About Carlisle
Carlisle is a DVSA driving test centre serving Carlisle and the surrounding Cumbria area. The centre address is Port Road Business Park, Port Road, Carlisle, CA2 7AF. In 2025/26 it recorded a car practical test pass rate of 59%, against a national average of 50.0%. The figures on this page are drawn from the official DVSA driving test statistics (gov.uk).
Is Carlisle an easy or hard test centre?
At 59%, Carlisle’s pass rate is above the national average. That puts it in the top quarter of all 293 DVSA car test centres by pass rate – a slightly easier-than-average test centre. A lower pass rate does not mean the test itself is different; it usually reflects the local road network and traffic conditions examiners route candidates through. Intensive, structured tuition matched to those specific local roads and junctions is the single biggest lever a learner has over their own result here.
Carlisle in numbers
The Carlisle driving test centre pass rate is 59% for 2025/26, the 46th highest of the 293 UK test centres tracked by GetMyPass – 9 points above the national average of 50%. Within Cumbria, that gives learners a clear benchmark: 59 of every 100 candidates who tested here in 2025/26 came away with a pass.
Its closest comparators tell the local story – Barrow in Furness on 63%, Kendal (Oxenholme Road) on 67% and Workington on 49% – leaving Carlisle mid-pack among its neighbours. The percentile picture matches: the centre sits in the top quarter of the national table. Numbers set expectations, but they do not sit the test for you; route-specific practice around Carlisle remains the strongest lever any candidate controls.
Waiting times are the other number to plan around at Carlisle: DVSA figures for May 2026 put the national median wait for a car practical test at 9.7 weeks, with the 10% availability measure at 21.8 weeks (GOV.UK, published 18 June 2026) – a Great Britain benchmark rather than a figure specific to this centre, as local availability moves week by week. GetMyPass advises learners using Carlisle to get test-ready first and then search GOV.UK’s free change-your-test service for earlier dates, because a cancellation slot is only useful to a candidate prepared to pass on it.
Nearby test centres compared
The table below sets Carlisle against its closest DVSA neighbours using the 2025/26 figures.
| Test centre | Pass rate 2025/26 | vs national average (50%) |
|---|---|---|
| Carlisle (this centre) | 59% | +9 pts |
| Barrow in Furness | 63% | +13 pts |
| Kendal (Oxenholme Road) | 67% | +17 pts |
| Workington | 49% | -1 pts |
Test routes around Carlisle
Carlisle routes leave Port Road onto the A595 western bypass before tackling Hardwicke Circus, the city-centre roundabout where the A7 and Castle Way converge, plus the tight urban grid of Stanwix and 60 mph inner-ring dual carriageway. A key local feature examiners often route candidates past is Hardwicke Circus (A7/Castle Way): A multi-exit city-centre roundabout where the A7 intersects the Castle Way dual carriageway, demanding precise lane selection, early signalling and confident emerging from a blind approach.
Booking your test at Carlisle in 2026
Practical driving tests at Carlisle are booked directly with the DVSA at gov.uk – test booking is self-book only, and since 12 May 2026 third-party scanning or slot-finding apps are banned under DVSA rules. Once booked, you can change your test date up to 2 times, and you need to give at least 10 working days’ notice to do so. Test fees are set by the DVSA at £62 on weekdays or £75 for an evening, weekend or bank holiday slot, and are paid by the learner, not GetMyPass. What GetMyPass does is get you test-ready fast and help you watch for genuine early availability – we never book or arrange your test for you, and the DVSA examiner alone decides who passes – we simply help you maximise your chances.
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FAQs
What is the pass rate at Carlisle?
Every year GetMyPass reviews the DVSA’s centre-by-centre statistics, and the latest figure for Carlisle is a 59% pass rate for car practical tests in 2025/26. The national average is 50%, so Carlisle ranks #46 out of 293 centres – a slightly easier-than-average test centre. Remember the test itself is identical everywhere in Britain; the variation comes from the local roads examiners route candidates through, not from stricter marking. A rate like this is useful context when you plan your training, but it is not a ceiling or a floor on your own performance on the day. Focused practice on the routes around Carlisle counts for far more, which is what a GetMyPass course is built to deliver.
How do I book a driving test at Carlisle?
With GetMyPass you stay in full control of the booking: the DVSA requires every learner to book their own test at gov.uk, and third-party scanning or slot-finding apps have been banned since 12 May 2026. Pick Carlisle as your preferred centre during the application. After booking you may change the date up to 2 times, giving no less than 10 working days’ notice on each occasion. The fee – £62 for a weekday slot, £75 for evenings, weekends and bank holidays – goes straight to the DVSA, never through us. Our role starts once the date is in the diary: a GetMyPass instructor builds your course backwards from test day so you arrive prepared rather than hopeful.
Can GetMyPass help me pass faster at Carlisle?
A GetMyPass intensive course is designed to do exactly that, within honest limits. Lessons are mapped to the roads and junctions candidates meet on test at Carlisle, not a generic national syllabus, and the day-by-day format with a single dedicated instructor means most learners hit test standard in as little as a week. Carlisle is a slightly easier-than-average test centre, so your course puts extra time into the local hazards that catch candidates out most often. To be clear: the DVSA examiner alone decides the result, and no provider can promise a pass. What faster really means is arriving fully prepared sooner – and structured, local preparation is the core of what GetMyPass delivers around Carlisle.
Where is Carlisle located?
GetMyPass operates across Cumbria, and Carlisle is the DVSA centre serving Carlisle and the surrounding area. The centre address is Port Road Business Park, Port Road, Carlisle, CA2 7AF. Treat the journey as part of your preparation: drive the approach roads beforehand if you can, check the parking arrangements, and aim to arrive with time to spare rather than exactly on the hour. Examiners start tests promptly, and a calm arrival sets the tone for the drive that follows. Your GetMyPass instructor will agree a meeting point with you and confirm the best route in ahead of your test day, so on the morning itself you can focus on driving, not directions.