What is the MOT pass rate in Kirkwall?

80.1% of MOT tests carried out in Kirkwall pass, based on 41,100 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 80.1%.

Does this show cars registered in Kirkwall, or tested there?

Tested there. DVSA's data records the postcode of the testing station, not the vehicle owner's home address, so this reflects cars tested in Kirkwall — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.

What's the most common MOT failure reason in Kirkwall?

Brakes is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Kirkwall, present in 56.4% of failed tests there.

Kirkwall MOT pass rate

Cars tested in Kirkwall, age-adjusted,'s pass rate of 80.1% is in line with the national average, at 79.2%.

80.1%

Raw pass rate

80.1%

Age-adjusted pass rate

+0.8 pts

vs national average

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“Cars tested in Kirkwall, age-adjusted,'s pass rate of 80.1% is in line with the national average, at 79.2%.”

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80.1% of 41,100 MOT tests carried out in Kirkwall pass — the age-adjusted figure is 80.1%.

Pass rate by vehicle age in Kirkwall

MOT pass rate by vehicle age band, cars tested in Kirkwall
Vehicle age	Pass rate	Tests
0–3 years	92.9%	1,617
3–6 years	90.9%	8,138
6–10 years	82.8%	13,573
10–15 years	73.0%	11,182
15+ years	70.2%	6,590

Most common MOT failure reasons in Kirkwall

Top MOT failure categories, cars tested in Kirkwall
Category	Share of failed tests
Brakes	56.4%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	46.2%
Suspension	44.7%
Tyres	22.4%
Body, chassis, structure	17.7%

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Methodology and data source

Source: DVSA “Anonymised MOT tests and results”, data.gov.uk, under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Coverage: Full year 2024, test class 4 (cars), normal (initial) tests only.
This covers cars tested in Kirkwall (DVSA's postcode_area field is the testing station's location, not the vehicle owner's home address).
The age-adjusted figure is standardised to the national vehicle-age mix, so it isn't just reflecting whether this area's tested fleet happens to run older or newer than average.

Full methodology, filters, and sample thresholds →

Own a car in Kirkwall?

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Frequently asked questions

What is the MOT pass rate in Kirkwall?: 80.1% of MOT tests carried out in Kirkwall pass, based on 41,100 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 80.1%.
Does this show cars registered in Kirkwall, or tested there?: Tested there. DVSA's data records the postcode of the testing station, not the vehicle owner's home address, so this reflects cars tested in Kirkwall — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.
What's the most common MOT failure reason in Kirkwall?: Brakes is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Kirkwall, present in 56.4% of failed tests there.