Test Centre Stats

South East, England · DVSA car test centre

Ashford (Kent) driving test centre

International House, Dover Place, Ashford, TN23 1HU

Tests here: car, ADI part 3.

Waiting times to September 2026 and pass rates for 2025–26, from DVSA statistics published .

Median wait, September 2026

7.1 weeks

−4.0 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

46.2%

−3.8 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

61 of 314

1 = shortest wait; joint 7th of 32 South East

Weeks to 10% of slots free

17 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Ashford (Kent) in September 2026 had booked it a median of 7.1 weeks earlier: 4.5 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 4.3 weeks shorter than the South East figure (11.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 11.1 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 4 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 4 weeks to 11.6 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 17 weeks to reach a week with at least 10% of its test slots free (Great Britain: 19.7 weeks). Across the whole 24-week window, 23.8% of standard slots were still unbooked (Great Britain: 13.3%).

Waiting time over the last two years

Median weeks between booking a test and taking it, for tests taken each month.

  • Ashford (Kent)
  • South East
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Ashford (Kent), October 2024 to September 2026Ashford (Kent): 7.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0510152025Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 267.1Weeks0510152025Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 267.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Ashford (Kent), October 2024 to September 2026
MonthAshford (Kent)South EastGreat Britain
September 20267.111.411.6
August 20266.311.011.1
July 20266.310.011.1
June 20264.79.610.7
May 20264.38.79.7
April 20264.19.09.1
March 20265.38.49.0
February 20264.010.110.4
January 20265.710.010.1
December 20258.310.710.1
November 202510.310.310.4
October 202511.612.311.6
September 202511.113.312.4
August 202510.313.011.7
July 202511.412.412.0
June 202510.411.311.0
May 202513.611.011.3
April 202511.610.610.6
March 202515.310.910.4
February 202514.411.011.4
January 202516.311.911.0
December 202412.911.010.4
November 202412.110.49.9
October 202419.311.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Ashford (Kent) in September 2026, 49.8% had been booked within 7 weeks and 20.5% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Ashford (Kent)
South East
Great Britain

At Ashford (Kent), 49.8% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 20.5% more than 21 weeks ahead.

Show these figures as a table
How far ahead tests taken in September 2026 were booked
Within 7 weeks7 to 14 weeks14 to 21 weeksOver 21 weeks
Ashford (Kent)49.8%15.4%14.3%20.5%
South East42.5%13.1%14.2%30.2%
Great Britain41.1%14.2%15.2%29.5%

If your test is booked here

Since 9 June 2026 a car test can only be moved to one of the three centres DVSA lists as nearest by road (or back to the centre where you first booked), and you get two changes in total. For a test booked at Ashford (Kent), those three are below. Of the three, Canterbury (5.4 weeks) had a median wait at least a week shorter than Ashford (Kent) in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Ashford (Kent) can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Ashford (Kent)Pass rate 2025–26
Canterburyabout 15 miles by roadabout 15 mi5.4 weeks−1.7 wk45.8%
Folkestoneabout 16 miles by roadabout 16 mi7.1 weeksno change42.4%
Maidstoneabout 20 miles by roadabout 20 mi9.7 weeks+2.6 wk60.2%

From DVSA's list of centres you can move your test to, which it says may change. The change service shows your actual options.

Pass rates

In 2025–26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 5,475 car tests were taken here and 46.2% passed, 3.8 points below the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 52.0%, so the rate fell by 5.8 points. First attempts did about the same: 45.9% of 2,473 first-time candidates passed, and 2.1% did it with no faults at all.

  • Ashford (Kent)
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    46.2%3.8 points below Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    45.9%4.6 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    2.1%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    45.7%5.1 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    46.9%2.2 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    54.2%9.4 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars29% of tests here were in automatics
    42.1%2.5 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Ashford (Kent) compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureAshford (Kent)Great Britain
All tests46.2%50.0%
First attempts45.9%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults2.1%2.9%
Men45.7%50.8%
Women46.9%49.1%
17-year-olds54.2%63.6%
Automatic cars42.1%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Ashford (Kent)
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Ashford (Kent) by financial yearPass rate at Ashford (Kent) in 2025–26: 46.2%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Ashford (Kent), 2019–20: 44.2%44Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Ashford (Kent), 2020–21: 50.1%50Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Ashford (Kent), 2021–22: 46.2%46Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Ashford (Kent), 2022–23: 49.7%50Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Ashford (Kent), 2023–24: 49.0%49Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Ashford (Kent), 2024–25: 52.0%52Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Ashford (Kent), 2025–26: 46.2%46Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Ashford (Kent), 2019–20: 44.2%44Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Ashford (Kent), 2020–21: 50.1%50Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Ashford (Kent), 2021–22: 46.2%46Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Ashford (Kent), 2022–23: 49.7%50Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Ashford (Kent), 2023–24: 49.0%49Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Ashford (Kent), 2024–25: 52.0%52Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Ashford (Kent), 2025–26: 46.2%46Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Ashford (Kent) by financial year
YearAshford (Kent)Great Britain
2019–2044.2%45.9%
2020–2150.1%49.8%
2021–2246.2%48.9%
2022–2349.7%48.4%
2023–2449.0%47.9%
2024–2552.0%48.7%
2025–2646.2%50.0%

Years run April to March; ’20 is 2020–21.

By age, 17 to 25 (2025–26)

Candidates aged 17 did best here, at 54.2%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1754.2% of 1,039
  • Age 1848.4% of 668
  • Age 1947.8% of 395
  • Age 2046.2% of 238
  • Age 2148.4% of 190
  • Age 2347.0% of 168
  • Age 2446.2% of 145
  • Age 2543.7% of 142

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 187 tests at Ashford (Kent), about 34.2 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (110). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness110
  • Examiner leave54
  • Weather and other acts of nature23

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is New Romney (St Mary's Bay Village Hall, 15 Jefferstone Lane, TN29 0SW), 10 mi away. In 2025–26, 47.2% of its 1,859 car theory tests were passes, 2.4 points above the Great Britain rate (44.8%). You can sit the theory test at any centre.

Nearby centres

The nearest centre with a shorter wait is Canterbury, 13 mi away, at 5.4 weeks. Within the same list, Maidstone (17 mi) had a pass rate of 60.2%. You can book a new test at any centre in Great Britain, but once it's booked a car test can only be moved to the three centres DVSA names for that centre. Distances here are straight-line.

Centres near Ashford (Kent), with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
CanterburyShorter wait13 mi5.4 weeks45.8%
Folkestone13 mi7.1 weeks42.4%
MaidstoneHigher pass rate17 mi9.7 weeks60.2%
Herne BayHigher pass rate19 mi8.6 weeks55.9%
Medway Ambley RoadShorter wait20 mi1 week–
GillinghamHigher pass rate20 mi12 weeks56.4%
Hastings (Ore)Higher pass rate22 mi17.1 weeks52.4%
Tunbridge WellsHigher pass rate27 mi10.6 weeks64.5%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Canterbury: 5.4 weeksFolkestone: 7.1 weeksMaidstone: 9.7 weeksHerne Bay: 8.6 weeksMedway Ambley Road: 1 weekGillingham: 12 weeksHastings (Ore): 17.1 weeksTunbridge Wells: 10.6 weeksAshford (Kent)Ashford (Kent)

Reading these figures

  • The waiting time is a median for tests taken that month: half of candidates booked closer to their test date, half further ahead. It is not the earliest date you could book today, which can be sooner when tests are cancelled or extra ones are added.
  • DVSA marks figures from April 2025 onwards as provisional; they can be revised at the quarterly update.
  • Pass rates are published once a year; the latest cover April 2025 to March 2026. Waiting times are monthly, to September 2026.
  • The figures cover DVSA car tests only, not tests run by delegated examiners (such as some fleet and emergency service tests).

To book or move a test, use the official services: book your driving test or change your driving test on GOV.UK. DVSA explains when new tests are released. We have no link with DVSA and no access to its booking system.

Sources

DVSA, Driving test and theory test data: cars: tables DRT122F (waiting times), DRT121G (regional and national), DRT122A to DRT122E (pass rates), DRT122B (cancellations) and DRT112A (theory tests). Address and coordinates from GOV.UK's Find a driving test centre. Open Government Licence v3.0. Checked 3 November 2026.