Best & Worst Driving Test Centres in South East England
The South East covers Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight — the busiest region outside London. Across the 30 South East England test centres, car pass rates ranged from 41.3% to 64.5% in April 2025 to March 2026.
Quick answer: In South East England, Tunbridge Wells is the easiest by pass rate (64.5%) and Banbury the hardest (41.3%). The national average is 50.0%.
Centres
30
Pass-rate range
41.3%–64.5%
Mean of centres
53.5%
Tests conducted
223,693
All 30 South East England test centres, ranked
Highest pass rate first. Each centre links to its full breakdown.
| # | Test centre | Pass rate | Tests | UK rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunbridge Wells | 64.5% | 5,726 | 28 / 317 |
| 2 | Lee On The Solent | 63.2% | 8,502 | 36 / 317 |
| 3 | Chichester | 61.6% | 6,672 | 44 / 317 |
| 4 | Maidstone | 60.2% | 8,053 | 50 / 317 |
| 5 | Worthing | 59.8% | 8,495 | 52 / 317 |
| 6 | Farnborough | 59.7% | 10,482 | 54 / 317 |
| 7 | Sevenoaks | 59.0% | 6,740 | 60 / 317 |
| 8 | Guildford | 57.1% | 4,542 | 83 / 317 |
| 9 | Basingstoke | 56.8% | 5,009 | 88 / 317 |
| 10 | Greenham | 56.5% | 3,931 | 92 / 317 |
| 11 | Gillingham | 56.4% | 14,886 | 93 / 317 |
| 12 | Herne Bay | 55.9% | 10,674 | 100 / 317 |
| 13 | Reading | 55.4% | 9,237 | 109 / 317 |
| 14 | Eastbourne | 55.4% | 6,031 | 111 / 317 |
| 15 | Newport (Isle of Wight) | 54.1% | 3,616 | 120 / 317 |
| 16 | Redhill Aerodrome | 53.9% | 5,408 | 124 / 317 |
| 17 | Portsmouth | 52.8% | 13,518 | 145 / 317 |
| 18 | Hastings (Ore) | 52.4% | 3,892 | 153 / 317 |
| 19 | Winchester | 52.2% | 4,602 | 156 / 317 |
| 20 | Bletchley | 51.5% | 9,415 | 173 / 317 |
| 21 | High Wycombe | 51.5% | 3,534 | 174 / 317 |
| 22 | Oxford (Cowley) | 50.6% | 5,419 | 200 / 317 |
| 23 | Southampton (Maybush) | 50.3% | 10,480 | 203 / 317 |
| 24 | Aylesbury | 49.3% | 5,255 | 213 / 317 |
| 25 | Ashford (Kent) | 46.2% | 5,475 | 261 / 317 |
| 26 | Canterbury | 45.8% | 4,670 | 265 / 317 |
| 27 | Burgess Hill | 45.5% | 11,237 | 267 / 317 |
| 28 | Crawley | 42.7% | 11,305 | 288 / 317 |
| 29 | Folkestone | 42.4% | 7,818 | 290 / 317 |
| 30 | Banbury | 41.3% | 9,069 | 298 / 317 |
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Frequently asked questions about driving test centres in South East England
Which is the easiest driving test centre in South East England?
By pass rate, Tunbridge Wells is the easiest place to pass in South East England, with a car practical pass rate of 64.5% for April 2025 to March 2026 (DVSA table DRT122A). It ranks 28 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 South East England?
Banbury has the lowest car practical pass rate in South East England at 41.3% 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 South East England?
Across the 30 DVSA car test centres in South East England, pass rates ranged from 41.3% to 64.5% for April 2025 to March 2026. The simple mean of these centres is 53.5% — 3.5 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 South East England?
This page covers 30 DVSA car practical test centres located in South East England, which together conducted 223,693 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 South East 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.