Test Centre Stats

East of England, England · DVSA car test centre

Clacton-on-Sea driving test centre

103 - 105 Carnarvon Road, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 6QA

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

6.4 weeks

+0.4 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

48.2%

−1.8 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

49 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 9th of 24 East of England

Weeks to 10% of slots free

20.3 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Clacton-on-Sea in September 2026 had booked it a median of 6.4 weeks earlier: 5.2 weeks shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 5.6 weeks shorter than the East of England figure (12 weeks). That's about where it was in September 2025 (6 weeks). Over the last 12 months it ranged from 6.3 weeks to 14.3 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 20.3 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, 20.4% 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.

  • Clacton-on-Sea
  • East of England
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Clacton-on-Sea, October 2024 to September 2026Clacton-on-Sea: 6.4 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 266.4Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 266.4Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Clacton-on-Sea, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthClacton-on-SeaEast of EnglandGreat Britain
September 20266.412.011.6
August 202614.211.911.1
July 202614.211.711.1
June 202614.311.410.7
May 202613.59.49.7
April 202611.49.09.1
March 20268.09.39.0
February 202610.111.010.4
January 202610.410.410.1
December 20256.310.110.1
November 20257.010.010.4
October 20258.011.611.6
September 20256.012.112.4
August 20259.610.911.7
July 20259.410.312.0
June 20258.49.311.0
May 20258.59.611.3
April 20255.68.310.6
March 20254.98.010.4
February 20254.18.611.4
January 20254.98.911.0
December 20242.99.710.4
November 20244.08.39.9
October 20249.37.99.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Clacton-on-Sea in September 2026, 50.6% had been booked within 7 weeks and 28.9% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Clacton-on-Sea
East of England
Great Britain

At Clacton-on-Sea, 50.6% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 28.9% 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
Clacton-on-Sea50.6%9.6%11.0%28.9%
East of England42.2%11.0%11.7%35.1%
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 Clacton-on-Sea, those three are below. Of the three, Ipswich (5.3 weeks) had a median wait at least a week shorter than Clacton-on-Sea in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Clacton-on-Sea can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Clacton-on-SeaPass rate 2025–26
Colchesterabout 15 miles by roadabout 15 mi12.1 weeks+5.7 wk50.6%
Ipswichabout 25 miles by roadabout 25 mi5.3 weeks−1.1 wk62.3%
Chelmsfordabout 42 miles by roadabout 42 mi20.9 weeks+14.5 wk55.4%

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), 4,840 car tests were taken here and 48.2% passed, 1.8 points below the Great Britain rate (50.0%). That's close to the year before (47.4%). First attempts did about the same: 48.9% of 2,229 first-time candidates passed, and 3.4% did it with no faults at all.

  • Clacton-on-Sea
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    48.2%1.8 points below Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    48.9%1.6 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    3.4%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    46.8%4.0 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    50.1%1.0 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    61.2%2.4 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars26% of tests here were in automatics
    43.8%about the same as Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Clacton-on-Sea compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureClacton-on-SeaGreat Britain
All tests48.2%50.0%
First attempts48.9%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults3.4%2.9%
Men46.8%50.8%
Women50.1%49.1%
17-year-olds61.2%63.6%
Automatic cars43.8%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Clacton-on-Sea
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Clacton-on-Sea by financial yearPass rate at Clacton-on-Sea in 2025–26: 48.2%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Clacton-on-Sea, 2019–20: 53.1%53Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Clacton-on-Sea, 2020–21: 63.9%64Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Clacton-on-Sea, 2021–22: 52.8%53Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Clacton-on-Sea, 2022–23: 49.5%49Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Clacton-on-Sea, 2023–24: 51.1%51Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Clacton-on-Sea, 2024–25: 47.4%47Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Clacton-on-Sea, 2025–26: 48.2%48Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Clacton-on-Sea, 2019–20: 53.1%53Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Clacton-on-Sea, 2020–21: 63.9%64Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Clacton-on-Sea, 2021–22: 52.8%53Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Clacton-on-Sea, 2022–23: 49.5%49Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Clacton-on-Sea, 2023–24: 51.1%51Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Clacton-on-Sea, 2024–25: 47.4%47Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Clacton-on-Sea, 2025–26: 48.2%48Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Clacton-on-Sea by financial year
YearClacton-on-SeaGreat Britain
2019–2053.1%45.9%
2020–2163.9%49.8%
2021–2252.8%48.9%
2022–2349.5%48.4%
2023–2451.1%47.9%
2024–2547.4%48.7%
2025–2648.2%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 61.2%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1761.2% of 972
  • Age 1853.7% of 643
  • Age 1956.2% of 306
  • Age 2048.5% of 194
  • Age 2151.7% of 209
  • Age 2250.0% of 166
  • Age 2350.4% of 141
  • Age 2447.4% of 133
  • Age 2547.7% of 128

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 76 tests at Clacton-on-Sea, about 15.7 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (58). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness58
  • Examiner leave10
  • Weather and other acts of nature8

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Colchester (Ground Floor, Block F, The Knowledge Gateway, Nesfield Road, CO4 3ZL), 11 mi away. In 2025–26, 45.1% of its 15,487 car theory tests were passes, close to 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 Ipswich, 17 mi away, at 5.3 weeks. Within the same list, Colchester (11 mi) had a pass rate of 50.6%. 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 Clacton-on-Sea, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
ColchesterHigher pass rate11 mi12.1 weeks50.6%
IpswichShorter waitHigher pass rate17 mi5.3 weeks62.3%
ChelmsfordHigher pass rate22 mi20.9 weeks55.4%
Southend-on-Sea25 mi17.6 weeks47.0%
Herne BayHigher pass rate30 mi8.6 weeks55.9%
BasildonShorter wait32 mi3.7 weeks49.1%
CanterburyShorter wait36 mi5.4 weeks45.8%
Bury St Edmunds37 mi12.7 weeks46.2%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Colchester: 12.1 weeksIpswich: 5.3 weeksChelmsford: 20.9 weeksSouthend-on-Sea: 17.6 weeksHerne Bay: 8.6 weeksBasildon: 3.7 weeksCanterbury: 5.4 weeksBury St Edmunds: 12.7 weeksClacton-on-SeaClacton-on-Sea

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.