Waterford rates: 42.1% (6,805)
Test centre in County Waterford, with every figure from the CSO tables the Road Safety Authority publishes.- 6,805car tests
- 57 of 57car rank
- 16weeks to invite (August 2026)
How Waterford compares
Waterford passed 42.1% of 6,805 car tests (2,865 passes) over September 2025 to August 2026, 10.3 points below the national 52.4%. Of the 57 centres that delivered 500 or more car tests, Waterford ranks the joint lowest, level with Carlow. Above Waterford: Finglas (2.9 higher) and Mulhuddart (3.8 higher). Waterford's 6,805 car tests: 9th busiest of 57. Waterford's closest in size: Raheny with 1,112 more tests, 7.9 higher; Dundalk with 1,786 more tests, 13.5 higher; Mulhuddart with 1,092 fewer tests, 3.8 higher and Mallow (Cork Racecourse Mallow) with 1,599 fewer tests, 9.3 higher.
Waterford across all categories: 45.4% of 7,913 tests (54.8% nationally), 1,108 in other licence categories. Waterford took 75.3% of the 9,035 car tests at 2 County Waterford centres. Waterford's 42.1%, county 45.1%: 3.0 points below.
Car driving test pass rate at Waterford, month by month
Waterford's best month: 51.8% of 549 tests, June 2026. Worst: 37.5% of 651, January 2026, a 14.3 point gap. Waterford's quietest month: 409 tests, December 2025; busiest: 758, July 2026. Waterford, first 6 months: 38.9% of 3,490; last 6: 45.5% of 3,315, so Waterford improved 6.6 points. Latest at Waterford, August 2026: 43.3% of 414. A year earlier: 37.3% of 479, so Waterford is 6.0 points up.
Show the monthly figures
| Month | Car tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | 448 | 35.2% |
| October 2024 | 541 | 37.2% |
| November 2024 | 407 | 31.7% |
| December 2024 | 366 | 35.4% |
| January 2025 | 499 | 44.3% |
| February 2025 | 403 | 41.6% |
| March 2025 | 480 | 41.0% |
| April 2025 | 461 | 39.0% |
| May 2025 | 364 | 35.0% |
| June 2025 | 393 | 37.8% |
| July 2025 | 484 | 37.4% |
| August 2025 | 479 | 37.3% |
| September 2025 | 666 | 40.1% |
| October 2025 | 660 | 39.1% |
| November 2025 | 474 | 38.4% |
| December 2025 | 409 | 38.6% |
| January 2026 | 651 | 37.5% |
| February 2026 | 630 | 39.2% |
| March 2026 | 650 | 44.2% |
| April 2026 | 501 | 40.2% |
| May 2026 | 443 | 42.6% |
| June 2026 | 549 | 51.8% |
| July 2026 | 758 | 48.5% |
| August 2026 | 414 | 43.3% |
Waterford pass rates by year
Waterford, September 2024 to August 2025: 37.9% of 5,325 car tests. Since then Waterford rose 4.2 points on 6,805 car tests against 5,325, up 1,480 (27.8%). Waterford stayed the lowest of 57. Of 55 centres ranked in both periods, Waterford's 4.2 point rise ranks 15th largest. Waterford added 1,480 car tests, the 9th largest of 49 increases. Waterford lost 0.9 points on County Waterford, which went from 40.0% to 45.1%.
Waterford by calendar year: 51.1% of 3,596 car tests in 2021, 39.3% of 5,772 in 2025, down 11.8 points (national down 1.5). Waterford, 2024 to 2025: 37.7% of 5,965 to 39.3%, a gain of 1.6 points for Waterford. Best full year: 51.1% in 2021; worst: 37.7% in 2024; busiest: 5,965 car tests in 2024. Waterford's car no shows: 80 in 2021, 195 in 2025; not conducted: 324, then 565. Waterford, 2026 to date: 43.5% of 4,596 in 8 months, 8.8 points under national at Waterford.
| 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 | 4,284 | 54.4% | 3,596 | 51.1% | 80 | 324 | 53.3% |
| 2022 | 5,230 | 50.6% | 4,374 | 46.7% | 94 | 487 | 50.2% |
| 2023 | 5,250 | 49.5% | 4,359 | 45.1% | 141 | 405 | 50.6% |
| 2024 | 6,957 | 41.9% | 5,965 | 37.7% | 191 | 515 | 49.0% |
| 2025 | 6,700 | 43.1% | 5,772 | 39.3% | 195 | 565 | 51.8% |
| 2026 (8 months) | 5,313 | 46.7% | 4,596 | 43.5% | 146 | 542 | 52.3% |
Waterford by licence category
Waterford beyond cars: 268 articulated truck (CE), 60.6%, 6.1 points below national; 189 truck (C), 56.8%, 17.6 points below national; 166 motorcycle (A), 56.0%, 13.4 points below national; 135 car and trailer (BE), 70.3%, 15.1 points below national and 119 bus (D), 50.5%, 15.2 points below national, each with 100 or more tests. Waterford, under 100 tests each: 83 truck CPC practical; 65 bus CPC practical; 37 medium power motorcycle (A2); 20 small truck (C1); 17 minibus (D1); 5 low power motorcycle (A1) and 4 small truck and trailer (C1E). Too few for a steady rate.
| Category | Tests | Pass rate here | Nationally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category B (Car or light van) | 6,805 | 42.1% | 52.4% |
| Category CE (Articulated Truck) | 268 | 60.6% | 66.7% |
| Category C (Truck) | 189 | 56.8% | 74.4% |
| Category A (Motorcycle All) | 166 | 56.0% | 69.4% |
| Category BE (Car with Trailer) | 135 | 70.3% | 85.4% |
| Category D (Bus) | 119 | 50.5% | 65.7% |
| CPC Practical Test (Truck/Artic) | 83 | 98.8% | 98.7% |
| CPC Practical Test (Bus) | 65 | 96.9% | 98.7% |
| Category A2 (Motorcycle - medium power) | 37 | 53.3% | 62.0% |
| Category C1 (Small truck / large van) | 20 | 60.0% | 76.5% |
| Category D1 (Minibus) | 17 | 60.0% | 68.1% |
| Category A1 (Motorcycle - low power) | 5 | not published | 45.6% |
| Category C1E (Small truck / large van with trailer) | 4 | 50.0% | 92.6% |
Waterford waiting times and capacity
Waterford's estimated time to a test invitation at the end of August 2026, against 11.6 weeks nationally: 16 weeks at Waterford. Longer waits than Waterford: 3 centres. Shorter than Waterford: 50, of 57 others with a published wait. Every County Waterford centre with a published wait, Waterford included, showed 16 weeks. Driver testers assigned to Waterford in July 2026: 6. In August 2026, 97.3% of the 549 test slots at Waterford were filled, against 98.3% across all centres. Waterford's 549 test slots: 11th most of 59 centres.
- 16 weeksEstimated wait for a test invitation, August 2026
- 6Driver testers assigned
- 549Test slots in the latest month
- 97.3%Slots used
Waterford: no shows and tests not conducted
Waterford counted 7,824 car tests: 6,805 delivered, 223 no shows and 796 not conducted or abandoned. Waterford's shares of those 7,824: 2.9% no shows and 10.2% not conducted at Waterford. Of 57 centres, Waterford's 2.9% no show share ranks joint 26th highest. Neither count moves Waterford's 42.1% pass rate: 2,865 passes over 6,805 tests delivered. Nationally the two shares were 3.1% and 7.4%.
6,805 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.Waterford and County Waterford
Waterford trails Dungarvan by 12.3 points (2,230 tests at 54.4%); Waterford has the same wait as Dungarvan. No other County Waterford centre beat Waterford on both rate and wait.