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 passed 46.3% of 3,469 car tests (1,605 passes) over September 2025 to August 2026, 6.1 points below the national 52.4%. Of the 57 centres that delivered 500 or more car tests, Athlone ranks 5th lowest. Above Athlone: Wexford (0.1 higher) and Mulhuddart Maple House (0.7 higher). Below Athlone: Mulhuddart (0.4 lower) and Finglas (1.3 lower). Athlone's 3,469 car tests: 26th busiest of 57. Athlone's closest in size: Castlebar with 22 more tests, 9.9 higher; Tralee with 144 more tests, 8.2 higher; Killarney with 32 fewer tests, 1.8 higher and Sligo with 160 fewer tests, 5.7 higher.
Athlone across all categories: 51.4% of 4,100 tests (54.8% nationally), 631 in other licence categories. Athlone took 46.5% of the 7,461 car tests at 2 County Westmeath centres. Athlone's 46.3%, county 48.7%: 2.4 points below.
Car driving test pass rate at Athlone, month by month
Athlone's best month: 54.2% of 376 tests, June 2026. Worst: 38.2% of 213, October 2025, a 16.0 point gap. Athlone's quietest month: 160 tests, May 2026; busiest: 426, September 2025. Athlone, first 6 months: 44.5% of 1,712; last 6: 48.0% of 1,757, so Athlone improved 3.5 points. Latest at Athlone, August 2026: 47.6% of 238. A year earlier: 32.9% of 162, so Athlone is 14.7 points up.
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, September 2024 to August 2025: 45.4% of 2,958 car tests. Since then Athlone edged up 0.9 points on 3,469 car tests against 2,958, up 511 (17.3%). Athlone went from 9th lowest of 57 to 5th lowest of 57. Of 55 centres ranked in both periods, Athlone's 0.9 point rise ranks 30th largest. Athlone added 511 car tests, the 25th largest of 49 increases. Athlone lost 3.3 points on County Westmeath, which went from 44.5% to 48.7%.
Athlone by calendar year: 59.8% of 2,130 car tests in 2021, 44.1% of 2,996 in 2025, down 15.7 points (national down 1.5). Athlone, 2024 to 2025: 45.5% of 3,179 to 44.1%, a loss of 1.4 points for Athlone. Best full year: 59.8% in 2021; worst: 44.1% in 2025; busiest: 3,217 car tests in 2023. Athlone's car no shows: 24 in 2021, 81 in 2025; not conducted: 166, then 222. Athlone, 2026 to date: 48.1% of 2,308 in 8 months, 4.2 points under national at Athlone.
| 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 beyond cars: 190 articulated truck (CE), 63.9%, 2.8 points below national; 123 bus (D), 74.1%, 8.4 points above national and 102 bus CPC practical, 100.0%, 1.3 points above national, each with 100 or more tests. Athlone, under 100 tests each: 95 truck (C); 63 truck CPC practical; 56 car and trailer (BE); 1 small truck (C1) and 1 small truck and trailer (C1E). Too few for a steady rate.
| 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 time to a test invitation at the end of August 2026, against 11.6 weeks nationally: 10 weeks at Athlone. Longer waits than Athlone: 31 centres. Shorter than Athlone: 9, of 57 others with a published wait. Athlone: shortest wait in County Westmeath; Mullingar the longest, 3 weeks more than Athlone. Driver testers assigned to Athlone in July 2026: 3. In August 2026, 97.0% of the 297 test slots at Athlone were filled, against 98.3% across all centres. Athlone's 297 test slots: 25th most of 59 centres.
- 10 weeksEstimated wait for a test invitation, August 2026
- 3Driver testers assigned
- 297Test slots in the latest month
- 97.0%Slots used
Athlone: no shows and tests not conducted
Athlone counted 3,876 car tests: 3,469 delivered, 113 no shows and 294 not conducted or abandoned. Athlone's shares of those 3,876: 2.9% no shows and 7.6% not conducted at Athlone. Of 57 centres, Athlone's 2.9% no show share ranks joint 26th highest. Neither count moves Athlone's 46.3% pass rate: 1,605 passes over 3,469 tests delivered. Nationally the two shares were 3.1% and 7.4%.
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 trails Mullingar by 4.4 points (3,992 tests at 50.7%); Athlone waits 3 weeks less than Mullingar. No other County Westmeath centre beat Athlone on both rate and wait.