Chelmsford driving test centre pass rate
Official DVSA figures for car practical tests, April 2025 to March 2026.
55.4% of car driving tests at Chelmsford were passes from April 2025 to March 2026: 5,044 of 9,107 tests. That is 5.3 points above the Great Britain rate of 50.0%.
At a glance
| Chelmsford | |
|---|---|
| Tests conducted | 9,107 |
| Passes | 5,044 |
| Pass rate | 55.4% |
| Men | 56.9% |
| Women | 53.7% |
| Rank in Great Britain | 66 of 260 |
| Rank in East of England | 4 of 24 |
| Median wait from booking to test | 17.0 weeks (August 2026) |
| Tests taken within 7 weeks of booking | 24% |
Pass rate by age, 17 to 25
DVSA publishes the age breakdown for younger candidates only. Figures for April 2025 to March 2026.
| Age | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1,990 | 66.5% |
| 18 | 1,427 | 57.5% |
| 19 | 551 | 57.5% |
| 20 | 384 | 55.5% |
| 21 | 354 | 58.8% |
| 22 | 335 | 57.6% |
| 23 | 293 | 53.6% |
| 25 | 264 | 50.0% |
Pass rate over the years
| Year | Tests | Chelmsford | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | 9,107 | 55.4% | 50.0% |
| Apr 2013 to Mar 2014 | 6,682 | 40.9% | 47.1% |
| Apr 2012 to Mar 2013 | 6,863 | 39.3% | 47.1% |
| Apr 2011 to Mar 2012 | 8,019 | 39.9% | 46.9% |
| Apr 2010 to Mar 2011 | 8,388 | 38.7% | 46.3% |
| Apr 2009 to Mar 2010 | 7,891 | 39.0% | 45.9% |
| Apr 2008 to Mar 2009 | 8,664 | 38.8% | 45.3% |
| Apr 2007 to Mar 2008 | 8,162 | 34.9% | 44.2% |
Other test centres in East of England
| Centre | Pass rate | Tests | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basildon | 49.1% | 8,359 | 4.8 weeks |
| Bedford | 53.7% | 8,854 | 27.1 weeks |
| Bishops Stortford | 51.3% | 6,409 | 10.4 weeks |
| Borehamwood (London) | 50.8% | 7,195 | 10.9 weeks |
| Brentwood (London) | 48.5% | 5,791 | 3.6 weeks |
| Bury St Edmunds | 46.2% | 8,702 | 11.1 weeks |
| Cambridge (Brookmount Court) | 53.8% | 13,689 | 20.1 weeks |
| Clacton-on-Sea | 48.2% | 4,840 | 14.2 weeks |
| Colchester | 50.6% | 7,756 | 12.4 weeks |
| Ipswich | 62.3% | 11,466 | 8.0 weeks |
| Kings Lynn | 51.9% | 6,694 | 15.4 weeks |
| Leighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road) | 49.9% | 7,667 | 16.6 weeks |
| Letchworth | 57.5% | 5,243 | 25.0 weeks |
| Loughton (London) | 47.0% | 7,376 | 9.4 weeks |
| Lowestoft(Mobbs Way) | 43.3% | 7,603 | 14.1 weeks |
| Luton | 39.2% | 7,759 | 10.3 weeks |
| Norwich (Peachman Way) | 61.7% | 12,541 | 10.1 weeks |
| Peterborough | 52.8% | 10,551 | 17.0 weeks |
| Southend-on-Sea | 47.0% | 7,526 | 7.5 weeks |
| St Albans | 50.7% | 7,336 | 6.7 weeks |
| Stevenage | 55.3% | 4,622 | 6.7 weeks |
| Tilbury | 50.4% | 5,083 | 7.1 weeks |
| Watford | 46.2% | 12,939 | 15.4 weeks |
A high pass rate does not mean an easier test. Every centre tests to the same standard. The rate reflects who tests there: how much practice they have had, how many are on a first attempt, and the roads they learned on. Choosing a centre for its pass rate rarely helps if the roads are unfamiliar.
Before your test
Most learners who pass have had plenty of practice on top of their lessons, and practising in a family car means the car needs to insure you. Which kind of learner cover fits your situation and how short-term learner cover works are explained here, and every provider is compared side by side.
Source: DVSA, Driving test and theory test data: cars, Open Government Licence v3.0. Car practical tests, April 2025 to March 2026. DVSA leaves out centres where one examiner conducted every test (they still count in the national figure). Waiting times are DVSA's monthly figures. Every centre.