How long is the wait for a driving test at Sunderland?

The median wait at Sunderland is 8.9 weeks as of July 2026, from DVSA's own figures, which makes it the 89th shortest of the 311 centres on this site.

Can I get an earlier driving test near Sunderland?

Yes. Of the three centres you may legally move this test to, one is quicker — Gateshead at 7.1 weeks (1.8 weeks sooner, 9.5 miles away). You can also swap with another learner holding an earlier date at this centre.

Can someone book a Sunderland driving test cancellation for me?

No — not at Sunderland or anywhere else. Since 12 May 2026 it is against the law for a third party to change, cancel or swap a test on your behalf, which is why the 8.9-week wait here cannot be jumped by paying someone to watch for cancellations. Zwitch introduces two learners who each want the other's date; you complete the swap with DVSA yourselves.

Which centres can I swap a Sunderland test to?

DVSA allows a move to the centre you first booked at or one of the three nearest to it — for Sunderland those are Gateshead (9.5 miles), Gosforth (11 miles), Durham (14.1 miles).

Swap your Sunderland driving test for an earlier date

River Bank Road, North Hylton Road Industrial Estate, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 3JJ

Median wait

8.9 wks

3 wks shorter than the 11.9-wk national median

Month on month

↓ 2.2%

Waits are getting shorter at this centre

Slots still bookable

21.2%

Of the tests released in the booking window

Sunderland driving test centre is a DVSA practical test centre in the North East, on River Bank Road.

As of July 2026 the median wait here is 8.9 weeks — 3 weeks shorter than the 11.9-week national median, making it one of the quicker centres to get a test at.

Its closest alternative is Gateshead, 9.5 miles away.

Sunderland driving test waiting times, August 2025 to July 2026

Median weeks between booking and taking a driving test at Sunderland. Source: DVSA table DRT122F, published monthly. Latest month: July 2026.

Median waiting time in weeks by month at Sunderland
Month	Median wait	Still bookable
July 2026	8.9 wks	21.2%
June 2026	9.1 wks	4.4%
May 2026	9.4 wks	5.7%
April 2026	10.6 wks	0.6%
March 2026	11.7 wks	0.7%
February 2026	13.1 wks	0.6%
January 2026	10.7 wks	0.6%
December 2025	11.9 wks	0.9%
November 2025	10.1 wks	1.4%
October 2025	10 wks	0.8%
September 2025	10.3 wks	0.8%
August 2025	10.4 wks	1%

The 3 centres you can move this test to

Since 9 June 2026, DVSA only lets you move a car test to one of your 3 nearest test centres, or the centre you first booked at. If you are booked at Sunderland, these are those three — measured as straight-line distance from the centre itself.

1 Gateshead 9.5 miles away 7.1 wk wait 1.8 wks sooner 2 Gosforth 11 miles away 16.3 wk wait 7.4 wks longer 3 Durham 14.1 miles away 15.7 wk wait 6.8 wks longer

Gateshead is currently 1.8 weeks quicker than Sunderland. Moving a test there is allowed under the location rule, and it is one of the changes a learner-to-learner swap can achieve.

How to swap a driving test in Sunderland

Both of you need a spare change. Learners get 2 changes per booking, and a swap uses one each.

At least 10 full working days' notice before the earlier of the two tests.

Same test type and price band. A weekday test (£62) can only swap with another weekday test; evening, weekend and bank holiday tests (£75) swap with each other.

The location rule must work for both of you — see the three centres above.

By phone only. One of you calls DVSA, they put you on hold and call the other learner, and you both confirm. It cannot be done online, by email or over WhatsApp.

Zwitch introduces the two learners and stops there — you complete the swap with DVSA yourselves. Since 12 May 2026 it is against the law for anyone else to change, cancel or swap a test on your behalf. Never give another learner your driving licence number or booking reference.

Getting to the centre

Loads from OpenStreetMap

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Address: River Bank Road, North Hylton Road Industrial Estate, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 3JJ
Postcode: SR5 3JJ
Coordinates: 54.92123, -1.42618
Region: North East, England
Parking: Car parking spaces are available
Accessibility: You can get into the test centre in a wheelchair
Toilets: Male, female and disabled toilets are available

How Sunderland compares

89 of 311 centres on this site, counting up from the shortest wait.
5.4 weeks shorter than the North East median of 14.3 weeks, across 11 centres. 1 centre in North East currently waits less.
DVSA made 4,650 tests available here in July 2026; 3,666 were booked — 984 went unused.
The wait has moved 2.2% shorter across the months on record.

Questions about swapping a Sunderland test

How long is the wait for a driving test at Sunderland?: The median wait at Sunderland is 8.9 weeks as of July 2026, from DVSA's own figures, which makes it the 89th shortest of the 311 centres on this site.
Can I get an earlier driving test near Sunderland?: Yes. Of the three centres you may legally move this test to, one is quicker — Gateshead at 7.1 weeks (1.8 weeks sooner, 9.5 miles away). You can also swap with another learner holding an earlier date at this centre.
Can someone book a Sunderland driving test cancellation for me?: No — not at Sunderland or anywhere else. Since 12 May 2026 it is against the law for a third party to change, cancel or swap a test on your behalf, which is why the 8.9-week wait here cannot be jumped by paying someone to watch for cancellations. Zwitch introduces two learners who each want the other's date; you complete the swap with DVSA yourselves.
Which centres can I swap a Sunderland test to?: DVSA allows a move to the centre you first booked at or one of the three nearest to it — for Sunderland those are Gateshead (9.5 miles), Gosforth (11 miles), Durham (14.1 miles).

Where these numbers come from

Waiting times and availability — DVSA table DRT122F: car driving test availability by driving test centre, published monthly on the second Wednesday. Latest month in this dataset: July 2026. "Median wait" is DVSA's own measure of the middle waiting time between booking and taking a test.
Address, postcode, coordinates and facilities — the DVSA test centre list behind the GOV.UK find a driving test centre service.
Distances — great-circle distance calculated from the published coordinates. Straight-line, not driving distance.
Known limitation — the DVSA centre list lags the live GOV.UK finder, so a centre that has recently been renamed or split may appear here in its older form. Closed centres are excluded using DRT122F. Always confirm on GOV.UK before booking.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Zwitch is not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. Page data last updated 2026-08-18.