Which test centre has the highest pass rate in East London?

Within East London, Tottenham (48.9%) and Loughton (47.0%) lead, while Sidcup in the south east is higher at 58.7%. Chingford is the toughest at 39.9%. Figures are DVSA official statistics for 2025/26. See our full East London pass rate table for the complete ranking.

How long is the wait time to book a driving test?

Wait times vary by centre. Currently, most East London centres have 5-8 week waits. Tilbury and Hornchurch often have shorter waits (4-6 weeks), while busier centres like Croydon can be 9-12 weeks.

Can I choose which test centre to take my test at?

Yes, you can book your practical test at any DVSA test centre. We recommend choosing a centre where you have practiced, as familiarity with local roads significantly improves your chances of passing.

Should I take lessons near my test centre?

Absolutely. Taking at least some lessons near your test centre is highly recommended. Your instructor can show you the common test routes, tricky junctions, and areas where most faults occur.

What makes some test centres harder than others?

Pass rates vary due to road complexity, traffic density, and the number of challenging junctions. A busy centre like Chingford (39.9%) routes candidates onto fast roads quickly, while a more forgiving centre like Sidcup (58.7%) sits well above average. Figures: DVSA 2025/26.

How do I book a driving test?

You can book your practical driving test on the GOV.UK website. You will need your provisional licence number, theory test pass certificate number, and a debit or credit card. The test costs £62 on weekdays or £75 on evenings/weekends.

DVSA official data · 2025/26

East London Driving Test Centre Pass Rates

Pass rates for every East and South East London test centre we cover, from the latest full year of DVSA figures, set against the 50.0% national average.

58.7%

Highest (Sidcup)

39.9%

Lowest (Chingford)

18.8pts

Gap, best to worst

50.0%

GB national average

East London test centres ranked by pass rate, 2025/26

Each bar is the DVSA pass rate for the year. The dashed line is the 50.0% Great Britain average.

Sidcup

58.7%

Tottenham

48.9%

Loughton

47.0%

Mitcham

47.0%

Wood Green

46.8%

Hornchurch

46.3%

Wanstead

44.4%

Goodmayes

43.7%

Belvedere

40.5%

Chingford

39.9%

Source: DVSA table DRT122A, financial year April 2025 to March 2026.

Pass rates by test centre, 2025/26

Ranked highest to lowest. Tests conducted is the DVSA sample size for the year, so every centre here is statistically robust (well over 100 tests). GB rank is the position among the 308 centres in Great Britain that conducted 100 tests or more, 1 being the highest pass rate.

Test centre	Pass rate	vs national	Male / female	GB rank	Tests conducted
Sidcup DA14 5AG	58.7%	+8.7	58.7% / 58.7%	57 of 308	14,318	Routes & tips →
Tottenham N17 8JL	48.9%	-1.1	51.2% / 45.6%	210 of 308	9,844	Routes & tips →
Loughton IG10 1RB	47.0%	-3	48.1% / 45.2%	237 of 308	7,376	Routes & tips →
Mitcham CR0 3AQ	47.0%	-3	48.7% / 44.5%	235 of 308	15,046	Routes & tips →
Wood Green N22 5LF	46.8%	-3.2	48.6% / 44.1%	239 of 308	11,379	Routes & tips →
Hornchurch RM12 6JX	46.3%	-3.7	47.0% / 45.2%	250 of 308	8,694	Routes & tips →
Wanstead E11 2AW	44.4%	-5.6	46.1% / 41.7%	267 of 308	8,258	Routes & tips →
Goodmayes IG3 9UZ	43.7%	-6.3	47.2% / 39.1%	273 of 308	21,374	Routes & tips →
Belvedere DA17 5EE	40.5%	-9.5	43.2% / 36.1%	296 of 308	4,245	Routes & tips →
Chingford E4 6AD	39.9%	-10.1	41.8% / 36.8%	300 of 308	13,120	Routes & tips →

Source: DVSA, “Car driving test data by test centre” (table DRT122A), financial year April 2025 to March 2026. View on GOV.UK

Cite this data

This breakdown is free to use with a link to this page. Journalists and instructors are welcome to reproduce the figures. For the raw spreadsheet or an instructor comment on any centre, contact DriveThruL on 020 3397 7273 or info@drivethrul.co.uk.

DriveThruL analysis of DVSA driving test pass rates by centre, 2025/26. https://www.drivethrul.co.uk/driving-test-centres/east-london-pass-rates

What the data shows

18.8pts

The gap between Sidcup (58.7%) and Chingford (39.9%). Where you book can swing your odds more than you might expect.

21,374

Tests conducted at Goodmayes, one of the busiest centres in the capital, which still passes only 43.7%, below the national average.

Routes

The single biggest thing you control is practising the actual test routes for your centre. We teach every route on this list.

Pass rate questions

Which East London test centre has the highest pass rate?

Sidcup has the highest pass rate in the area at 58.7% for 2025/26, based on 14,318 tests. The lowest is Chingford at 39.9%, a gap of 18.8 percentage points. Source: DVSA official statistics.

What is the average driving test pass rate?

The Great Britain national average for 2025/26 was 50.0%. Several East London centres sit below this, partly because their test routes use fast multi lane roads such as the A12 and A406 and complex one-way systems.

Are driving test pass rates going up?

Yes. The Great Britain average reached 50.0% in 2025/26, the first year in the published DVSA series above 50%, from 48.7% the year before. That matters when you compare a centre against the average: a centre can be at almost the same rate as last year and still slip further behind, because the bar moved.

Why are the male and female pass rates different?

DVSA publishes pass rates split by gender and the gap has been roughly constant for a decade. It is visible at every centre in the table above, and it is widest at the busiest urban centres. It reflects the mix of candidates and how much practice they arrive with, not the examiners.

Is it easier to pass at a centre with a higher pass rate?

Not automatically. Pass rates reflect the road conditions and the mix of candidates at each centre, not how lenient the examiners are. The biggest factor you control is practising on the actual test routes for the centre you are booked at.

Practise the routes for your test centre

Our instructors know every East and South East London test route. Book lessons built around the centre you are booked at.

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