Gairloch

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Driving Test Centre Gairloch, Mihol Road, Gairloch

Gairloch, IV21 2BX

Pass Rate
75.9%
Members
3

Test Statistics

DVSA recorded only 29 practical tests at Gairloch in this period — too few to draw a meaningful pass rate from.

Gairloch driving test pass rate and statistics

Pass Rate
75.9%
National: 48.6%
Total Tests
29
~0.1 per day
First Attempt Rate
55.2%
Avg 2.0 attempts
Dangerous Faults
0.00
0.0% of tests have any
Serious Faults
0.31
24.1% of tests have any
Minor Faults
2.83
93.1% of tests have any

Common faults at Gairloch

Most Common Fail Reasons

Reverse bay park - control3.4%
Common Scenarios:
  • Failing to accurately park within the marked lines of the bay (it is okay to be crooked).
  • Inability to control the vehicle whilst reversing.
  • Touching or driving over curbs whilst performing the maneuvre.
  • Needing to reposition the car and reattempt the maneuvre multiple times.
Why More Common Here:
  • The most frequently used car parks are cramped or have an uneven surface.
  • Often this maneuvre will be done at the test centre. DTC car parks vary in quality.
Emergency stop3.4%
Common Scenarios:
  • Reacting too slowly after the examiner shouts 'Stop!'.
  • Stopping too slowly due to improper use of footbrake and clutch.
  • NOTE: 360° observations are required when moving off, but these are marked under 'Move off - safely'.
Move off - safely3.4%
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.
Position - normal stops3.4%
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.
Control - gears3.4%
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.
Control - steering3.4%
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.
Response to traffic signs3.4%
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).
Move off - control3.4%
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.
Vehicle checks3.4%
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.

Most Common Minor Faults

Move off - safely0.38
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 - undue hesitation0.24
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.
Progress - speed (too slow)0.24
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.
Move off - control0.21
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.
Control - steering0.17
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 - gears0.14
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.
Reverse bay park - control0.14
Common Scenarios:
  • Failing to accurately park within the marked lines of the bay (it is okay to be crooked).
  • Inability to control the vehicle whilst reversing.
  • Touching or driving over curbs whilst performing the maneuvre.
  • Needing to reposition the car and reattempt the maneuvre multiple times.
Why More Common Here:
  • The most frequently used car parks are cramped or have an uneven surface.
  • Often this maneuvre will be done at the test centre. DTC car parks vary in quality.
Vehicle checks0.14
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.
Positioning - normal driving0.14
Common Scenarios:
  • Not driving in the centre of the lane.
  • Driving for too long in the right hand lane of a dual carriageway, for no reason.
  • 'Straight-lining' a roundabout.
  • Not driving in the bus lane when it is allowed at that time.
Why More Common Here:
  • Many timed bus lanes around test centre.
  • Multi-lane roundabouts with worn lane markings.
Parallel park - control0.10
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.

Manoeuvres tested at Gairloch

Emergency stopTested 34.5% of the time
Pass Rate
80.0%
Fail Rate
10.0%
Reverse bay parkTested 31.0% of the time
Pass Rate
77.8%
Fail Rate
11.1%
Reverse rightTested 27.6% of the time
Pass Rate
75.0%
Fail Rate
0.0%
Forward bay parkTested 24.1% of the time
Pass Rate
71.4%
Fail Rate
0.0%
Parallel parkTested 17.2% of the time
Pass Rate
80.0%
Fail Rate
0.0%

Best times to book at Gairloch

Mon-Fri
11:00-12:00
Pass Rate
83.3%
~0.0 tests/day
Mon-Fri
12:00-13:00
Pass Rate
83.3%
~0.0 tests/day
Mon-Fri
10:00-11:00
Pass Rate
80.0%
~0.0 tests/day
Mon-Fri
All times
Pass Rate
75.9%
~0.2 tests/day
Mon-Fri
09:00-10:00
Pass Rate
75.0%
~0.0 tests/day
Mon-Fri
13:00-14:00
Pass Rate
66.7%
~0.0 tests/day
Mon-Fri
14:00-15:00
Pass Rate
50.0%
~0.0 tests/day

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