Colwick vs Chilwell Driving Test Centre: Which Is Easier?

Chilwell recorded the higher overall pass rate in 2025–26. But that does not establish that its driving test is easier, or that moving your booking there would improve your chances.

For automatic tests, the difference was just over one percentage point: 42.41% at Colwick and 43.42% at Chilwell. Those figures describe the tests taken during that year. They are not a forecast of your result.

The better choice is usually the centre you can prepare for properly, reach without unnecessary stress and attend with a suitable car when your driving is ready.

I am Abdul Husseini, a DVSA Approved Driving Instructor at NGPass Driving Academy. I have been teaching since 2010 and now specialise in automatic driving lessons in Nottingham. My advice is to use the statistics as context, then make the decision around your preparation.

Figures and guidance checked: 29 September 2026.

Colwick or Chilwell: the quick answer

Chilwell has the higher recorded pass rate. Neither centre offers a shortcut to a pass.

Colwick can be a practical choice for learners training around east Nottingham, including Colwick, Carlton, Netherfield and Gedling. Chilwell can make sense for learners around Beeston, Chilwell, Attenborough and Toton.

Both areas require confident observation, safe junction decisions, lane planning and the ability to adapt when traffic changes. Choosing a centre to avoid a weakness is less useful than addressing that weakness before your test.

Colwick vs Chilwell: what the official figures show

The comparison below covers 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, the latest complete financial year in the DVSA annual test-centre tables checked for this article.

Source: DVSA tables DRT122A, DRT122C and DRT122E. Percentages are calculated from published passes and tests, rounded to two decimal places. DVSA displays its rates to one decimal place. Test totals count attempts, including repeat attempts, rather than unique learners. The overall Great Britain rate for the same financial year was 50.0%.

View the official DVSA car-test data.

What does the difference actually mean?

Chilwell’s overall advantage was 3.47 percentage points. Among first attempts, it narrowed to 1.65 points. For automatic tests, it was 1.01 points.

That is useful context, but it is not a controlled comparison. Different people took the tests at each centre, with different levels of preparation and experience. The tables do not isolate the effect of the centre itself.

A higher annual rate does not prove easier routes, more lenient examiners or better odds for the same learner after switching centres.

Colwick conducted 5,735 more tests during the year. That describes its test volume, not the difficulty of your appointment or how soon you can book.

Preparing for Colwick Driving Test Centre

Colwick’s test centre is on Private Road No 5, Colwick Industrial Estate, Nottingham, NG4 2JU. Check your appointment confirmation for the current arrival instructions.

The surrounding east Nottingham road network gives learners opportunities to practise industrial access roads, residential streets and busier connecting roads. The A612 Colwick Loop Road and Daleside Road are examples of useful training environments, not a promise of where your examiner will take you.

1. Look beyond the vehicle in front

Larger vehicles, entrances and parked traffic can restrict what you can see. Look for developing situations early and leave space to respond. If your view is limited, adjust your speed so you have time to act on new information.

2. Plan before reaching the junction

Read signs and markings soon enough to choose your position without a rushed lane change. The aim is to arrive with time to observe and decide, rather than trying to solve everything at the give-way line.

3. Manage narrow spaces calmly

On residential roads, judge whether there is room to continue safely and identify somewhere sensible to wait when necessary. Practise looking ahead for oncoming traffic and passing places before the space becomes restricted.

The aim is to make safe decisions when the situation changes, rather than recognise a junction and repeat a memorised routine. Explore our Colwick test-centre guide.

Preparing for Chilwell Driving Test Centre

Chilwell’s test centre is at Unit 24, Eldon Business Park, Eldon Road, Beeston, NG9 6DZ. Use your booking confirmation for the current details and arrival instructions.

Preparation around Chilwell can include High Road, Cator Lane, Field Lane, Inham Road and the wider road network towards the A52. These offer varied learning opportunities; they are not an official route list.

1. Read the whole street

Pedestrians, buses, crossings and parked vehicles can change the space available with little warning. Look beyond the immediate gap in front of you and consider what people or vehicles might do next.

2. Adjust as the road changes

A safe speed on one road may be inappropriate after the next turn. Keep reassessing visibility, traffic and the space around you. Plan lane choices early and avoid letting faster traffic pressure you into a decision.

3. Understand tram-related situations

Where your journey meets tram infrastructure, follow the applicable signs, signals and markings. Leave tracks clear and watch for people approaching or leaving stops.

The Highway Code says to give priority to trams unless doing so would be unsafe. That requires observation and judgement, not a sudden manoeuvre simply because a tram is nearby.

Explore our Chilwell test-centre guide or read the Highway Code’s tramway guidance.

Is either centre better for automatic learners?

The recorded automatic pass rates were close: 42.41% at Colwick and 43.42% at Chilwell.

Those figures alone are not a strong reason to move your test. They also do not show that an automatic test is harder because automatic pass rates were below the overall rates. The groups being compared are different, and the statistics do not explain the causes.

An automatic removes manual gear changes and clutch control. You still need to demonstrate safe observation, appropriate speed, sound judgement and independent decision-making.

Passing in an automatic gives you automatic-only car entitlement. To upgrade to a manual car licence, you need to pass a practical test in a manual. Read the official automatic-to-manual licence guidance.

Is there an easier time of day to take your test?

There is no dependable appointment time that guarantees an easier test.

Congestion can reduce traffic speed while increasing the number of interactions you need to manage. Quieter roads can give you more opportunities to demonstrate progress, planning and speed judgement. Neither situation removes the need to drive safely.

Choose a time when you can arrive rested, allow a sensible journey to the centre and have the agreed vehicle available. Practising in varied conditions is more useful than trying to find a supposedly favourable slot.

Waiting-time statistics also need care. A historical median between booking and taking a test is not the same as the next appointment available to you. Check live availability through the official booking service rather than relying on a headline number of weeks.

How should you choose your test centre?

Start with practical questions about your preparation, rather than the headline pass rate.

1. Where can you train consistently? Consider the journey from your pickup area and how much lesson time it leaves for useful practice.
2. Is your driving independent enough? You should be able to handle varied roads without repeated prompts or intervention.
3. Is the test-day car agreed? Confirm your instructor’s availability and vehicle arrangements before committing to an appointment.
4. Does the date suit your readiness? An earlier slot is only helpful if you are ready to use it. A booking does not make you test-ready.

A mock driving test in Nottingham can help identify what still needs work. Use the result to plan the next stage of training, rather than treating one successful mock as a guarantee.

Our practical driving test preparation in Nottingham focuses on developing the skills and independence you need at either centre.

Can you change from Colwick to Chilwell?

Car-test booking rules changed in 2026. You must book and manage your own appointment, and you can normally make two changes to an existing booking.

A move is restricted to one of the three centres nearest to your currently booked centre, or the original centre on that booking. Check the options available for your appointment before making plans to switch.

To avoid paying again, you normally need at least 10 full working days’ notice when changing or cancelling a car test. Monday to Saturday count; Sundays and public holidays do not. Specific short-notice refund exceptions exist.

Read the current booking-change rules and notice requirements before making a change.

Questions about Colwick and Chilwell driving tests