NCT Dundalk pass rate by year
Best year 2021 (51.3%), weakest 2020 (38.2%), when Covid disrupted testing. The dashed line is Ireland as a whole.
| Year | Tests | Dundalk | Ireland | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28,704 | 47.7% | 49.2% | 25 of 50 |
| 2024 | 30,687 | 48.2% | 50.6% | 29 of 50 |
| 2023 | 28,073 | 49.9% | 52.9% | 33 of 50 |
| 2022 | 23,098 | 51.3% | 54.3% | 30 of 49 |
| 2021 | 19,121 | 51.3% | 52.8% | 30 of 49 |
| 2020 | 15,303 | 38.2% | 43.7% | 34 of 47 |
| 2019 | 21,985 | 48.9% | 50% | 29 of 47 |
| 2018 | 21,143 | 48.9% | 49.2% | 22 of 47 |
| 2017 | 20,932 | 46.4% | 48.5% | 30 of 47 |
| 2016 | 22,534 | 44.6% | 47.2% | 36 of 47 |
| 2015 | 23,562 | 45.3% | 48.1% | 37 of 47 |
| 2014 | 18,994 | 45.4% | 48.4% | 36 of 47 |
| 2013 | 16,571 | 44.6% | 46.6% | 30 of 47 |
How NCT Dundalk compares
All 50 centres ranked · Ireland since 2013
The car matters more than the centre
NCT Dundalk pass rate: questions
What is the NCT pass rate in Dundalk?
In 2025, 47.7% of cars passed the full NCT at Dundalk on the first attempt (13,690 of 28,704 initial tests), 1.5 points below the national rate of 49.2%. 89.5% of retests passed.
Has the pass rate at Dundalk gone up or down?
Results go back to 2013 (44.6%). The best year was 2021 (51.3%) and the weakest 2020 (38.2%). In 2025 it was 47.7%.
Is it easier to pass the NCT in Dundalk?
Pass rates mostly reflect the age and condition of the cars tested locally, not how strict a centre is: every centre uses the same standard. Preparing the car makes far more difference than the centre.
RSA NCT Pass Fail Rates 2025 and the NCTS annual reviews 2013–2024 (initial tests; from 2018 "pass pending recheck" counts as a pass, as in the RSA open data). Reviewed 2 October 2026.