Carlow results: 42.1% (2,452)
Test centre in County Carlow, with every figure from the CSO tables the Road Safety Authority publishes.- 2,452car tests
- 56 of 57car rank
- 10weeks to invite (August 2026)
How Carlow compares
Carlow finished 10.3 points below the national car rate of 52.4%, with 42.1% across 2,452 tests. That puts the centre among the five lowest rates of 57 centres with at least 500 car tests, at 1st lowest. Compared with the County Carlow car rate of 45.5%, the figure here is 3.4 points lower.
Car driving test pass rate at Carlow, month by month
Carlow rose 11.5 points between the first and last six months, from 36.6% to 48.1%. Monthly rates ran from 23.1% in November 2025 to 56.0% in August 2026.
Above the national car rate of 52.4%Below it
- Sep 202452.6%153 tests
- Oct 202456.9%131 tests
- Nov 202449.5%321 tests
- Dec 202442.1%95 tests
- Jan 202537.5%157 tests
- Feb 202536.3%204 tests
- Mar 202544.1%249 tests
- Apr 202537.9%162 tests
- May 202536.5%213 tests
- Jun 202538.7%246 tests
- Jul 202541.9%342 tests
- Aug 202541.7%128 tests
- Sep 202537.9%226 tests
- Oct 202531.7%282 tests
- Nov 202523.1%188 tests
- Dec 202529.2%86 tests
- Jan 202646.9%234 tests
- Feb 202643.9%252 tests
- Mar 202639.8%205 tests
- Apr 202648.2%151 tests
- May 202646.1%181 tests
- Jun 202642.4%212 tests
- Jul 202655.3%268 tests
- Aug 202656.0%167 tests
Show the monthly figures
| Month | Car tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | 153 | 52.6% |
| October 2024 | 131 | 56.9% |
| November 2024 | 321 | 49.5% |
| December 2024 | 95 | 42.1% |
| January 2025 | 157 | 37.5% |
| February 2025 | 204 | 36.3% |
| March 2025 | 249 | 44.1% |
| April 2025 | 162 | 37.9% |
| May 2025 | 213 | 36.5% |
| June 2025 | 246 | 38.7% |
| July 2025 | 342 | 41.9% |
| August 2025 | 128 | 41.7% |
| September 2025 | 226 | 37.9% |
| October 2025 | 282 | 31.7% |
| November 2025 | 188 | 23.1% |
| December 2025 | 86 | 29.2% |
| January 2026 | 234 | 46.9% |
| February 2026 | 252 | 43.9% |
| March 2026 | 205 | 39.8% |
| April 2026 | 151 | 48.2% |
| May 2026 | 181 | 46.1% |
| June 2026 | 212 | 42.4% |
| July 2026 | 268 | 55.3% |
| August 2026 | 167 | 56.0% |
Carlow pass rates by year
Carlow's car rate fell 0.7 points from 42.8% in September 2024 to August 2025 to 42.1% in the latest period. 2,452 car tests were delivered in the latest period, compared with 2,401 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 (6 months) | 1,139 | 56.3% | 1,072 | 56.1% | 9 | 93 | 53.3% |
| 2022 (0 months) | n/a | not published | n/a | not published | n/a | n/a | 50.2% |
| 2023 (1 months) | 5 | 50.0% | 5 | 50.0% | 0 | 1 | 50.6% |
| 2024 | 2,345 | 54.3% | 2,345 | 54.3% | 91 | 160 | 49.0% |
| 2025 | 2,486 | 37.0% | 2,483 | 36.9% | 94 | 201 | 51.8% |
| 2026 (8 months) | 1,670 | 47.3% | 1,670 | 47.3% | 74 | 180 | 52.3% |
Carlow by licence category
Carlow recorded only car tests over September 2025 to August 2026. 42.1% in the all-category row therefore matches the car figure.
| Category | Tests | Pass rate here | Nationally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category B (Car or light van) | 2,452 | 42.1% | 52.4% |
Carlow waiting times and capacity
Carlow's estimated invitation wait was 10 weeks at the end of August 2026, close to the national 11.6 weeks. 170 test slots were listed here in August 2026, with 98.2% filled.
- 10 weeksEstimated wait for a test invitation, August 2026
- 2Driver testers assigned
- 170Test slots in the latest month
- 98.2%Slots used
- 706Applicants waiting at the end of August 2026, all test categories
- 217Applicants scheduled for a test at the end of August 2026, all test categories
- 706Applicants waiting at the end of August 2026, Category B (Car or light van)
- 217Applicants scheduled for a test at the end of August 2026, Category B (Car or light van)
Carlow: no shows and tests not conducted
Carlow's 42.1% pass rate uses the 2,452 car tests delivered, with 1,033 passes. Of 2,799 recorded outcomes, 109 were no shows and 238 were not conducted or abandoned.
2,452 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.Carlow and County Carlow
Carlow's car rate was 6.1 points below Carlow Talbot Hotel, which recorded 48.2% on 3,050 tests. The figures record what happened, not the reason one centre passed more candidates than another.
- 1Carlow Talbot Hotel3,050 car tests48.2%
- 2Carlow2,452 car tests42.1%
Driving test centres in the counties next to Carlow
County Carlow borders Kildare, Wicklow, Wexford, Kilkenny and Laois. 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 Kildare54.9% on 15,492 car tests
- Naas54.9%, 15,492 tests
County Wicklow47.1% on 3,835 car tests
- Wicklow47.1%, 3,835 tests
County Kilkenny50.2% on 4,374 car tests
- Kilkenny (Govt Buildings)50.1%, 2,731 tests
- Kilkenny (O'Loughlin Gaels)50.4%, 1,643 tests
County Laois57.0% on 3,651 car tests
- Portlaoise (Maldron Hotel)57.0%, 3,651 tests