6.3 weeks in November 2025. 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.

Accessibility and arrival information

Before you arrive

You can access this test centre if you use a wheelchair.

Where you take the theory test

Carlisle does not run that test. The nearest theory test centre is a separate site of the same name, 0.6 miles away.

Carlisle

0.6 miles away

Other theory test centres nearby

Nearest alternative practical test centres

The closest is Carlisle LGV, 1.8 miles from Carlisle; the furthest listed here is 38 miles. 1 of the 6 is within 10 miles.

Distances are straight-line from each centre’s published coordinates.

Common questions about this centre

What is the pass rate at Carlisle?: DVSA figures show 58.7% of car driving tests taken at Carlisle were passed — 2,065 passes from 3,518 tests. That is 8.7 percentage points above the 50.0% national average, ranking it 65th of 317 car test centres in Great Britain, and 3.8 points higher than 54.9% in 2024/25.
How long is the wait for a driving test at Carlisle?: DVSA reports a median wait of 8.6 weeks, compared with 14.6 weeks a year earlier. 59 of 1,063 appointment slots in the current booking window remain open.
Does DVSA publish the Carlisle driving test routes?: No. DVSA does not publish routes used for real driving tests at Carlisle 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 Carlisle 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 Carlisle 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.
What tests can I take at Carlisle?: You can take practical driving tests at Carlisle.
Who runs Carlisle?: Carlisle is run by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). DVSA publishes the pass-rate and waiting-time figures shown on this page.
Where do I take the theory test if I use Carlisle?: Carlisle does not run the theory test. The nearest theory test centre is a separate site of the same name, 0.6 miles away.
Which other practical test centres are near Carlisle?: The closest are Carlisle LGV (1.8 miles), Dumfries LGV (28.1 miles), Dumfries (28.2 miles). 1 of the 6 nearest is within 25 miles.
How do I get into Carlisle?: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency publishes this note for Carlisle: You can access this test centre if you use a wheelchair.