Southend-on-Sea driving test centre

England • East of EnglandAbout 8 weeks

The Tickfield Centre

Tickfield Industrial Estate

Tickfield Ave

SOUTHEND ON SEA

SS2 6LL

47.0%

2025/26 pass rate · all attempts

3.1 percentage points below average

Out of every 100 car tests at Southend-on-Sea last year, about 47 passed (3.1 points below the 50.0% UK average).

DVSA DRT122A · OGL v3
First-time pass

47.0%

3.6 points below the national first-attempt average.

Reported wait

8 weeks

Reported in July 2026 (DRT122F); this centre median is not a booking promise.

This centre in numbers

68

7,526 published tests in April 2025 - March 2026 · 47.0% overall pass rate

Waiting times at Southend-on-Sea

The reported wait was 8 weeks in July 2026. It is a reported centre figure, not a promise of when a test will be available.

The pass rate was 47.0% from 7,526 tests in April 2025 - March 2026.

What a lower rate actually means

Busier roads and trickier junctions push the rate down. About 68 people still pass here every week, and they practised the same roads you can.

Fault snapshot

Maintain progress - undue hesitation

This was the most commonly recorded fault here in April 2025 - March 2026. It is a useful place to start a conversation, not a prediction for your test.

Recorded
2,898
marks
Rate
38.5
marks per 100 tests

Before the day, take a calm look at the parts of moving off that feel least settled: observations, control and choosing a safe gap. Your instructor can help you practise the bits that need another go.

Explore the full fault breakdown

National pass rates also move with the calendar - see UK seasonality.

Across the region

East of England centres by current pass rate.

  • Ipswich62.3%
  • Norwich (Peachman Way)61.7%
  • Letchworth57.5%
  • Chelmsford55.4%
  • Stevenage55.3%
  • Cambridge (Brookmount Court)53.8%
  • Bedford53.7%
  • Southend-on-Sea47%

Pass rate · last 12 months

Overall, male and female monthly rates for this centre. Gaps bridge months with no tests.

Men and women breakdown

Men and women here

Women have the higher published pass rate here in April 2025 - March 2026; no wider explanation is inferred from these figures. On 7,526 tests the difference is small enough to move year to year.

Axis starts at 44%.

How faults are marked

Every mark is serious, dangerous, or a driving (minor) fault. Shown per 100 tests.

  • Serious · 90.4
  • Dangerous · 9.4
  • Driving · 451.7

Faults that end tests

Top categories by total marks in April 2025 - March 2026. Colour shows severity mix within each bar.

  • Maintain progress - undue hesitation2,898
  • Junctions - observation2,714
  • Control - steering2,594
  • Move off - control2,157
  • Maintain progress - speed2,117
  • Move off - safely2,073
  • Positioning - normal driving1,925
  • Reverse park - Control1,709
Serious Dangerous Driving

Named categories

Counts per 100 tests.

Top 10 fault categories
FaultSerious / 100Dangerous / 100Driving / 100All / 100
Maintain progress - undue hesitation2.30.036.238.5
Junctions - observation11.62.422.036.1
Control - steering3.60.930.034.5
Move off - control2.10.126.528.7
Maintain progress - speed2.50.025.728.1
Move off - safely2.20.325.027.5
Positioning - normal driving5.70.219.725.6
Reverse park - Control2.90.119.822.7
Junctions - turning right10.90.310.021.2
Mirrors - change direction5.81.612.219.6
About these figures
Fault categories are self-reported by DVSA examiners; a single test can record more than one fault, so these describe examiner records, not route difficulty.

More about this centre

Waiting time, automatic and first-attempt detail, and DVSA-initiated cancellations - only the slices this centre publishes.

Waiting time

Median wait and slot availability as of July 2026.

Slots still bookable

5.5%

As of July 2026

Weeks to 10%+ availability

24 weeks

DRT122F · July 2026

Overtime slots added

101

Automatic transmission

2,213 automatic tests in April 2025 - March 2026.

Pass rate

41.0%

2,213 automatic tests

Male

39.5%

840 tests

Female

41.9%

1,373 tests

First-time passes

First attempts in April 2025 - March 2026. Cleaner than the all-attempt rate when published.

Faultless passes

67

Zero-fault first-time passes

First vs overall

+0.0 pts

All-attempt rate vs first-attempt rate

DVSA cancellations

About 1.7% of tests attempted here. DVSA-initiated, not learner no-shows.

Tests cancelled

130

DRT122B · April 2025 - March 2026

  • Medical absences120
  • Leave8
  • Acts of nature2

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