NCT Kilkenny pass rate by year
Best year 2021 (58.6%), weakest 2020 (45.2%), when Covid disrupted testing. The dashed line is Ireland as a whole.
| Year | Tests | Kilkenny | Ireland | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36,947 | 51.8% | 49.2% | 10 of 50 |
| 2024 | 36,298 | 54.9% | 50.6% | 7 of 50 |
| 2023 | 33,637 | 54.3% | 52.9% | 17 of 50 |
| 2022 | 32,788 | 57.2% | 54.3% | 14 of 49 |
| 2021 | 31,110 | 58.6% | 52.8% | 4 of 49 |
| 2020 | 19,220 | 45.2% | 43.7% | 14 of 47 |
| 2019 | 28,667 | 57% | 50% | 4 of 47 |
| 2018 | 26,582 | 58% | 49.2% | 1 of 47 |
| 2017 | 25,752 | 56.6% | 48.5% | 1 of 47 |
| 2016 | 28,712 | 55% | 47.2% | 1 of 47 |
| 2015 | 28,822 | 55.3% | 48.1% | 3 of 47 |
| 2014 | 26,635 | 57.7% | 48.4% | 1 of 47 |
| 2013 | 22,216 | 52.3% | 46.6% | 5 of 47 |
How NCT Kilkenny compares
| # | Centre | Pass rate 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Limerick | 52.3% |
| 9 | Cahirciveen | 52% |
| 10 | Kilkenny | 51.8% |
| 11 | Cork-Blarney | 51.1% |
| 12 | Youghal | 51% |
All 50 centres ranked · Ireland since 2013
The car matters more than the centre
NCT Kilkenny pass rate: questions
What is the NCT pass rate in Kilkenny?
In 2025, 51.8% of cars passed the full NCT at Kilkenny on the first attempt (19,156 of 36,947 initial tests), 2.6 points above the national rate of 49.2%. 91.3% of retests passed.
Has the pass rate at Kilkenny gone up or down?
Results go back to 2013 (52.3%). The best year was 2021 (58.6%) and the weakest 2020 (45.2%). In 2025 it was 51.8%.
Is it easier to pass the NCT in Kilkenny?
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.