Grantown-On-Spey

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Driving Test Centre Grantown-on-Spey, Grantown-on-spey Fire Station, Woodside Avenue, Grantown-on-Spey

Grantown-on-Spey, PH26 3JR

Pass Rate
60.2%
Members
4

Test Statistics

Grantown-On-Spey is among the stronger places in the country to sit a practical test: 60.2% of candidates pass, against the national average of 48.6%. It is a quieter centre, running about 1 tests a day. The most common reason for failing is safely at move off, which costs 9.7% of candidates their test. It draws mostly first-timers — 56.6% are sitting their first test — and the average candidate passes in 1.9 attempts.

Grantown-On-Spey driving test pass rate and statistics

Pass Rate
60.2%
National: 48.6%
Total Tests
113
~0.5 per day
First Attempt Rate
56.6%
Avg 1.9 attempts
Dangerous Faults
0.00
0.0% of tests have any
Serious Faults
0.61
39.8% of tests have any
Minor Faults
4.00
93.8% of tests have any

Common faults at Grantown-On-Spey

Most Common Fail Reasons

Move off - safely9.7%
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.
Judgement - meeting5.3%
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.
Progress - speed (too slow)4.4%
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.
Junctions - observation4.4%
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.
Use of speed (too fast)3.5%
Common Scenarios:
  • Driving above the posted speed limit.
  • Failing to reduce speed when approaching a hazard, such as a pedestrian crossing or a bend in the road.
  • Driving too fast on a road with potholes or poor surface condition (regardless of the posted speed limit).
  • Driving too fast on a national speed limit road (60 mph is often too dangerous).
  • Driving at a speed that is unsafe for the weather - rain, fog, or ice.
Why More Common Here:
  • Recently changed speed limits that conflict with old limits displayed on satnav.
  • Sudden speed limit changes, especially on exit sliproads.
  • Inadequate signage, road markings and traffic calming measures.
  • Test routes that cross both 20 mph residential zones and regular 30 mph roads.
  • 20 mph main roads where locals ignore the limit and overtake learners, causing pressure to keep pace.
  • Clearly signed 30/40/50/NSL roads that pressure learners to make progress despite potholes, bends, etc.
Control - steering3.5%
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.
Progress - undue hesitation3.5%
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.
Response to road users2.7%
Common Scenarios:
  • Failing to respond to another road user clearly giving way.
  • Waiting behind parked or broken down vehicles without attempting to overtake.
  • Being oblivious or inconsiderate to other drivers when merging in turn.
Why More Common Here:
  • Busy or chaotic high streets and city centres.
Parallel park - observation2.7%
Common Scenarios:
  • Not completing 360° observations whilst reversing.
  • Staring at mirrors and not periodically observing all around.
  • Being unaware of pedestrians and other road users.
  • Getting too close to parked cars and other obstacles when maneuvring.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes where the parallel park is performed on busier roads with more hazards.
Response to traffic signs1.8%
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).

Most Common Minor Faults

Progress - speed (too slow)0.41
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 - steering0.40
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.
Move off - safely0.37
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 hesitation0.31
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.
Control - gears0.21
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.
Junctions - observation0.19
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 checks0.16
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.
Move off - control0.14
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.
Mirrors - signalling0.12
Common Scenarios:
  • Checking mirrors after or at the same time as signalling.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes that involve frequent or rushed lane changes.
Junctions - approach speed0.12
Common Scenarios:
  • Approaching a junction too quickly, making it difficult to make observations and stop safely if necessary.
  • Braking harshly when needing to stop at give way lines.
Why More Common Here:
  • Roundabouts and other junctions that 'appear out of nowhere' on fast roads, possibly due to inadequate signage.
  • Sharp bends or steep inclines on approach to roundabouts.
  • Sharp exits off fast roads (e.g. t-junctions off dual carriageways).

Manoeuvres tested at Grantown-On-Spey

Reverse rightTested 35.4% of the time
Pass Rate
60.0%
Fail Rate
5.0%
Emergency stopTested 26.5% of the time
Pass Rate
73.3%
Fail Rate
0.0%
Forward bay parkTested 23.9% of the time
Pass Rate
66.7%
Fail Rate
7.4%
Parallel parkTested 23.0% of the time
Pass Rate
46.2%
Fail Rate
11.5%
Reverse bay parkTested 17.7% of the time
Pass Rate
70.0%
Fail Rate
5.0%

Best times to book at Grantown-On-Spey

Mon-Fri
08:00-09:00
Pass Rate
82.4%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
13:00-14:00
Pass Rate
73.3%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
12:00-13:00
Pass Rate
68.8%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
14:00-15:00
Pass Rate
66.7%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
All times
Pass Rate
60.2%
~0.7 tests/day
Mon-Fri
09:00-10:00
Pass Rate
60.0%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
15:00-16:00
Pass Rate
50.0%
~0.0 tests/day
Mon-Fri
10:00-11:00
Pass Rate
47.1%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
11:00-12:00
Pass Rate
26.7%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
16:00-17:00
Pass Rate
0.0%
~0.0 tests/day

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