Newcastle West results: 67.2% (1,842)
Test centre in County Limerick, with every figure from the CSO tables the Road Safety Authority publishes.- 1,842car tests
- 2 of 57car rank
- 11weeks to invite (August 2026)
How Newcastle West compares
Newcastle West finished 14.8 points above the national car rate of 52.4%, with 67.2% across 1,842 tests. That puts the centre among the five highest rates of 57 centres with at least 500 car tests, at 2nd highest. Compared with the County Limerick car rate of 59.8%, the figure here is 7.4 points higher.
Car driving test pass rate at Newcastle West, month by month
Newcastle West rose 10.3 points between the first and last six months, from 60.2% to 70.5%. The 36.4% recorded in September 2025 came from just 23 tests, so a few different results would move that month's rate.
Above the national car rate of 52.4%Below it
- Sep 202447.0%73 tests
- Oct 202451.3%122 tests
- Dec 202460.0%15 tests
- Jan 202539.1%95 tests
- Feb 202546.9%122 tests
- Mar 202550.4%148 tests
- Apr 202551.3%121 tests
- May 202560.2%132 tests
- Jun 202539.8%111 tests
- Jul 202559.6%250 tests
- Aug 202566.7%53 tests
- Sep 202536.4%23 tests
- Oct 202554.6%142 tests
- Nov 202546.2%105 tests
- Dec 202560.8%135 tests
- Jan 202677.3%120 tests
- Feb 202669.6%72 tests
- Mar 202673.7%262 tests
- Apr 202675.2%290 tests
- May 202674.1%169 tests
- Jun 202664.7%111 tests
- Jul 202668.2%208 tests
- Aug 202662.5%205 tests
Show the monthly figures
| Month | Car tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | 73 | 47.0% |
| October 2024 | 122 | 51.3% |
| December 2024 | 15 | 60.0% |
| January 2025 | 95 | 39.1% |
| February 2025 | 122 | 46.9% |
| March 2025 | 148 | 50.4% |
| April 2025 | 121 | 51.3% |
| May 2025 | 132 | 60.2% |
| June 2025 | 111 | 39.8% |
| July 2025 | 250 | 59.6% |
| August 2025 | 53 | 66.7% |
| September 2025 | 23 | 36.4% |
| October 2025 | 142 | 54.6% |
| November 2025 | 105 | 46.2% |
| December 2025 | 135 | 60.8% |
| January 2026 | 120 | 77.3% |
| February 2026 | 72 | 69.6% |
| March 2026 | 262 | 73.7% |
| April 2026 | 290 | 75.2% |
| May 2026 | 169 | 74.1% |
| June 2026 | 111 | 64.7% |
| July 2026 | 208 | 68.2% |
| August 2026 | 205 | 62.5% |
Newcastle West pass rates by year
Newcastle West's car rate rose 15.3 points from 51.9% in September 2024 to August 2025 to 67.2% in the latest period. Volume grew too, from 1,242 car tests to 1,842, so the two rates rest on different sized groups.
| 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 | 1,061 | 65.5% | 1,043 | 65.2% | 11 | 45 | 53.3% |
| 2022 | 1,188 | 53.7% | 1,145 | 52.6% | 26 | 66 | 50.2% |
| 2023 | 1,382 | 52.8% | 1,343 | 52.0% | 32 | 40 | 50.6% |
| 2024 (11 months) | 1,308 | 46.7% | 1,249 | 45.1% | 24 | 80 | 49.0% |
| 2025 | 1,502 | 54.1% | 1,437 | 52.6% | 49 | 107 | 51.8% |
| 2026 (8 months) | 1,481 | 71.8% | 1,437 | 71.1% | 36 | 73 | 52.3% |
Newcastle West by licence category
Newcastle West also delivered 69 tests in other licence categories, led by car and trailer (BE) with 69. With only 69 tests, that category's rate can move sharply on a few results.
| Category | Tests | Pass rate here | Nationally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category B (Car or light van) | 1,842 | 67.2% | 52.4% |
| Category BE (Car with Trailer) | 69 | 94.9% | 85.4% |
Newcastle West waiting times and capacity
Newcastle West's estimated invitation wait was 11 weeks at the end of August 2026, close to the national 11.6 weeks. 209 test slots were listed here in August 2026, with 98.6% filled.
- 11 weeksEstimated wait for a test invitation, August 2026
- 1Driver testers assigned
- 209Test slots in the latest month
- 98.6%Slots used
- 807Applicants waiting at the end of August 2026, all test categories
- 202Applicants scheduled for a test at the end of August 2026, all test categories
- 764Applicants waiting at the end of August 2026, Category B (Car or light van)
- 202Applicants scheduled for a test at the end of August 2026, Category B (Car or light van)
Newcastle West: no shows and tests not conducted
Newcastle West's 67.2% pass rate uses the 1,842 car tests delivered, with 1,238 passes. Of 1,991 recorded outcomes, 47 were no shows and 102 were not conducted or abandoned. Nationally, 7.4% of tests were not conducted or were abandoned; here the share was 5.1%.
1,842 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.Newcastle West and County Limerick
Newcastle West's car rate was 3.7 points below Newcastle West (Longcourt House Hotel), which recorded 70.9% on 774 tests. Past pass rates cannot tell you how you would do at either centre.
- 1Newcastle West (Longcourt House Hotel)774 car tests70.9%
- 2Newcastle West1,842 car tests67.2%
- 3Limerick - Woodview4,595 car tests58.4%
- 4Limerick - Castlemungret4,434 car tests56.3%
Driving test centres in the counties next to Limerick
County Limerick borders Clare, Tipperary, Cork and Kerry. 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 Clare57.0% on 5,448 car tests
County Tipperary55.8% on 7,538 car tests
County Cork53.6% on 27,688 car tests
- Cork (Wilton)53.7%, 18,131 tests
- Mallow (Cork Racecourse Mallow)51.4%, 5,206 tests
- Skibbereen55.6%, 2,923 tests
- Mitchelstown55.2%, 1,428 tests