Hendon (London)

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Driving Test Centre Hendon, 3 Aviation Drive, Beaufort Park, Hendon

Hendon, NW9 5TZ

Pass Rate
47.1%
Members
4

Test Statistics

Hendon (London) passes 47.1% of candidates, in line with the national average of 48.6%. It is one of the busier centres, running about 29 tests a day — 6,296 in the period DVSA reports. The most common reason for failing is observation at junctions, which costs 12% of candidates their test. Tests booked on a Saturday between 07:00 and 08:00 do best, passing 50.6%.

Hendon (London) driving test pass rate and statistics

Pass Rate
47.1%
National: 48.6%
Total Tests
6,296
~29.3 per day
First Attempt Rate
46.7%
Avg 2.2 attempts
Dangerous Faults
0.06
5.7% of tests have any
Serious Faults
0.77
51.1% of tests have any
Minor Faults
4.96
98.1% of tests have any

Common faults at Hendon (London)

Most Common Fail Reasons

Junctions - observation12.0%
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.
Mirrors - change direction7.5%
Common Scenarios:
  • Failing to check mirrors when exiting a roundabout.
  • Failing to check mirrors when changing lanes.
Why More Common Here:
  • Complex multi-lane roundabouts and one-way systems.
Junctions - turning right6.5%
Common Scenarios:
  • Incorrect positioning when turning right at junctions.
  • Not positioning to the right of the road when turning right.
  • Turning right at a roundabout using the incorrect lane.
  • Not using the waiting area in the middle of the road when waiting to turn right, therefore blocking traffic behind.
Why More Common Here:
  • Confusing road layouts, worn road markings and circuitous test routes involving waiting area for right turns.
  • Roundabouts with many exits making lane choice less obvious.
  • Roundabouts whose signs contradict the actual road geometry, making the 12 o'clock rule difficult to follow.
Control - steering4.8%
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 lights4.6%
Common Scenarios:
  • Driving through a red light.
  • Driving through an amber light when you could have stopped safely.
  • Hesitating unnecessarily at a green light, impeding the flow of traffic.
  • Incorrectly stopping at a red light that is meant for other drivers.
  • Ignoring or misinterpreting a green arrow filter light.
  • Not waiting in the middle of a box junction when turning right.
Why More Common Here:
  • High traffic volume in the area can pressure learners to avoid stopping for amber lights.
  • Confusingly located traffic lights.
  • Traffic lights placed on fast sections of road where learners feel pressured to make good progress.
  • Traffic lights placed within roundabouts, where learners are too focused on lane position and observations.
Move off - safely4.5%
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.
Response to traffic signs4.1%
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 / obstructions3.8%
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 - meeting2.9%
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.
Pedestrian crossing2.3%
Common Scenarios:
  • Failing to stop at a zebra crossing when pedestrians are waiting.
  • Stopping on the crossing itself, blocking its use by pedestrians.
  • Approaching a crossing too quickly.
  • Moving off before a pedestrian has completely cleared the crossing.
Why More Common Here:
  • Lots of zebra crossings and high foot traffic.
  • Crossings awkwardly placed immediately after roundabouts.
  • Crossings overly obscured by road furniture, requiring advanced observation skills.

Most Common Minor Faults

Move off - safely0.41
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 hesitation0.34
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 - steering0.33
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 - speed (too slow)0.31
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 - control0.25
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.
Clearance / obstructions0.21
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 - observation0.20
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.
Mirrors - change direction0.20
Common Scenarios:
  • Failing to check mirrors when exiting a roundabout.
  • Failing to check mirrors when changing lanes.
Why More Common Here:
  • Complex multi-lane roundabouts and one-way systems.
Awareness / planning0.16
Common Scenarios:
  • Not anticipating the actions of other road users and reacting late to hazards or changes in traffic flow.
  • Waiting behind parked or broken down vehicles without attempting to overtake.
  • Being oblivious or inconsiderate to other drivers when merging in turn.
  • Not anticipating that pedestrians are about to cross, or walk upon the road.
Why More Common Here:
  • Busy or chaotic high streets and city centres.
  • High numbers of cyclists and/or confusing cycle infrastructure.
  • Semi- or fully-pedestrianised roads with pedestrians walking freely around.
Positioning - normal driving0.16
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.

Manoeuvres tested at Hendon (London)

Emergency stopTested 32.6% of the time
Pass Rate
53.6%
Fail Rate
1.5%
Reverse rightTested 26.5% of the time
Pass Rate
35.9%
Fail Rate
6.5%
Reverse bay parkTested 25.3% of the time
Pass Rate
47.5%
Fail Rate
6.5%
Parallel parkTested 24.8% of the time
Pass Rate
53.6%
Fail Rate
8.4%
Forward bay parkTested 23.2% of the time
Pass Rate
52.8%
Fail Rate
6.3%

Best times to book at Hendon (London)

Saturday
13:00-14:00
Pass Rate
68.8%
~0.5 tests/day
Mon-Fri
16:00-17:00
Pass Rate
60.0%
~0.0 tests/day
Saturday
14:00-15:00
Pass Rate
55.6%
~0.3 tests/day
Saturday
07:00-08:00
Pass Rate
50.6%
~2.7 tests/day
Saturday
15:00-16:00
Pass Rate
50.0%
~0.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
14:00-15:00
Pass Rate
49.2%
~4.8 tests/day
Mon-Fri
13:00-14:00
Pass Rate
48.9%
~4.9 tests/day
Mon-Fri
09:00-10:00
Pass Rate
48.6%
~2.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
11:00-12:00
Pass Rate
47.7%
~4.9 tests/day
Mon-Fri
08:00-09:00
Pass Rate
47.5%
~8.0 tests/day
Mon-Fri
All times
Pass Rate
47.2%
~37.8 tests/day
Mon-Fri
10:00-11:00
Pass Rate
46.9%
~5.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
15:00-16:00
Pass Rate
46.0%
~1.5 tests/day
Saturday
10:00-11:00
Pass Rate
45.6%
~2.2 tests/day
Saturday
All times
Pass Rate
45.3%
~16.1 tests/day
Saturday
08:00-09:00
Pass Rate
44.4%
~5.6 tests/day
Mon-Fri
12:00-13:00
Pass Rate
44.4%
~4.0 tests/day
Mon-Fri
07:00-08:00
Pass Rate
42.9%
~2.4 tests/day
Saturday
12:00-13:00
Pass Rate
41.7%
~0.4 tests/day
Saturday
11:00-12:00
Pass Rate
40.3%
~3.9 tests/day
Saturday
09:00-10:00
Pass Rate
36.4%
~0.4 tests/day
Saturday
16:00-17:00
Pass Rate
0.0%
~0.0 tests/day

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