Test Centre Stats

South East, England · DVSA car test centre

Tunbridge Wells driving test centre

8 Upper Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2ES

Tests here: car, motorcycle module 2 (on-road), ADI part 3.

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

Median wait, September 2026

10.6 weeks

−1.5 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

64.5%

+14.5 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

123 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 16th of 32 South East

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Tunbridge Wells in September 2026 had booked it a median of 10.6 weeks earlier: 1 week shorter than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 0.8 weeks shorter than the South East figure (11.4 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 12.1 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 1.5 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 8.6 weeks to 13 weeks.

When DVSA took its snapshot on the last Monday of September 2026, no week in the next 24 had even 10% of its slots free. DVSA caps this measure at 24 weeks, so the true figure could be longer. Across the whole 24-week window, 6.3% 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.

  • Tunbridge Wells
  • South East
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Tunbridge Wells, October 2024 to September 2026Tunbridge Wells: 10.6 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2610.6Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2610.6Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Tunbridge Wells, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthTunbridge WellsSouth EastGreat Britain
September 202610.611.411.6
August 202610.011.011.1
July 202610.010.011.1
June 202612.09.610.7
May 202611.38.79.7
April 20269.69.09.1
March 20269.88.49.0
February 20268.610.110.4
January 202611.310.010.1
December 202513.010.710.1
November 202510.110.310.4
October 202511.312.311.6
September 202512.113.312.4
August 202514.413.011.7
July 202514.912.412.0
June 202510.511.311.0
May 202511.311.011.3
April 202515.110.610.6
March 20259.710.910.4
February 20257.411.011.4
January 202510.711.911.0
December 202410.911.010.4
November 202411.310.49.9
October 202411.411.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Tunbridge Wells in September 2026, 42.7% had been booked within 7 weeks and 28.3% more than 21 weeks before.

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

At Tunbridge Wells, 42.7% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 28.3% 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
Tunbridge Wells42.7%14.4%14.7%28.3%
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 Tunbridge Wells, those three are below. None of the three had a median wait more than a week shorter than Tunbridge Wells in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Tunbridge Wells can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Tunbridge WellsPass rate 2025–26
Sevenoaksabout 14 miles by roadabout 14 mi15 weeks+4.4 wk59.0%
Maidstoneabout 17 miles by roadabout 17 mi9.7 weeks−0.9 wk60.2%
Redhill Aerodromeabout 25 miles by roadabout 25 mi13.3 weeks+2.7 wk53.9%

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), 5,726 car tests were taken here and 64.5% passed, 14.5 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 58.9%, so the rate rose by 5.6 points. First attempts did about the same: 65.4% of 3,225 first-time candidates passed, and 7.8% did it with no faults at all.

  • Tunbridge Wells
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    64.5%14.5 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    65.4%14.9 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    7.8%4.9 points above Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    65.2%14.4 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    63.7%14.6 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    71.6%8.0 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars26% of tests here were in automatics
    61.0%16.4 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Tunbridge Wells compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureTunbridge WellsGreat Britain
All tests64.5%50.0%
First attempts65.4%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults7.8%2.9%
Men65.2%50.8%
Women63.7%49.1%
17-year-olds71.6%63.6%
Automatic cars61.0%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Tunbridge Wells
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Tunbridge Wells by financial yearPass rate at Tunbridge Wells in 2025–26: 64.5%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Tunbridge Wells, 2019–20: 50.5%51Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Tunbridge Wells, 2020–21: 58.6%59Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Tunbridge Wells, 2021–22: 59.7%60Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Tunbridge Wells, 2022–23: 58.6%59Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Tunbridge Wells, 2023–24: 59.5%59Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Tunbridge Wells, 2024–25: 58.9%59Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Tunbridge Wells, 2025–26: 64.5%65Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Tunbridge Wells, 2019–20: 50.5%51Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Tunbridge Wells, 2020–21: 58.6%59Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Tunbridge Wells, 2021–22: 59.7%60Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Tunbridge Wells, 2022–23: 58.6%59Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Tunbridge Wells, 2023–24: 59.5%59Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Tunbridge Wells, 2024–25: 58.9%59Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Tunbridge Wells, 2025–26: 64.5%65Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Tunbridge Wells by financial year
YearTunbridge WellsGreat Britain
2019–2050.5%45.9%
2020–2158.6%49.8%
2021–2259.7%48.9%
2022–2358.6%48.4%
2023–2459.5%47.9%
2024–2558.9%48.7%
2025–2664.5%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 71.6%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1771.6% of 1,551
  • Age 1864.8% of 836
  • Age 1967.7% of 322
  • Age 2060.6% of 221
  • Age 2164.8% of 179
  • Age 2268.1% of 238
  • Age 2361.0% of 154
  • Age 2469.6% of 148
  • Age 2556.9% of 137

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 224 tests at Tunbridge Wells, about 39.1 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (124). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness124
  • Examiner leave79
  • Weather and other acts of nature21

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Royal Tunbridge Wells (Foundation House, Coach & Horses Passage, The Pantiles, TN2 5NP), 0.7 mi away. In 2025–26, 53.6% of its 9,660 car theory tests were passes, 8.8 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 West Wickham (London), 20 mi away, at 6 weeks. No nearby centre had a pass rate more than 2 points higher. 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 Tunbridge Wells, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Sevenoaks9.9 mi15 weeks59.0%
Maidstone14 mi9.7 weeks60.2%
Redhill Aerodrome19 mi13.3 weeks53.9%
West Wickham (London)Shorter wait20 mi6 weeks51.6%
Sidcup (London)21 mi23 weeks58.7%
Crawley21 mi17.8 weeks42.7%
Medway Ambley RoadShorter wait21 mi1 week–
Gillingham21 mi12 weeks56.4%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Sevenoaks: 15 weeksMaidstone: 9.7 weeksRedhill Aerodrome: 13.3 weeksWest Wickham (London): 6 weeksSidcup (London): 23 weeksCrawley: 17.8 weeksMedway Ambley Road: 1 weekGillingham: 12 weeksTunbridge WellsTunbridge Wells

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.
  • "Weeks to 10% availability" stops at 24 because DVSA only releases tests 24 weeks ahead. A figure of 24 means "24 or more".
  • 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.