DVSA theory test centre

Bury St Edmunds

Car theory test pass rates for Bury St Edmunds, taken straight from DVSA's published figures, with what the test involves and driving instructors teaching around Bury St Edmunds.

Official DVSA figures

48.30%

Pass rate

63 of 193 theory test centres

8,867

Tests taken

In 2025-26

4,281

Passes

Candidates who passed here

#63 of 193 in Britain

The numbers

How hard is the theory test at Bury St Edmunds?

48.30% of car theory tests taken here were passed in 2025-26, 1.8 points above the 46.5% average across theory test centres. Pass rates vary by centre far less than people expect - the test is identical everywhere, so what moves the number is who books there.

Pass rate

48.30%

63 of 193 theory test centres

Tests taken

8,867

In 2025-26

Passes

4,281

Candidates who passed here

Women vs men

51.10% / 45.90%

Women passed 51.10% of 4,095 tests, men 45.90% of 4,772.

Since 2007

Theory pass rate year by year

Every year DVSA have published for Bury St Edmunds, from 2007-08 to 2025-26

2007-082008-092009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26

Financial years 2007-08 to 2025-26, ranging between 45.5% and 67.6%

This year

Month by month at Bury St Edmunds

DVSA publish the monthly detail for 2025-26. The month you book matters far less than whether you have worked through the question bank and the hazard clips.

Monthly car theory test figures for Bury St Edmunds
MonthTestsPassesPass rate
Apr 202573634046.2%
May 202565432950.3%
Jun 202577435946.4%
Jul 202586841047.2%
Aug 202574135447.8%
Sep 202585740246.9%
Oct 202579237347.1%
Nov 202572435849.4%
Dec 202559127546.5%
Jan 202666233049.8%
Feb 202669135851.8%
Mar 202677739350.6%
The test itself

What the car theory test involves

The test is the same at every centre. Two parts, taken in one sitting, both of which have to be passed together.

Multiple-choice questions

50

You need 43 correct to pass this part.

Time for the questions

57 min

There is a practice session first if you want one.

Hazard perception clips

14

15 scoreable hazards, scored 0-5 on how early you spot each.

Hazard perception pass mark

44/75

Both parts have to be passed in the same sitting.

What to bring

Your UK photocard driving licence. Without it the test is cancelled and the fee is lost. Arrive around 15 minutes early, and expect to leave phones and bags in a locker.

How long the pass lasts

Two years. If you have not passed your practical test by then you take the theory again - which is why booking lessons while you revise, rather than after, is worth doing.

Next step

Practical test centres near Bury St Edmunds

A theory pass is what lets you book the practical. These are the DVSA driving test centres covering Bury St Edmunds, with their own published figures.

Local instructors

Driving instructors near Bury St Edmunds

Most learners book lessons while they are revising for the theory test, not after it - the practical waiting list is measured in months and a theory pass only lasts two years. These instructors teach within 10 miles of Bury St Edmunds.

DD
Drivewize Driving Lessons
No reviews yet

West Suffolk · 1 mile
4475 •••
Male
English
On Avg. 16 to 45 lessons to pass
2+ years experience
Manual
£40.00 - £80.00 per lesson
Block bookings available
Mock tests available

GF
Glenn Foster
No reviews yet

East Cambridgeshire · 6 miles
4478 •••
Male
English
On Avg. 10 to 40 lessons to pass
5+ years experience
Manual
£84.00 - £84.00 per lesson
Block bookings available
Mock tests available

MR
Michael Reed
No reviews yet

West Suffolk · 8 miles
4479 •••
Male
English
On Avg. 10 to 40 lessons to pass
16+ years experience
Both automatic and manual
£0.00 - £100.00 per lesson
Block bookings available
Mock tests available
FAQ

Common questions about Bury St Edmunds

Pass rates, what the test involves, and how the theory test fits around booking lessons and a practical test.

48.30% of car theory tests taken at Bury St Edmunds were passed in 2025-26, across 8,867 tests of which 4,281 passed. That is 1.8 points above the 46.5% average across theory test centres. It ranks 63 of 193 theory test centres for pass rate.

At Bury St Edmunds, 51.10% of tests taken by women were passed against 45.90% of tests taken by men in 2025-26. The figures cover 4,095 and 4,772 tests respectively. DVSA publish this split for every theory test centre.

The car theory test has two parts taken in one sitting. First, 50 multiple-choice questions in 57 minutes, of which you need 43 correct. Then the hazard perception test: 14 video clips containing 15 scoreable developing hazards, scored 0 to 5 depending on how early you spot each one, with a pass mark of 44 out of 75. You have to pass both parts in the same sitting; passing one and failing the other means retaking the whole test.

Yes. You cannot book a practical driving test until you hold a theory test pass certificate, and the certificate is valid for two years. If it expires before you pass your practical, you have to take the theory test again - which is why most people book lessons and the theory test in the same few weeks rather than waiting.

The practical driving test is taken at a separate DVSA driving test centre. Bury St Edmunds (46.18% pass rate) is the centre covering Bury St Edmunds. Theory and practical are booked separately, both through GOV.UK.

Yes - we list driving instructors within 10 miles of Bury St Edmunds on this page. Most learners book lessons while they are studying for the theory test rather than after it, because the practical waiting list is measured in months and a theory pass certificate only lasts two years.