Athlone results: 46.3% (3,469)
Test centre in County Westmeath, with every figure from the CSO tables the Road Safety Authority publishes.- 3,469car tests
- 53 of 57car rank
- 10weeks to invite (August 2026)
How Athlone compares
Athlone finished 6.1 points below the national car rate of 52.4%, with 46.3% across 3,469 tests. That puts the centre among the five lowest rates of 57 centres with at least 500 car tests, at 5th lowest. Compared with the County Westmeath car rate of 48.7%, the figure here is 2.4 points lower.
Car driving test pass rate at Athlone, month by month
Athlone rose 3.5 points between the first and last six months, from 44.5% to 48.0%. Monthly rates ran from 38.2% in October 2025 to 54.2% in June 2026.
Above the national car rate of 52.4%Below it
- Sep 202443.8%340 tests
- Oct 202444.7%288 tests
- Nov 202450.6%294 tests
- Dec 202446.0%201 tests
- Jan 202547.8%280 tests
- Feb 202542.3%160 tests
- Mar 202550.0%48 tests
- Apr 202557.7%186 tests
- May 202547.5%325 tests
- Jun 202548.0%316 tests
- Jul 202537.0%358 tests
- Aug 202532.9%162 tests
- Sep 202544.5%426 tests
- Oct 202538.2%213 tests
- Nov 202544.6%341 tests
- Dec 202540.1%181 tests
- Jan 202646.8%281 tests
- Feb 202650.0%270 tests
- Mar 202646.0%373 tests
- Apr 202647.2%252 tests
- May 202646.0%160 tests
- Jun 202654.2%376 tests
- Jul 202645.2%358 tests
- Aug 202647.6%238 tests
Show the monthly figures
| Month | Car tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | 340 | 43.8% |
| October 2024 | 288 | 44.7% |
| November 2024 | 294 | 50.6% |
| December 2024 | 201 | 46.0% |
| January 2025 | 280 | 47.8% |
| February 2025 | 160 | 42.3% |
| March 2025 | 48 | 50.0% |
| April 2025 | 186 | 57.7% |
| May 2025 | 325 | 47.5% |
| June 2025 | 316 | 48.0% |
| July 2025 | 358 | 37.0% |
| August 2025 | 162 | 32.9% |
| September 2025 | 426 | 44.5% |
| October 2025 | 213 | 38.2% |
| November 2025 | 341 | 44.6% |
| December 2025 | 181 | 40.1% |
| January 2026 | 281 | 46.8% |
| February 2026 | 270 | 50.0% |
| March 2026 | 373 | 46.0% |
| April 2026 | 252 | 47.2% |
| May 2026 | 160 | 46.0% |
| June 2026 | 376 | 54.2% |
| July 2026 | 358 | 45.2% |
| August 2026 | 238 | 47.6% |
Athlone pass rates by year
Athlone's car rate rose 0.9 points from 45.4% in September 2024 to August 2025 to 46.3% in the latest period. 3,469 car tests were delivered in the latest period, compared with 2,958 previously.
| Year | All tests | Pass rate, all tests | Car tests here | Car pass rate here | Car no shows | Car tests not conducted | Car pass rate nationally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,524 | 62.2% | 2,130 | 59.8% | 24 | 166 | 53.3% |
| 2022 | 2,275 | 55.8% | 1,895 | 52.0% | 41 | 177 | 50.2% |
| 2023 | 3,777 | 49.9% | 3,217 | 46.1% | 68 | 257 | 50.6% |
| 2024 | 3,805 | 50.7% | 3,179 | 45.5% | 86 | 259 | 49.0% |
| 2025 | 3,552 | 49.2% | 2,996 | 44.1% | 81 | 222 | 51.8% |
| 2026 (8 months) | 2,711 | 53.0% | 2,308 | 48.1% | 78 | 224 | 52.3% |
Athlone by licence category
Athlone also delivered 631 tests in other licence categories, led by articulated truck (CE) with 190. Its 63.9% pass rate was 2.8 points below the national figure for that category. The remaining 7 categories are listed in the table below.
| Category | Tests | Pass rate here | Nationally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category B (Car or light van) | 3,469 | 46.3% | 52.4% |
| Category CE (Articulated Truck) | 190 | 63.9% | 66.7% |
| Category D (Bus) | 123 | 74.1% | 65.7% |
| CPC Practical Test (Bus) | 102 | 100.0% | 98.7% |
| Category C (Truck) | 95 | 70.9% | 74.4% |
| CPC Practical Test (Truck/Artic) | 63 | 100.0% | 98.7% |
| Category BE (Car with Trailer) | 56 | 83.8% | 85.4% |
| Category C1 (Small truck / large van) | 1 | not published | 76.5% |
| Category C1E (Small truck / large van with trailer) | 1 | not published | 92.6% |
Athlone waiting times and capacity
Athlone's estimated invitation wait was 10 weeks at the end of August 2026, close to the national 11.6 weeks. 297 test slots were listed here in August 2026, with 97.0% filled.
- 10 weeksEstimated wait for a test invitation, August 2026
- 3Driver testers assigned
- 297Test slots in the latest month
- 97.0%Slots used
- 828Applicants waiting at the end of August 2026, all test categories
- 369Applicants scheduled for a test at the end of August 2026, all test categories
- 646Applicants waiting at the end of August 2026, Category B (Car or light van)
- 300Applicants scheduled for a test at the end of August 2026, Category B (Car or light van)
Athlone: no shows and tests not conducted
Athlone's 46.3% pass rate uses the 3,469 car tests delivered, with 1,605 passes. Of 3,876 recorded outcomes, 113 were no shows and 294 were not conducted or abandoned.
3,469 car tests is enough for the car figure to be stable from month to month, but it still reflects who sat the test here, how much they had practised and the local roads, not only how strict a tester is.
How to read a centre's figures beside the national picture, and what the test checks, is in the driving test pass rates guide.
Source: Road Safety Authority, published by the Central Statistics Office, PxStat ROA30, CC BY 4.0, checked on 2026-09-16.Athlone and County Westmeath
Athlone's car rate was 4.4 points below Mullingar, which recorded 50.7% on 3,992 tests. That difference describes past results; it does not show why the rates differ.
- 1Mullingar3,992 car tests50.7%
- 2Athlone3,469 car tests46.3%
Driving test centres in the counties next to Westmeath
County Westmeath borders Longford, Cavan, Meath, Offaly and Roscommon. If a test centre over the county line is closer to where you live or learn, these are the car driving test pass rates there for September 2025 to August 2026.
County Longford58.2% on 2,144 car tests
- Longford58.2%, 2,144 tests
County Cavan53.6% on 3,721 car tests
- Cavan53.6%, 3,721 tests
County Meath55.9% on 11,277 car tests
- Navan55.9%, 11,277 tests
County Roscommon56.0% on 2,323 car tests
- Roscommon56.0%, 2,323 tests