Test Centre Stats

South East, England · DVSA car test centre

Folkestone driving test centre

Palting House, Trinity Road, Folkestone, CT20 2TS · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car, motorcycle module 2 (on-road), ADI part 2, 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

+2.0 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

42.4%

−7.6 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

9 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Folkestone 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 5.1 weeks, so the wait has grown by 2 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 4.9 weeks to 7.9 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 9 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, 45.3% 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.

  • Folkestone
  • South East
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Folkestone, October 2024 to September 2026Folkestone: 7.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.051015Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 267.1Weeks051015Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 267.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Folkestone, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthFolkestoneSouth EastGreat Britain
September 20267.111.411.6
August 20267.911.011.1
July 20267.910.011.1
June 20265.49.610.7
May 20264.98.79.7
April 20266.09.09.1
March 20266.48.49.0
February 20266.710.110.4
January 20266.210.010.1
December 20256.710.710.1
November 20255.210.310.4
October 20255.712.311.6
September 20255.113.312.4
August 20257.313.011.7
July 20255.612.412.0
June 20254.911.311.0
May 20255.311.011.3
April 20255.110.610.6
March 20255.910.910.4
February 20258.311.011.4
January 20259.411.911.0
December 20248.311.010.4
November 20247.110.49.9
October 202410.611.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Folkestone in September 2026, 49.8% had been booked within 7 weeks and 9.9% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Folkestone
South East
Great Britain

At Folkestone, 49.8% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 9.9% 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
Folkestone49.8%20.6%19.7%9.9%
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 Folkestone, those three are below. Of the three, Canterbury (5.4 weeks) had a median wait at least a week shorter than Folkestone in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Folkestone can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs FolkestonePass rate 2025–26
Ashford (Kent)about 16 miles by roadabout 16 mi7.1 weeksno change46.2%
Canterburyabout 17 miles by roadabout 17 mi5.4 weeks−1.7 wk45.8%
Herne Bayabout 3 miles by roadabout 3 mi8.6 weeks+1.5 wk55.9%

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), 7,818 car tests were taken here and 42.4% passed, 7.6 points below the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 45.4%, so the rate fell by 3.0 points. First attempts did about the same: 42.2% of 3,352 first-time candidates passed, and 2.3% did it with no faults at all.

  • Folkestone
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    42.4%7.6 points below Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    42.2%8.3 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    2.3%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    40.5%10.3 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    45.4%3.7 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    55.7%7.9 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars25% of tests here were in automatics
    34.3%10.3 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Folkestone compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureFolkestoneGreat Britain
All tests42.4%50.0%
First attempts42.2%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults2.3%2.9%
Men40.5%50.8%
Women45.4%49.1%
17-year-olds55.7%63.6%
Automatic cars34.3%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Folkestone
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Folkestone by financial yearPass rate at Folkestone in 2025–26: 42.4%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Folkestone, 2019–20: 41.3%41Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Folkestone, 2020–21: 49.1%49Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Folkestone, 2021–22: 47.3%47Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Folkestone, 2022–23: 43.3%43Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Folkestone, 2023–24: 42.1%42Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Folkestone, 2024–25: 45.4%45Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Folkestone, 2025–26: 42.4%42Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Folkestone, 2019–20: 41.3%41Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Folkestone, 2020–21: 49.1%49Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Folkestone, 2021–22: 47.3%47Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Folkestone, 2022–23: 43.3%43Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Folkestone, 2023–24: 42.1%42Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Folkestone, 2024–25: 45.4%45Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Folkestone, 2025–26: 42.4%42Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Folkestone by financial year
YearFolkestoneGreat Britain
2019–2041.3%45.9%
2020–2149.1%49.8%
2021–2247.3%48.9%
2022–2343.3%48.4%
2023–2442.1%47.9%
2024–2545.4%48.7%
2025–2642.4%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 55.7%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1755.7% of 1,268
  • Age 1848.3% of 896
  • Age 1942.9% of 480
  • Age 2042.2% of 405
  • Age 2140.6% of 293
  • Age 2247.6% of 328
  • Age 2435.9% of 281
  • Age 2539.9% of 283

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 279 tests at Folkestone, about 35.7 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (139). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness139
  • Examiner leave116
  • Weather and other acts of nature24

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), 9.6 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, 14 mi away, at 5.4 weeks. Within the same list, Ashford (Kent) (13 mi) had a pass rate of 46.2%. 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 Folkestone, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Ashford (Kent)Higher pass rate13 mi7.1 weeks46.2%
CanterburyShorter waitHigher pass rate14 mi5.4 weeks45.8%
Herne BayHigher pass rate20 mi8.6 weeks55.9%
Hastings (Ore)Higher pass rate28 mi17.1 weeks52.4%
MaidstoneHigher pass rate31 mi9.7 weeks60.2%
Medway Ambley RoadShorter wait32 mi1 week–
GillinghamHigher pass rate32 mi12 weeks56.4%
Southend-on-SeaHigher pass rate38 mi17.6 weeks47.0%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Ashford (Kent): 7.1 weeksCanterbury: 5.4 weeksHerne Bay: 8.6 weeksHastings (Ore): 17.1 weeksMaidstone: 9.7 weeksMedway Ambley Road: 1 weekGillingham: 12 weeksSouthend-on-Sea: 17.6 weeksFolkestoneFolkestone

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.