Yeading driving test centre: the test centre for Hayes and Northolt

Yeading, on Cygnet Way off Willow Tree Lane in UB4, is where Hayes learners test now: DVSA’s figures for the old Hayes centre stop in September 2019. Yeading has gone from the lowest pass rate in this part of London to the highest. Here are its numbers.

52.8%

pass rate, 2025/26 (GB 50.0%)

50.9%

pass rate on a first attempt

69%

tested within 7 weeks of booking, Sep 2026

30%

of tests taken in an automatic

Source: DVSA, tables DRT122A, DRT122C, DRT122E and DRT122F. Pass rates cover April 2025 to March 2026.

Pass rates

From the lowest pass rate to the highest

Yeading started testing in 2018/19, as the Hayes centre wound down. Its first full years were hard ones for candidates; the last three have been a steady climb.

Car test pass rates at Yeading by year, with men, women and Great Britain
Year (April to March)	Tests	Yeading pass rate	Men	Women	Great Britain
2025/26	6,735	52.8%	54.0%	50.0%	50.0%
2024/25	6,289	46.9%	48.0%	44.2%	48.7%
2023/24	5,520	42.1%	43.5%	38.9%	47.9%
2022/23	4,779	40.4%	42.6%	36.0%	48.4%
2021/22	5,856	38.6%	40.2%	35.4%	48.9%
2019/20	2,154	36.5%	40.0%	31.2%	45.9%

In six years Yeading has moved from 9 points below the national rate to almost 3 above it, and women’s pass rate has risen from 31.2% to 50.0%. DVSA doesn’t publish reasons. What it does mean: older figures quoted for Yeading, or listings that still show a Hayes centre, are out of date.

Automatic or manual

Automatic tests at Yeading

Three in ten Yeading tests are in an automatic, about the national share, and the automatic pass rate has risen even faster than the overall one.

Automatic car tests at Yeading by year
Year	Automatic tests	Share of all tests	Automatic pass rate
2025/26	2,033	30.2%	51.9%
2024/25	1,792	28.5%	47.2%
2023/24	1,669	30.2%	41.3%

In 2025/26 manual candidates passed 53.1% and automatic candidates 51.9%, close together. Women took 63% of their Yeading tests in an automatic. An automatic pass gives you an automatic-only licence.

Waiting times

How Yeading’s waits really work

The median wait at Yeading is often short, but it hides a split: most people test within seven weeks of booking, while a sizeable group waits more than 21. Watch both columns.

Median weeks from booking to test at Yeading by month, with the share tested within 7 weeks and the share who waited over 21
Month	Median wait	Within 7 weeks	Over 21 weeks
September 2026	3.0 weeks	69%	19%
August 2026	12.6 weeks	52%	34%
July 2026	12.6 weeks	39%	33%
June 2026	10.1 weeks	29%	24%
May 2026	16.2 weeks	21%	42%
April 2026	7.4 weeks	49%	30%
March 2026	5.3 weeks	52%	26%
February 2026	3.6 weeks	60%	14%
January 2026	5.9 weeks	59%	13%
December 2025	4.0 weeks	74%	16%
November 2025	4.9 weeks	56%	33%
October 2025	4.3 weeks	60%	24%

The split usually means some people book a long way ahead while others pick up a cancellation or a newly released date. One more number worth knowing: the appointments DVSA had on offer at Yeading across its 24-week booking window fell from about 2,000 in early 2025 to 998 in September 2026. Across London the median wait that month was 14.3 weeks.

Booking a Yeading test under the 2026 rules

Only you can book, change or cancel your test, since 12 May 2026. Instructors and cancellation-finder apps can’t; you can still look for earlier slots yourself on gov.uk.
Two changes per booking, since 31 March 2026. Moving the date and the centre at the same time counts as one.
Since 9 June 2026 a test can only move to one of the three centres nearest the one you booked. If you live in Hayes or Northolt and want Yeading, book Yeading.
Add your instructor’s reference number when you book so they are free on the day.

Rules: DVSA, Changes to driving test booking rules in 2026 (updated 19 June 2026).

The centre and its roads

Cygnet Way and the roads around it

DVSA no longer publishes test routes, and they change. These are the kinds of road around Yeading.

Cygnet Way, off Willow Tree Lane, UB4

Tests start and finish here, between Hayes and Northolt, so the opening minutes are on quieter estate roads before you head out to the main roads.

The A312 and White Hart roundabout

The Parkway (A312) runs right past Yeading, with the multi-lane White Hart roundabout nearby. Choosing your lane by your exit and joining faster traffic smoothly are the skills to have ready.

Uxbridge Road through Hayes

The A4020 brings buses, shop fronts and parked cars. Reading bus-lane times and passing parked vehicles safely come up on almost any drive from here.

Lessons for Yeading

Who tests at Yeading, and who can teach you

Learners from Hayes, Northolt and parts of Southall test at Yeading. These are the WLDS instructors who cover those areas and are taking new learners.

Enter your UB3, UB4, UB5 or UB1 postcode in the guided booking to see the instructors who cover it.

More about lessons in Hayes, Greenford and Northolt and Southall, or compare Yeading with eight other centres on our test centres page.

Common questions

Yeading test centre: FAQs

What is the pass rate at Yeading test centre?

52.8% from April 2025 to March 2026, across 6,735 car tests, against 50.0% for Great Britain (DVSA). On a first attempt it was 50.9%.

Is Yeading the same as Hayes test centre?

Yeading is the centre Hayes learners use now. DVSA’s figures for the old Hayes centre stop in September 2019, and Yeading has been testing since 2018/19.

Is Yeading test centre hard?

Its record has changed a lot. Yeading passed 36.5% in 2019/20 and 38.6% in 2021/22, but 52.8% in 2025/26, now above the national rate. Older figures quoted online are out of date.

How long is the wait at Yeading test centre?

It varies. In September 2026 the median was 3 weeks and 69% tested within 7 weeks of booking, but 19% had waited more than 21 weeks; in May 2026 the median was 16.2 weeks (DVSA, provisional).

Can I take an automatic test at Yeading?

Yes. About 30% of Yeading’s tests are in an automatic, and the automatic pass rate was 51.9% in 2025/26.

Can I move my Yeading test to another centre?

Only to one of the three centres nearest Yeading, since 9 June 2026, with two changes per booking.

Do you give lessons for a test at Yeading?

Yes. Our instructors who cover Hayes, Northolt and Southall prepare learners for Yeading, including a mock test on the roads around it.

Figures: DVSA, car driving test data by test centre. Pass rates April to March each year; waits are provisional monthly figures, published 14 October 2026. Checked 2 November 2026.

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