Practical driving test centre in Nelson

Nelson Driving Test Centre

Find the address, postcode and map. You can also compare official DVSA pass rates, numbers of tests and the full published history, including past practical-test waiting times.

Ground Floor Units 103,104, 105, Pendle Business Centre, Commercial Road, Nelson, BB9 9BT
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Your choice updates every result on this page that DVSA publishes for men and women. It does not estimate your personal chance of passing. Waiting-time and cancellation figures are not split this way.

At a glance

Nelson driving test pass rate and waiting time

Latest published practical driving test pass rate: 51.7% from 5,955 tests in 2025-26. Published median waiting time: 19.7 weeks in Jul 2026 (historical data, not live availability).

Overall pass rate
51.7%
2025-26 · 5,955 tests
Published median wait
19.7 weeks
Jul 2026 · historical, not live
First-attempt pass rate
52.1%
2025-26 · 2,957 first attempts
Automatic pass rate
49.4%
2025-26 · 1,115 automatic tests

These are group-level historical results. They do not predict an individual learner's result or prove that a centre is easier.

Nelson Test Centre map and location

Address and test-centre details

Nelson Test Centre
Ground Floor Units 103,104, 105, Pendle Business Centre, Commercial Road
Nelson
BB9 9BT
Location checked
24 August 2026
Statistics period
Practical: 2025-26
Data imported
13 August 2026

Browse all practical driving test centres in North West.

Nelson driving test information

Latest full year: 2025-26. DVSA centre name: Nelson.

Appointments

Booking and waiting times

Start here if you are deciding when to book. These figures are historical DVSA measures, not live appointment availability.

Published waiting-time and appointment-availability trend

The recorded median wait moved from 6.3 weeks in Aug 2024 to 19.7 weeks in Jul 2026. In Jul 2026, 4.1% of standard appointments in the booking window were still available.

The latest 24 published months, comparing median booking-to-test waiting time with the number of weeks until at least 10 percent of appointments were available. Exact values are in the table below.

Standard appointments still available

Percentage of standard test slots in the published booking window that had not been booked.

Monthly percentages for the same published months as the waiting-time chart. Exact values and appointment counts are in the table below.
View exact monthly values
Published booking-to-test waiting times and appointment availability for Nelson
MonthMedian waitWeeks to 10% availabilityStandard slots releasedBookedStill availableAvailable (%)Overtime slots
Jul 202619.7 weeks22.5 weeks2,5502,4461044.1%101
Jun 202618 weeks21.8 weeks2,6492,34330611.6%109
May 202612 weeks21.5 weeks2,6692,35331611.8%104
Apr 202614.4 weeks21.5 weeks2,6782,31736113.5%84
Mar 20269.1 weeks22 weeks2,5372,3112268.9%97
Feb 202619 weeks22.3 weeks2,5192,3261937.7%42
Jan 202616.9 weeks22 weeks2,5362,2942429.5%37
Dec 202514.7 weeks22.4 weeks2,4612,2322299.3%74
Nov 20257.6 weeks5.5 weeks2,4282,2801486.1%135
Oct 20255.2 weeks21.5 weeks2,1882,172160.7%118
Sept 202510.1 weeks16.4 weeks1,9301,840904.7%104
Aug 20256.1 weeks24 weeks1,7371,640975.6%63
Jul 20254.7 weeks24 weeks1,5891,497925.8%91
Jun 202518.9 weeks24 weeks1,4671,371966.5%75
May 202518.1 weeks24 weeks1,3511,2451067.8%20
Apr 202516.9 weeks24 weeks1,4201,350704.9%7
Mar 202514.7 weeks24 weeks1,5861,511754.7%7
Feb 202512.7 weeks22.8 weeks1,9711,898733.7%0
Jan 20259.9 weeks19.3 weeks2,2281,97625211.3%0
Dec 20249.9 weeks17.2 weeks2,4651,84462125.2%0
Nov 202414.6 weeks19.3 weeks2,5181,88063825.3%14
Oct 202413.7 weeks23.8 weeks1,5991,548513.2%6
Sept 20243.9 weeks19.8 weeks1,8611,7221397.5%4
Aug 20246.3 weeks12 weeks1,9761,66930715.5%16
Hover over or focus any point or bar for its exact value. Official DVSA DRT122F historical data. Both lines use weeks on the same scale. These figures are not live appointment availability and do not guarantee when a new booking can be made.

Results

How learners performed

These figures describe groups of tests in published DVSA tables. They do not estimate your personal chance of passing or prove that a centre is easier.

Overall pass rate
51.7%
Tests conducted
5,955
Results shown
All candidates

First attempts

52.1%

1,542 of 2,957 first attempts passed. 78 passes had no recorded driving faults.

Financial year 2025-26 · DVSA DRT122C

Automatic cars

49.4%

551 of 1,115 practical tests taken in automatic cars passed.

Financial year 2025-26 · DVSA DRT122E

How this pass rate compares

Overall practical driving pass rate

Official DVSA result for 2025-26

51.7%
Great Britain rank

167th of 312

Centres with a published 2025-26 rate.

North West rank

17th of 32

The regional comparison rate is 49%.

Compared with Great Britain

1.7 points above

The Great Britain comparison rate is 50%.

Nearby centre with a higher published rate

Skipton

11.2 miles away · 57.3% from 3,197 tests

View centre →

A higher past rate does not mean this centre is easier or has appointments available now.

Published history

Historical charts and detailed tables

These charts show the historical results and breakdowns DVSA has published for this centre. Open any table to see the exact published values.

Loading full history...

Official test-day guidance

Prepare for test day at Nelson

This checklist summarises current GOV.UK guidance for practical car tests. Your booking confirmation remains the source for your appointment time and any centre-specific instructions.

What to take
  • Your UK driving licence.
  • Your theory pass certificate if you have it.
  • A suitable car, usually your instructor's car.

Check the complete GOV.UK list

What happens
  • An eyesight check and two vehicle-safety questions.
  • General and independent driving in varied conditions, but not on motorways.
  • One reversing exercise and possibly an emergency stop.
  • A standard test includes around 35 minutes of driving.

Read how the test works

Using your own car

The car must meet DVSA safety, visibility, tax, MOT, insurance and equipment rules. A test can be cancelled without a refund if the car is unsuitable.

Check every vehicle requirement

Official links checked 14 August 2026. GOV.UK should be followed if this summary and current official guidance ever differ.

Roads near the test centre

What the roads are like around Nelson

This section shows main roads, roundabouts and traffic lights mapped within 2.2 miles of the test centre. You can use it to get familiar with the area before your test.

These are not DVSA test routes. We do not know which roads an examiner will use.

Skills to practise for these road environments

These suggestions are derived from mapped nearby features, not from examiner-route information.

Faster-road planning

Build confidence reading signs early, selecting a lane, joining safely and leaving a longer following distance as speeds rise.

Why this is included: Mapped nearby examples include M65, Barrowford Locks Bridge (M65).

Roundabout observations

Practise reducing speed in time, reading lane markings, checking mirrors and making a fresh safety decision at each approach.

Why this is included: OpenStreetMap labels nearby roundabouts including Reedyford Interchange, A682, Barrowford Road, and maps 21 mini-roundabout points.

Signal-controlled junctions

Practise scanning for lane arrows and stop lines, planning for changing lights, and checking that a junction is clear before proceeding.

Why this is included: OpenStreetMap contains 50 traffic-signal map points within the mapped radius.

Lower-speed road awareness

Practise meeting traffic safely, allowing for parked vehicles, and looking early for pedestrians, cyclists and side-road hazards.

Why this is included: Mapped lower-speed or local-road examples include Broadway (A682), Holme Street, Scotland Road (A682).

Changing speed environments

Practise spotting speed-limit changes promptly and choosing an appropriate speed for the road and conditions rather than driving at the limit automatically.

Why this is included: The selected nearby roads carry mapped limits ranging from 30 mph to 70 mph.

Main roads nearby

  • M65Motorway · about 929 metres from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 70 mph
  • Barrowford Locks Bridge (M65)Motorway · about 1.4 miles from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 70 mph
  • Broadway (A682)Major road · about 218 metres from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 30 mph
  • Holme StreetMajor road · about 218 metres from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 30 mph
  • Scotland Road (A682)Major road · about 329 metres from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 30 mph
  • Manchester Road (A682)Major road · about 423 metres from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 30 mph
  • Scotland Road Bridge (A682)Major road · about 861 metres from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 30 mph
  • Reedyford Interchange (A682)Major road · about 983 metres from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 30 mph
  • A682Major road · about 1,320 metres from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 30 mph
  • Gisburn Road (A682)Major road · about 1,344 metres from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 30 mph
  • Colne Road (A682)Major road · about 1.1 miles from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 30 mph
  • Burnley Road (A682)Major road · about 1.2 miles from the test centreMapped maximum speed: 30 mph

Map data downloaded and automatically checked on 22 August 2026. OpenStreetMap can be incomplete or out of date. Distances are straight-line estimates, not driving distances. © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence. The numbers count OpenStreetMap map entries, not physical junctions.

Compare alternatives

Test centres near Nelson

Distances are straight-line centre-to-centre estimates, not driving distances. Rates and waits cover the displayed published period and do not show that one centre is easier.

Overall latest pass rate (2025-26)

Nelson (this centre)SkiptonSteetonBlackburn with DarwenHalifaxRochdale (Manchester)Bury (Manchester)

Published median wait (Jul 2026)

Nelson (this centre)SkiptonSteetonBlackburn with DarwenHalifaxRochdale (Manchester)Bury (Manchester)

The charts only include centres with figures from the same period as Nelson. Hover over or focus a point for its exact value. Exact figures, test volumes and distances are shown below.

Skipton Test Centre

Skipton, BD23 2BE

About 11.2 miles straight-line · practical tests

Overall result
57.3%
2025-26 · 3,197 tests
Median wait
11 weeks
Jul 2026 · historical
First attempt
55.5%
Automatic
55.1%
View Skipton

Steeton Test Centre

Keighley, BD20 6RW

About 11.5 miles straight-line · practical tests

Overall result
52.8%
2025-26 · 4,784 tests
Median wait
11 weeks
Jul 2026 · historical
First attempt
52.6%
Automatic
47.9%
View Steeton

Halifax Test Centre

Halifax, HX2 0HA

About 14.9 miles straight-line · practical tests

Overall result
45%
2025-26 · 5,845 tests
Median wait
11.1 weeks
Jul 2026 · historical
First attempt
42.9%
Automatic
41.6%
View Halifax

Questions about Nelson Test Centre

Where is Nelson Test Centre?
Nelson Test Centre is at Ground Floor Units 103,104, 105, Pendle Business Centre, Commercial Road, Nelson, BB9 9BT. The map on this page shows its published location.
What is the pass rate at Nelson Test Centre?
Practical: 51.7% for 2025-26. Pass rates are historical DVSA statistics and do not predict an individual learner's result.
Does Nelson Test Centre's pass rate mean it is easier or harder?
No. A pass rate shows what happened to a group of learners in the past. Preparation, experience, traffic and local conditions can all affect the result. It does not prove that a centre, route or examiner is easier.
Which tests are available at Nelson Test Centre?
This location is listed for practical driving tests. Use the official booking link on this page to check current appointment availability.
What is the driving test waiting time at Nelson?
DVSA's published median booking-to-test wait was 19.7 weeks for July 2026. This is historical data, not a live appointment estimate.
What is the first-attempt pass rate at Nelson?
The published first-attempt pass rate was 52.1% from 2,957 first attempts in 2025-26. It describes a group of past tests and does not predict an individual's result.
What is the automatic-car pass rate at Nelson?
The published automatic-car pass rate was 49.4% from 1,115 tests in 2025-26. It does not show that automatic or manual tests are easier.
Are the roads listed near Nelson official driving test routes?
No. They are nearby roads and map features from OpenStreetMap. They are not official DVSA test routes, and we do not know which roads an examiner will use.