Driving test centre
Southend-on-Sea driving test centre
Car practical driving test pass rates at Southend-on-Sea: each year since 2012/13, by month, for men and women, and at the first attempt, compared with Great Britain as a whole. From DVSA’s published statistics.
- Pass rate, 2025/26 47.0% Great Britain 50.0%
- Tests taken 7,526 3,537 passes
- First-attempt pass rate 47.0% Great Britain 50.5%
- Rank by pass rate 190 of 260 centres with 1,000+ tests
- Women’s pass rate 47.5% GB 49.1%
- Men’s pass rate 46.6% GB 50.8%
What is the pass rate at Southend-on-Sea?
In April 2025 to March 2026, 47.0% of car practical tests at Southend-on-Sea were passes (3,537 of 7,526), against 50.0% across Great Britain: 3.0 points lower. That is 71st lowest of 260 centres with 1,000 or more tests. The year before it was 48.1%.
Pass rate at Southend-on-Sea and in Great Britain
Highest 55.8% in 2020/21, lowest 40.0% in 2012/13. −8.8 points since 2020/21.
| Year | Southend-on-Sea | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2012/13 | 40.0% | 47.2% |
| 2013/14 | 42.6% | 47.1% |
| 2014/15 | 43.8% | 46.9% |
| 2015/16 | 42.5% | 47.1% |
| 2016/17 | 42.7% | 47.1% |
| 2017/18 | 43.9% | 46.3% |
| 2018/19 | 45.6% | 45.8% |
| 2019/20 | 47.6% | 45.9% |
| 2020/21 | 55.8% | 49.8% |
| 2021/22 | 53.7% | 48.9% |
| 2022/23 | 51.1% | 48.4% |
| 2023/24 | 48.6% | 47.9% |
| 2024/25 | 48.1% | 48.7% |
| 2025/26 | 47.0% | 50.0% |
Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated
Pass rates for men and women
In 2025/26, women passed 47.5% of tests at Southend-on-Sea and men 46.6%. Across Great Britain the figures were 49.1% and 50.8%.
Pass rate by gender
| Candidates | Southend-on-Sea | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 47.5% | 49.1% |
| Men | 46.6% | 50.8% |
| All | 47.0% | 50.0% |
Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated
Passing first time at Southend-on-Sea
3,529 people took their first practical test at Southend-on-Sea in 2025/26 and 47.0% passed, against 50.5% of first attempts across Great Britain. 67 of them passed without a single driving fault.
First-attempt pass rate
| Year | Southend-on-Sea | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2012/13 | 40.1% | 47.7% |
| 2013/14 | 42.0% | 47.9% |
| 2014/15 | 43.4% | 47.6% |
| 2015/16 | 40.9% | 47.5% |
| 2016/17 | 42.1% | 47.1% |
| 2017/18 | 41.9% | 46.7% |
| 2018/19 | 44.9% | 46.6% |
| 2019/20 | 48.7% | 46.4% |
| 2020/21 | 56.1% | 51.1% |
| 2021/22 | 53.5% | 49.3% |
| 2022/23 | 51.8% | 48.3% |
| 2023/24 | 48.0% | 48.1% |
| 2024/25 | 48.2% | 48.9% |
| 2025/26 | 47.0% | 50.5% |
Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated
Month by month
Monthly pass rates move more than yearly ones because each month has fewer tests. DVSA withholds some monthly counts to protect candidates’ privacy; the rate is still shown.
Monthly pass rate
| Month | Southend-on-Sea |
|---|---|
| Apr 2025 | 53.2% |
| May 2025 | 50.0% |
| Jun 2025 | 49.0% |
| Jul 2025 | 48.1% |
| Aug 2025 | 41.5% |
| Sep 2025 | 45.2% |
| Oct 2025 | 51.0% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 44.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 46.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 49.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 43.8% |
Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated
Tests each month
| Month | Tests |
|---|---|
| Apr 2025 | 536 |
| May 2025 | 476 |
| Jun 2025 | 567 |
| Jul 2025 | 653 |
| Aug 2025 | 390 |
| Sep 2025 | 615 |
| Oct 2025 | 740 |
| Nov 2025 | 719 |
| Dec 2025 | 638 |
| Jan 2026 | 721 |
| Feb 2026 | 669 |
| Mar 2026 | 802 |
Source:DVSA April 2025 to March 2026 Updated
The most common reasons for failing
DVSA publishes the most common faults for Great Britain as a whole, not for each centre. In April 2025 to March 2026 they were:
- Junctions - observation
- Mirrors - change direction
- Junctions - turning right
- Response to signs - traffic lights
- Control - steering
- Move off - safely
- Response to signs - road markings
- Response to signs - traffic signs
- Positioning - normal driving
- Maintain progress - speed
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driving tests | Driving test and theory test data (DRT tables) Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency | April 2025 to March 2026 | 7,526 car tests at Southend-on-Sea in 2025/26 | 15 September 2026 |
- Car practical tests (categories B and B1) in financial years, April to March. Great Britain only: DVSA does not test in Northern Ireland.
- DVSA leaves out of centre figures any centre where only one examiner tested, but counts those tests nationally, and withholds small counts (“..”) where they could identify people.
- Centres are matched across years by name. Southend-on-Sea appears under this name from 2012/13; an earlier name would count as a different centre. Pass rates reflect the candidates who test at a centre as well as the centre itself.
- DVSA’s tables give centre names only, with no address, so we do not place centres in council areas.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.