Southport (Liverpool) and St Helens (Liverpool) are both DVSA car test centres in Merseyside, and there is no catchment area stopping you booking either. On the most recent official figures they differ by 15.6 points of pass rate and about 8.9 weeks of waiting.
Side by side
| Southport (Liverpool) | St Helens (Liverpool) | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass rate | 56.5% | 40.9% | 15.6 points to Southport (Liverpool) |
| Waiting time | 15.3 weeks | 6.4 weeks | 8.9 weeks sooner at St Helens (Liverpool) |
| Tests a year | 7,949 | 14,174 | 6,225 more at St Helens (Liverpool) |
| Region | North West | North West | Same region |
Pass rates are for April 2025 to March 2026; waiting times are to June 2026. The Great Britain averages are 50.1% and 12.1 weeks.
Pass rate
Southport (Liverpool) passes 56.5% of car candidates against 40.9% at St Helens (Liverpool), a gap of 15.6 points. Southport (Liverpool) is above the national average of 50.1% and St Helens (Liverpool) below it.
The gap holds up over time. Southport (Liverpool) has come out ahead in every one of the last 10 years DVSA has published, which points at a real difference in the roads rather than a single unusual year.
| Year | Southport (Liverpool) | St Helens (Liverpool) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022– 2023 | 55.3% | 38.2% |
| 2023– 2024 | 56.3% | 38.6% |
| 2024– 2025 | 59.2% | 40.2% |
| 2025– 2026 | 56.5% | 40.9% |
Neither number says much about the examiners, who work to one national standard everywhere. It says a great deal about the roads each centre tests on — the count of multi-lane roundabouts, bus lanes and busy junctions a forty-minute route can fit in. Our guide to test routes covers how to work out what each centre uses.
Waiting time
St Helens (Liverpool) books about 8.9 weeks sooner — 6.4 weeks against 15.3 weeks — with the Great Britain average at 12.1 weeks. Both are inside DVSA's 24-week booking window, so slots at either should be visible on the booking service rather than needing you to wait for the window to roll forward.
This is the median gap between booking and testing for people who actually sat a test, not the soonest date on screen today. Cancellations surface continuously at both centres and regularly beat these figures by weeks, which is the subject of how to get an earlier test date.
How busy each centre is
Southport (Liverpool) conducted 7,949 car tests over the year and St Helens (Liverpool) 14,174. Volume is worth a glance for two reasons: a pass rate built on more tests is a firmer measure of the routes, and a busier centre generates more cancelled slots in a given week, so refreshing the booking service pays off more there even when its published wait is longer.
Verdict
Southport (Liverpool) is the better booking of the two. It passes 15.6 points more of its candidates, and that is worth more than the 8.9 weeks of extra waiting it costs you — a failed test puts you back in the queue anyway.
One thing outranks all of this: whether you have driven the roads. Each centre works a fixed set of routes around it, and practising those exact junctions moves your odds more than the gap between two centres in the same city. If you have had all your lessons around St Helens (Liverpool), book St Helens (Liverpool).
Full figures for each centre
- Southport (Liverpool) driving test centre — monthly trend, full history and nearby alternatives
- St Helens (Liverpool) driving test centre — monthly trend, full history and nearby alternatives
- Best driving test centre in Liverpool — every centre in the city ranked
Other comparisons
- Norris Green (Liverpool) vs Southport (Liverpool)
- Southport (Liverpool) vs Speke (Liverpool)
- Norris Green (Liverpool) vs St Helens (Liverpool)
- Speke (Liverpool) vs St Helens (Liverpool)
Or compare every centre at once on pass rates and waiting times.
