Orkney Driving Test Centre: Pass Rate & Routes
In 2025/26, DVSA examiners at Orkney conducted 320 car practical tests and 179 candidates passed: a 55.9% pass rate, +5.9 points against the Great Britain average of 50.0%. That ranks 74 of 287 centres with at least 300 tests, and 20 of 47 in Scotland.
Practise Orkney routes in the app
Driving Test Routes UK has compiled practice routes near Orkney, not official DVSA routes. Free to download. Full routes and turn-by-turn need Pro.
A practice route near Orkney
One of 10 practice route patterns around Orkney. Open the app for all 10 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 Orkney
In September 2026 the median wait between booking and taking a car test at Orkney was 11 weeks. Half of the people who tested there that month waited 11 weeks or less. DVSA counts the wait to the date the test was actually taken, so moved tests are included.
That is shorter than the middle centre, where the median wait was 12.4 weeks: 129 of the 315 centres in DVSA's table had a shorter median wait and 185 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 3.3 weeks (January 2026) to 19.4 weeks (March 2026), so one month is a guide, not a promise.
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.
Orkney pass rate in 2025/26
Pass rate trend at Orkney
From 2021/22 to 2025/26 the pass rate fell from 67.6% to 55.9% (-11.7 points). Test volumes changed too, from 333 to 320 tests a year.
| Year (Apr–Mar) | Tests | Passes | Orkney | GB average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 333 | 225 | 67.6% | 48.9% |
| 2022/23 | 302 | 184 | 60.9% | 48.4% |
| 2023/24 | 373 | 226 | 60.6% | 47.9% |
| 2024/25 | 350 | 231 | 66% | 48.7% |
| 2025/26 | 320 | 179 | 55.9% | 50.0% |
Test centres near Orkney
Distances are straight-line from the centre location. Pass rates are DVSA figures for 2025/26.
What the test at Orkney 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 Orkney driving test centre?
- DVSA figures for 2025/26 show 179 passes from 320 car practical tests at Orkney, a pass rate of 55.9%, above the Great Britain average of 50.0% for the same year.
- How many people pass first time at Orkney?
- 101 of 197 first attempts passed in 2025/26 (51.3%). 4 learners passed their first test with zero driving faults.
- How long is the wait for a driving test at Orkney?
- DVSA figures for September 2026 show a median wait of 11 weeks between booking and taking a car test at Orkney: half of the people who took their test there that month waited 11 weeks or less. 32.1% 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 Orkney?
- Driving Test Routes UK has 10 compiled practice routes around Orkney, 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.