Bolton Driving Test Centre: Pass Rate & Routes
In 2025/26, DVSA examiners at Bolton (Manchester) conducted 11,570 car practical tests and 5,996 candidates passed: a 51.8% pass rate, +1.8 points against the Great Britain average of 50.0%. That ranks 137 of 287 centres with at least 300 tests, and 15 of 31 in North West.
Practise Bolton routes in the app
Driving Test Routes UK has compiled practice routes near Bolton, not official DVSA routes. Free to download. Full routes and turn-by-turn need Pro.
A practice route near Bolton
One of 12 practice route patterns around Bolton. Open the app for all 12 with spoken turn-by-turn.
This is an outline of the shape of one compiled practice route, with the start and finish marked and no streets shown. They are not official DVSA routes: examiners change routes for traffic and roadworks.
Waiting time at Bolton
In September 2026 the median wait between booking and taking a car test at Bolton (Manchester) was 12.4 weeks. Half of the people who tested there that month waited 12.4 weeks or less. DVSA counts the wait to the date the test was actually taken, so moved tests are included.
That is about the same as the middle centre, where the median wait was 12.4 weeks: 156 of the 315 centres in DVSA's table had a shorter median wait and 156 a longer one (our comparison of DVSA's figures; DVSA publishes no Great Britain row in this table). Over the 12 months to September 2026 this centre's monthly median ranged from 7.1 weeks (February 2026) to 16.2 weeks (July 2026), so one month is a guide, not a promise.
“Weeks to 10%+ availability” is how many weeks ahead you have to look before at least 10% of a week's test appointments are still free. Many people get an earlier date through cancellations, so it is not the same as the wait above. The 19.7-week figure is a simple average of 248 centres, worked out the way DVSA's notes describe for regional and national figures.
Source: DVSA, car driving test availability by driving test centre (DRT122F, data to September 2026, published 14 October 2026), Open Government Licence v3.0. Data since April 2025 is provisional and may be revised. DVSA-delivered car tests only.
Bolton pass rate in 2025/26
Pass rate trend at Bolton
From 2021/22 to 2025/26 the pass rate fell from 56.7% to 51.8% (-4.9 points). Test volumes changed too, from 9,627 to 11,570 tests a year.
| Year (Apr–Mar) | Tests | Passes | Bolton | GB average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 9,627 | 5,454 | 56.7% | 48.9% |
| 2022/23 | 10,831 | 6,339 | 58.5% | 48.4% |
| 2023/24 | 12,037 | 6,574 | 54.6% | 47.9% |
| 2024/25 | 11,879 | 6,730 | 56.7% | 48.7% |
| 2025/26 | 11,570 | 5,996 | 51.8% | 50.0% |
Month by month, 2025/26
The strongest month was July 2025 (55% from 1,143 tests) and the weakest was November 2025 (46%). Monthly rates move with small samples, so treat single months with caution.
Test centres near Bolton
Distances are straight-line from the centre location. Pass rates are DVSA figures for 2025/26.
What the test at Bolton involves
- About 40 minutes of driving, starting with an eyesight check and a “tell me” question.
- Around 20 minutes of independent driving, usually following a sat nav set by the examiner.
- One reversing manoeuvre: parallel park, bay park, or pull up on the right and reverse two car lengths.
- A “show me” question while you drive, and possibly an emergency stop.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the pass rate at Bolton driving test centre?
- DVSA figures for 2025/26 show 5,996 passes from 11,570 car practical tests at Bolton (Manchester), a pass rate of 51.8%, above the Great Britain average of 50.0% for the same year.
- How many people pass first time at Bolton?
- 3,060 of 5,792 first attempts passed in 2025/26 (52.8%). 215 learners passed their first test with zero driving faults.
- How long is the wait for a driving test at Bolton?
- DVSA figures for September 2026 show a median wait of 12.4 weeks between booking and taking a car test at Bolton (Manchester): half of the people who took their test there that month waited 12.4 weeks or less. 37.4% of tests were taken within 7 weeks of booking. This describes tests already taken, not today's booking page, so check the live booking service for current dates.
- How many practice routes are there for Bolton?
- Driving Test Routes UK has 12 compiled practice routes around Bolton, not official DVSA routes. Examiners change routes for traffic and roadworks. Free to download. Full routes and turn-by-turn need Pro.
Pass rates: DVSA, car driving test data by test centre (DRT122A/C/E, April 2025 to March 2026, published June 2026), Open Government Licence v3.0. Waiting times: DVSA, DRT122F (data to September 2026, published 14 October 2026), Open Government Licence v3.0. Practice routes are compiled by Driving Test Routes UK and are not official DVSA routes. Examiners vary routes for traffic and roadworks.