Best & Worst Driving Test Centres in East of England
The East of England covers Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk — commuter towns near London alongside the rural east coast. Across the 21 East of England test centres, car pass rates ranged from 39.2% to 62.3% in April 2025 to March 2026.
Quick answer: In East of England, Ipswich is the easiest by pass rate (62.3%) and Luton the hardest (39.2%). The national average is 50.0%.
Centres
21
Pass-rate range
39.2%–62.3%
Mean of centres
51.3%
Tests conducted
174,746
All 21 East of England test centres, ranked
Highest pass rate first. Each centre links to its full breakdown.
| # | Test centre | Pass rate | Tests | UK rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ipswich | 62.3% | 11,466 | 39 / 317 |
| 2 | Norwich (Peachman Way) | 61.7% | 12,541 | 43 / 317 |
| 3 | Letchworth | 57.5% | 5,243 | 75 / 317 |
| 4 | Chelmsford | 55.4% | 9,107 | 110 / 317 |
| 5 | Stevenage | 55.3% | 4,622 | 112 / 317 |
| 6 | Cambridge (Brookmount Court) | 53.8% | 13,689 | 128 / 317 |
| 7 | Bedford | 53.7% | 8,854 | 130 / 317 |
| 8 | Peterborough | 52.8% | 10,551 | 146 / 317 |
| 9 | Kings Lynn | 51.9% | 6,694 | 162 / 317 |
| 10 | Bishops Stortford | 51.3% | 6,409 | 181 / 317 |
| 11 | St Albans | 50.7% | 7,336 | 196 / 317 |
| 12 | Colchester | 50.6% | 7,756 | 199 / 317 |
| 13 | Tilbury | 50.4% | 5,083 | 202 / 317 |
| 14 | Leighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road) | 49.9% | 7,667 | 207 / 317 |
| 15 | Basildon | 49.1% | 8,359 | 216 / 317 |
| 16 | Clacton-on-Sea | 48.2% | 4,840 | 230 / 317 |
| 17 | Southend-on-Sea | 47.0% | 7,526 | 244 / 317 |
| 18 | Watford | 46.2% | 12,939 | 259 / 317 |
| 19 | Bury St Edmunds | 46.2% | 8,702 | 260 / 317 |
| 20 | Lowestoft(Mobbs Way) | 43.3% | 7,603 | 283 / 317 |
| 21 | Luton | 39.2% | 7,759 | 310 / 317 |
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Frequently asked questions about driving test centres in East of England
Which is the easiest driving test centre in East of England?
By pass rate, Ipswich is the easiest place to pass in East of England, with a car practical pass rate of 62.3% for April 2025 to March 2026 (DVSA table DRT122A). It ranks 39 of all UK centres. A higher local pass rate usually reflects quieter roads, not an easier exam.
Which is the hardest driving test centre in East of England?
Luton has the lowest car practical pass rate in East of England at 39.2% for April 2025 to March 2026. Every examiner marks to the same national standard, so a lower rate reflects busier or more complex local roads rather than a tougher test.
What is the average driving test pass rate in East of England?
Across the 21 DVSA car test centres in East of England, pass rates ranged from 39.2% to 62.3% for April 2025 to March 2026. The simple mean of these centres is 51.3% — 1.3 points above the national average of 50.0%. (This mean is a GeraRide calculation across the listed centres, not an official regional figure.)
How many driving test centres are there in East of England?
This page covers 21 DVSA car practical test centres located in East of England, which together conducted 174,746 tests in April 2025 to March 2026. Centres are grouped by the region their town sits in; all pass-rate figures are exactly as published by the DVSA in table DRT122A.
Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), table DRT122A — Driving test and theory test data (cars). Reporting period April 2025 to March 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-25. Centres are grouped into East of England by the location of each test centre’s town; the mean is a GeraRide calculation across the listed centres, not an official regional figure. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.