NCT Kells pass rate by year
Best year 2021 (53.3%), weakest 2020 (40.2%), when Covid disrupted testing. The dashed line is Ireland as a whole.
| Year | Tests | Kells | Ireland | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 31,134 | 47.2% | 49.2% | 27 of 50 |
| 2024 | 33,084 | 48.4% | 50.6% | 28 of 50 |
| 2023 | 34,452 | 51.6% | 52.9% | 26 of 50 |
| 2022 | 22,008 | 52.9% | 54.3% | 25 of 49 |
| 2021 | 28,651 | 53.3% | 52.8% | 21 of 49 |
| 2020 | 23,071 | 40.2% | 43.7% | 25 of 47 |
| 2019 | 34,650 | 50% | 50% | 20 of 47 |
| 2018 | 32,431 | 48.8% | 49.2% | 24 of 47 |
| 2017 | 31,182 | 47.9% | 48.5% | 22 of 47 |
| 2016 | 33,984 | 45.9% | 47.2% | 24 of 47 |
| 2015 | 33,996 | 45.9% | 48.1% | 31 of 47 |
| 2014 | 28,545 | 49.5% | 48.4% | 20 of 47 |
| 2013 | 25,894 | 43.9% | 46.6% | 33 of 47 |
How NCT Kells compares
| # | Centre | Pass rate 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Dundalk | 47.7% |
| 26 | Naas | 47.7% |
| 27 | Kells | 47.2% |
| 28 | Charleville | 47.1% |
| 29 | Tralee | 47.1% |
All 50 centres ranked · Ireland since 2013
The car matters more than the centre
NCT Kells pass rate: questions
What is the NCT pass rate in Kells?
In 2025, 47.2% of cars passed the full NCT at Kells on the first attempt (14,681 of 31,134 initial tests), 2 points below the national rate of 49.2%. 87.5% of retests passed.
Has the pass rate at Kells gone up or down?
Results go back to 2013 (43.9%). The best year was 2021 (53.3%) and the weakest 2020 (40.2%). In 2025 it was 47.2%.
Is it easier to pass the NCT in Kells?
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.