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Leeds (Colton Mill) vs Leeds (Fearnville)

Two Leeds test centres compared on the official DVSA figures — pass rate, waiting time and how many tests each one runs.

By Yigit Yilmaz · Last updated

Leeds (Colton Mill)

51.8%

pass rate

6.6 weeks

typical wait

Leeds (Fearnville)

51.8%

pass rate

7.7 weeks

typical wait

Leeds (Colton Mill) and Leeds (Fearnville) are both DVSA car test centres in Leeds and West Yorkshire, and there is no catchment area stopping you booking either. On the most recent official figures their pass rates are identical and about 1.1 weeks of waiting separates them.

Side by side

Leeds (Colton Mill) Leeds (Fearnville) Difference
Pass rate 51.8% 51.8% No difference
Waiting time 6.6 weeks 7.7 weeks 1.1 weeks sooner at Leeds (Colton Mill)
Tests a year 6,432 4,676 1,756 more at Leeds (Colton Mill)
Region Yorkshire and The Humber Yorkshire and The Humber Same region

Pass rates are for April 2025 to March 2026; waiting times are to June 2026. The Great Britain averages are 50.1% and 12.1 weeks.

Pass rate

Leeds (Colton Mill) passes 51.8% of car candidates against 51.8% at Leeds (Fearnville) — the two are level. Both sit above the national average of 50.1%.

Neither number says much about the examiners, who work to one national standard everywhere. It says a great deal about the roads each centre tests on — the count of multi-lane roundabouts, bus lanes and busy junctions a forty-minute route can fit in. Our guide to test routes covers how to work out what each centre uses.

Waiting time

Leeds (Colton Mill) books about 1.1 weeks sooner — 6.6 weeks against 7.7 weeks — with the Great Britain average at 12.1 weeks. Both are inside DVSA's 24-week booking window, so slots at either should be visible on the booking service rather than needing you to wait for the window to roll forward.

This is the median gap between booking and testing for people who actually sat a test, not the soonest date on screen today. Cancellations surface continuously at both centres and regularly beat these figures by weeks, which is the subject of how to get an earlier test date.

How busy each centre is

Leeds (Colton Mill) conducted 6,432 car tests over the year and Leeds (Fearnville) 4,676. Volume is worth a glance for two reasons: a pass rate built on more tests is a firmer measure of the routes, and a busier centre generates more cancelled slots in a given week, so refreshing the booking service pays off more there even when its published wait is longer.

Verdict

Leeds (Colton Mill) is the better booking of the two. The two pass exactly the same share of candidates, 51.8%, so there is nothing to trade off — Leeds (Colton Mill) simply books 1.1 weeks sooner.

One thing outranks all of this: whether you have driven the roads. Each centre works a fixed set of routes around it, and practising those exact junctions moves your odds more than the gap between two centres in the same city. If you have had all your lessons around Leeds (Fearnville), book Leeds (Fearnville).

Full figures for each centre

Other comparisons

Or compare every centre at once on pass rates and waiting times.

Frequently asked

Is Leeds (Colton Mill) or Leeds (Fearnville) easier to pass at?

Leeds (Colton Mill) has the higher car pass rate at 51.8%, against 51.8% at Leeds (Fearnville) over April 2025 to March 2026 — the two are exactly level. Both figures cover the most recent full year DVSA has published.

Which has the shorter waiting time, Leeds (Colton Mill) or Leeds (Fearnville)?

Leeds (Colton Mill), at about 6.6 weeks against 7.7 weeks at Leeds (Fearnville) as of June 2026 — roughly 1.1 weeks of difference. That is the median gap between booking and testing, not the soonest slot on the booking service, which cancellations often bring much closer at both.

Should I book Leeds (Colton Mill) or Leeds (Fearnville)?

Leeds (Colton Mill), on balance: their pass rates are identical, so the 1.1 weeks it saves you decides it. That assumes you can practise on its routes — if you have driven the roads around Leeds (Fearnville) and not the ones around Leeds (Colton Mill), book the one you know.

Can I book either centre, or does it depend on where I live?

Either. There is no catchment area for the car practical test, so you can book any DVSA centre in Great Britain regardless of your address or where you passed your theory test. The only real constraints are the journey on the day and how well you know the roads.

Where do these figures come from?

DVSA statistical tables DRT122A (car pass rates by test centre) and DRT122F (test availability and waiting times), published on GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence. Pass rates cover April 2025 to March 2026; waiting times run to June 2026. Nothing is estimated.

Go beyond the data

Practise real DVSA test routes on your phone

Driving Test Routes App UK maps the roads examiners actually use, across driving test centres in England, Scotland and Wales — so your practice hours go on the roundabouts and junctions that show up on the day.

  • CarPlay
  • Speed limit alerts
  • Turn-by-turn routes
  • Offline maps
Download Driving Test Routes App UK on the App Store
Learner drivers holding UK photocard licences and green P plates after passing, beside Driving Test Routes App UK showing a mapped test route