Listed in the official practical test centre dataset when last checked. Opening hours may change. Check the official office page before travelling.
Taunton follows the standard DVSA format for car driving tests. Practise observing traffic, managing speed, choosing a safe road position and driving independently on a range of roads.
The published address is Unit L2, Acres Hill Business Park, Off Venture Way, Taunton, TA2 8RX. Before you travel, check the map, your booking confirmation and any instructions on where to report. Check whether parking is available for candidates.
Local access, parking, and reception arrangements can change. Follow current signs and official appointment instructions when you arrive.
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.
Make moving off, stopping, steering, speed changes, and safe clearance feel routine enough that your attention stays on the road around you.
Vary the junctions and roundabouts you practise. Look early, judge gaps without pressure, and choose the correct lane before the decision becomes rushed.
Follow traffic signs or directions from a sat nav. If you miss a turn, keep driving safely and avoid sudden changes in direction.
Practise on suitable local roads, including residential streets, urban and rural roads, and roads with higher speed limits. Build the skills to adapt to unfamiliar routes.
Read a number plate from 20 metres away, or from 20.5 metres if the plate uses the older format. Before you drive, answer a ‘tell me’ question about vehicle safety.
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.
Follow a sat nav, traffic signs, or both for 20 to 35 minutes. A wrong turn is not a fault if you continue safely.
Complete one reversing exercise and answer a “show me” question while driving. You might also be asked for an emergency stop.
DVSA does not publish routes used in driving tests. If you take a wrong turn during independent driving, the examiner will help you get back on route. The turn itself does not count as a fault. Practise on a variety of local roads to build confidence in unfamiliar conditions.
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 car. If you bring your own, check that it meets the DVSA rules.
Recheck the appointment time, published address, route to the centre, and any instructions in your confirmation.
Allow extra time for travel and follow any arrival instructions 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.
In 2025/26, 4,915 of 8,259 car driving tests at Taunton resulted in a pass. The pass rate was 59.5%. The national average was 50.0%. Taunton ranked 55th out of 317 car test centres in Great Britain. The rate is 3.2 percentage points higher than the 56.3% recorded in 2024/25.
Among the 5 nearest driving test centres with published figures, Dorchester has the highest pass rate at 69.0% and Exeter the lowest at 46.8%. 3 of those 5 pass more candidates than Taunton.
Source: DVSA table DRT122A, financial years 2025/26 and 2024/25. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
DVSA reports a median wait of 11.9 weeks for a car driving test at Taunton, 3.5 weeks longer than a year earlier. 1,017 of 3,559 appointment slots in the current booking window are still open. Figures are for July 2026.
08/25 to 07/26 · Median wait in weeks
Monthly median waits ranged from 8.1 to 12.1 weeks. Each point shows the monthly median published by DVSA. Current appointment availability can vary.
The longest wait for a driving test at Taunton in this period was 12.1 weeks in June 2026, and the shortest was 8.1 weeks in December 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 12 August 2026.
This test centre provides these types of tests: car, motorcycle module 1 (off-road), motorcycle module 2 (on-road), ADI part 2, ADI part 3. Due to refurbishment works, from Thursday 26th February until Tuesday 5th May 2026, the building at Taunton Test Centre will be fully closed. The test centre will be operating from portacabins in the car park which will include a waiting room and toilet facilities. During this time, there will be limited space available in the car park. Customers should ensure they are only on site if they have a driving test booked and should arrive no more than 10 minutes before the start of the test time. This will help ensure all tests are run smoothly from start to finish. Testing at the building will resume from Tuesday 5th May 2026.
Published by Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Check the official listing before travelling.
Taunton does not run that test. The nearest theory test centre is a separate site of the same name, 1 mile away.
The closest is Yeovil, 19.2 miles from Taunton. The furthest is 34.4 miles away. None is within 10 miles, so Taunton is the only practical test centre in its immediate area.
Distances are measured directly between locations. Driving distances can vary.