Banff

Driving Vehicle Standards Agency, Driving Test Centre Banff, Ground Floor, Banff Castle

Banff Castle, AB45 1DL

Pass Rate
56.2%
Members
1

Test Statistics

Banff passes 56.2% of candidates, a little above the national average of 48.6%. It is a quieter centre, running about 1 tests a day. No single fault dominates — the most common, observation at junctions, accounts for 7.7%.

Banff driving test pass rate and statistics

Pass Rate
56.2%
National: 48.6%
Total Tests
130
~0.6 per day
First Attempt Rate
53.8%
Avg 1.7 attempts
Dangerous Faults
0.00
0.0% of tests have any
Serious Faults
0.72
43.8% of tests have any
Minor Faults
4.02
94.6% of tests have any

Common faults at Banff

Most Common Fail Reasons

Junctions - observation7.7%
Common Scenarios:
  • Emerging at a T-junction or roundabout and causing another vehicle to slow down.
  • Emerging from a junction without adequate observations (even if clear).
  • Sailing through a crossroads without stopping and looking.
  • Joining a dual carriageway via a sliproad without sufficient mirror and blind spot checks.
  • Turning right in front of oncoming traffic, causing them to slow down.
Why More Common Here:
  • Junctions onto busy roads with fast flowing traffic, small gaps and the requirement to build speed quickly to avoid slowing others behind.
  • Short, curvy or otherwise awkward sliproads onto dual carriageways.
  • Busy high streets and main roads with poor visibility and bikes overtaking.
Response to traffic signs6.9%
Common Scenarios:
  • Not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign.
  • Attempting to drive through a no-entry sign.
  • Attempting to drive through any other sign that restricts access (e.g. buses only).
  • Ignoring a give way sign and assuming priority.
  • Ignoring a keep left sign.
Why More Common Here:
  • Stop signs are rare in the UK, but may show up in this test centre area.
  • Confusing one-way systems.
  • Complex road signs restricting access (e.g. bus-only at certain times).
Clearance / obstructions6.2%
Common Scenarios:
  • Driving too close to a vehicle when passing, even though the road allows for more space.
  • Driving too close to parked vehicles or other fixed structures.
Why More Common Here:
  • Narrow roads with limited space for cars to give way to each other.
  • Awkwardly placed width restrictors.
  • High levels of traffic and/or bus routes on narrow roads.
Judgement - meeting6.2%
Common Scenarios:
  • Failing to slow down or adjust your position when approaching an oncoming vehicle on a narrow road.
  • Misjudging the speed of an oncoming vehicle and failing to allow sufficient space for it to pass safely.
  • Continuing towards other vehicles when they have priority.
Why More Common Here:
  • Narrow residential roads, particularly those lined with parked cars.
  • Residential roads with hills and bends, requiring faster reaction time.
Move off - control6.2%
Common Scenarios:
  • Stalling from a parked position or in traffic.
  • Rolling back a considerable amount when moving off.
  • Attempting to move off when a gear is not selected.
Why More Common Here:
  • Hilly areas, especially around junctions.
  • Hilly roads with slow stop-start traffic, requiring consecutive hill starts.
Move off - safely4.6%
Common Scenarios:
  • When parked on the road, moving off and causing oncoming traffic to brake or swerve.
  • Not checking mirrors and blindspots when moving off from a parked position.
  • Not completing all 360° observations when continuing after an emergency stop.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes involve stopping on busier roads.
  • Test routes involve stopping on bendy residential roads with restricted visibility.
Control - steering4.6%
Common Scenarios:
  • Steering too much, too little, too early or too late.
  • Mounting the curb when steering out of a junction.
  • Briefly driving on the wrong side of the road when turning through a junction.
Why More Common Here:
  • Tight junctions and narrow roads.
  • Sharp left or right turns on test routes.
Parallel park - control3.1%
Common Scenarios:
  • Inability to control the vehicle whilst reversing.
  • Touching the curb or driving over the pavement.
  • Needing to reposition the car and reattempt the maneuvre multiple times.
  • Finishing too far from the curb or the car in front.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes where the parallel park is performed on roads with a steep road camber, an uneven road surface or less space.
Control - gears3.1%
Common Scenarios:
  • Selecting a low gear at high speed, causing a sudden loss of speed and danger for vehicles behind.
  • Selecting a high gear at low speed, and possibly stalling.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes with numerous fast stretches of road, necessitating higher gears and more shifting.
Progress - speed (too slow)2.3%
Common Scenarios:
  • Driving significantly below the speed limit on a clear road without a valid reason (especially if it impacts drivers behind or causes them to overtake).
  • Being hesitant to build speed on a sliproad so as to merge safely.
  • Slowing down excessively for minor hazards, such as slight bends.
  • Losing speed due to improper gear selection on a hill.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes that cross both 20 mph residential zones and regular 30 mph roads - learners may 'hedge' their bets by driving at 20 until they are sure the limit is 30.
  • Rural national speed limit roads.
  • Fast roads with hills and bends, requiring frequent gear changes to maintain progress.
  • Short sliproads necessitating confident acceleration.

Most Common Minor Faults

Move off - control0.42
Common Scenarios:
  • Stalling from a parked position or in traffic.
  • Rolling back a considerable amount when moving off.
  • Attempting to move off when a gear is not selected.
Why More Common Here:
  • Hilly areas, especially around junctions.
  • Hilly roads with slow stop-start traffic, requiring consecutive hill starts.
Move off - safely0.42
Common Scenarios:
  • When parked on the road, moving off and causing oncoming traffic to brake or swerve.
  • Not checking mirrors and blindspots when moving off from a parked position.
  • Not completing all 360° observations when continuing after an emergency stop.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes involve stopping on busier roads.
  • Test routes involve stopping on bendy residential roads with restricted visibility.
Progress - speed (too slow)0.32
Common Scenarios:
  • Driving significantly below the speed limit on a clear road without a valid reason (especially if it impacts drivers behind or causes them to overtake).
  • Being hesitant to build speed on a sliproad so as to merge safely.
  • Slowing down excessively for minor hazards, such as slight bends.
  • Losing speed due to improper gear selection on a hill.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes that cross both 20 mph residential zones and regular 30 mph roads - learners may 'hedge' their bets by driving at 20 until they are sure the limit is 30.
  • Rural national speed limit roads.
  • Fast roads with hills and bends, requiring frequent gear changes to maintain progress.
  • Short sliproads necessitating confident acceleration.
Control - steering0.32
Common Scenarios:
  • Steering too much, too little, too early or too late.
  • Mounting the curb when steering out of a junction.
  • Briefly driving on the wrong side of the road when turning through a junction.
Why More Common Here:
  • Tight junctions and narrow roads.
  • Sharp left or right turns on test routes.
Control - gears0.26
Common Scenarios:
  • Selecting a low gear at high speed, causing a sudden loss of speed and danger for vehicles behind.
  • Selecting a high gear at low speed, and possibly stalling.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes with numerous fast stretches of road, necessitating higher gears and more shifting.
Progress - undue hesitation0.25
Common Scenarios:
  • Not emerging from a junction when it is safe to do so.
  • Waiting unnecessarily for another road user to pass who has clearly given way to you.
  • Failing to maintain momentum when joining a clear roundabout.
  • Ignoring shields and exit signals on mini-roundabouts and therefore missing many opportunities to proceed.
Why More Common Here:
  • Areas and times with fast, flowing traffic and non-obvious gaps.
  • Busy mini-roundabouts.
  • Test routes with stops along busy main roads.
Clearance / obstructions0.18
Common Scenarios:
  • Driving too close to a vehicle when passing, even though the road allows for more space.
  • Driving too close to parked vehicles or other fixed structures.
Why More Common Here:
  • Narrow roads with limited space for cars to give way to each other.
  • Awkwardly placed width restrictors.
  • High levels of traffic and/or bus routes on narrow roads.
Junctions - observation0.18
Common Scenarios:
  • Emerging at a T-junction or roundabout and causing another vehicle to slow down.
  • Emerging from a junction without adequate observations (even if clear).
  • Sailing through a crossroads without stopping and looking.
  • Joining a dual carriageway via a sliproad without sufficient mirror and blind spot checks.
  • Turning right in front of oncoming traffic, causing them to slow down.
Why More Common Here:
  • Junctions onto busy roads with fast flowing traffic, small gaps and the requirement to build speed quickly to avoid slowing others behind.
  • Short, curvy or otherwise awkward sliproads onto dual carriageways.
  • Busy high streets and main roads with poor visibility and bikes overtaking.
Vehicle checks0.17
Common Scenarios:
  • Getting either the show me or tell me question wrong (one minor fault).
  • Losing control of the car when answering the show me question.
Position - normal stops0.15
Common Scenarios:
  • Stopping in a location that obstructs a driveway, a junction, or a bus stop.
  • Parking with one or more wheels on the pavement.
  • Parking too far from the kerb.
Why More Common Here:
  • Inner city test areas with limited roadside parking.
  • Areas where residents habitually park on the pavement can trick learners into thinking it is acceptable.

Manoeuvres tested at Banff

Emergency stopTested 34.6% of the time
Pass Rate
64.4%
Fail Rate
0.0%
Parallel parkTested 28.5% of the time
Pass Rate
59.5%
Fail Rate
13.5%
Reverse bay parkTested 25.4% of the time
Pass Rate
72.7%
Fail Rate
6.1%
Reverse rightTested 24.6% of the time
Pass Rate
46.9%
Fail Rate
3.1%
Forward bay parkTested 19.2% of the time
Pass Rate
48.0%
Fail Rate
12.0%

Best times to book at Banff

Mon-Fri
14:00-15:00
Pass Rate
92.9%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
10:00-11:00
Pass Rate
66.7%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
09:00-10:00
Pass Rate
63.6%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
12:00-13:00
Pass Rate
58.8%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
All times
Pass Rate
56.2%
~0.8 tests/day
Mon-Fri
08:00-09:00
Pass Rate
50.0%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
11:00-12:00
Pass Rate
42.1%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
13:00-14:00
Pass Rate
23.5%
~0.1 tests/day

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