CM · CO · EN · IG · RM · SS postcodes covered
Ipswich passes 62.3% of 11,466 tests and Chingford 39.9% of 13,120. Chingford is the busiest centre our Essex towns use, and Basildon is home centre for 7 of our 34 towns. Across all 317 car test centres in Great Britain the same DVSA table gives 50.0%.
Overall, manual and automatic pass rates for the 13 centres that serve our Essex towns, busiest first. Learners in Basildon, Benfleet and Billericay test at Basildon, while Burnham-on-Crouch, Canvey Island and Hockley use Southend-on-Sea.
| Test centre | Overall pass rate (tests) | Manual | Automatic | Our Essex towns that test here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chingford (London) | 39.9% (13,120 tests) | 41.2% | 38.3% | Buckhurst Hill |
| Ipswich | 62.3% (11,466 tests) | 64.1% | 56.4% | Harwich |
| Chelmsford | 55.4% (9,107 tests) | 58.0% | 49.2% | Braintree, Chelmsford, Maldon, Witham |
| Enfield (Innova Business Park) | 53.9% (8,412 tests) | 56.7% | 50.0% | Waltham Abbey |
| Basildon | 49.1% (8,359 tests) | 51.2% | 45.2% | Basildon, Benfleet, Billericay, Rayleigh, South Woodham Ferrers, Stanford-le-Hope, Wickford |
| Colchester | 50.6% (7,756 tests) | 53.4% | 43.5% | Colchester |
| Southend-on-Sea | 47.0% (7,526 tests) | 49.5% | 41.0% | Burnham-on-Crouch, Canvey Island, Hockley, Leigh-on-Sea, Rochford, Southend-on-Sea, Westcliff-on-Sea |
| Loughton (London) | 47.0% (7,376 tests) | 48.3% | 45.3% | Chigwell, Epping, Loughton |
| Bishops Stortford | 51.3% (6,409 tests) | 54.5% | 42.8% | Harlow |
| Erith (London) | 51.6% (5,809 tests) | 53.0% | 50.4% | Aveley, Purfleet |
| Brentwood (London) | 48.5% (5,791 tests) | 49.7% | 46.1% | Brentwood |
| Tilbury | 50.4% (5,083 tests) | 53.5% | 46.0% | Grays, Tilbury |
| Clacton-on-Sea | 48.2% (4,840 tests) | 49.7% | 43.8% | Clacton-on-Sea, Frinton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze |
Choose your town for local test routes, pickup areas and instructor coverage. Outside Essex, see driving lessons in London, Hertfordshire and Kent.
| Town | Postcodes | Practical test centre | Centre pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aveley | RM15 | Erith (DA17 6LJ) | 51.6% |
| Basildon | SS14, SS15 & SS16 | Basildon (SS14 3JS) | 49.1% |
| Benfleet | SS7 | Basildon (SS14 3JS) | 49.1% |
| Billericay | CM11 & CM12 | Basildon (SS14 3JS) | 49.1% |
| Braintree | CM7 & CM77 | Chelmsford (CM1 2GL) | 55.4% |
| Brentwood | CM13, CM14 & CM15 | Brentwood (CM14 5JN) | 48.5% |
| Buckhurst Hill | IG9 | Chingford (E4 6AD) | 39.9% |
| Burnham-on-Crouch | CM0 | Southend-on-Sea (SS2 6LL) | 47.0% |
| Canvey Island | SS8 | Southend-on-Sea (SS2 6LL) | 47.0% |
| Chelmsford | CM1 & CM2 | Chelmsford (CM1 2GL) | 55.4% |
| Chigwell | IG7 | Loughton (IG10 1RB) | 47.0% |
| Clacton-on-Sea | CO15 & CO16 | Clacton-on-Sea (CO15 6QA) | 48.2% |
| Colchester | CO1, CO2 & CO3 | Colchester (CO2 8HF) | 50.6% |
| Epping | CM16 | Loughton (IG10 1RB) | 47.0% |
| Frinton-on-Sea | CO13 | Clacton-on-Sea (CO15 6QA) | 48.2% |
| Grays | RM16, RM17 & RM20 | Tilbury (RM18 7AE) | 50.4% |
| Harlow | CM18, CM19 & CM20 | Bishops Stortford (CM23 3JQ) | 51.3% |
| Harwich | CO12 | Ipswich (IP4 3JD) | 62.3% |
| Hockley | SS5 | Southend-on-Sea (SS2 6LL) | 47.0% |
| Leigh-on-Sea | SS9 | Southend-on-Sea (SS2 6LL) | 47.0% |
| Loughton | IG10 | Loughton (IG10 1RB) | 47.0% |
| Maldon | CM9 | Chelmsford (CM1 2GL) | 55.4% |
| Purfleet | RM19 & RM20 | Erith (DA17 6LJ) | 51.6% |
| Rayleigh | SS6 | Basildon (SS14 3JS) | 49.1% |
| Rochford | SS4 | Southend-on-Sea (SS2 6LL) | 47.0% |
| South Woodham Ferrers | CM3 | Basildon (SS14 3JS) | 49.1% |
| Southend-on-Sea | SS1, SS2 & SS3 | Southend-on-Sea (SS2 6LL) | 47.0% |
| Stanford-le-Hope | SS17 | Basildon (SS14 3JS) | 49.1% |
| Tilbury | RM18 | Tilbury (RM18 7AE) | 50.4% |
| Waltham Abbey | EN9 | Enfield (EN3 7XY) | 53.9% |
| Walton-on-the-Naze | CO14 | Clacton-on-Sea (CO15 6QA) | 48.2% |
| Westcliff-on-Sea | SS0 | Southend-on-Sea (SS2 6LL) | 47.0% |
| Wickford | SS11 & SS12 | Basildon (SS14 3JS) | 49.1% |
| Witham | CM8 | Chelmsford (CM1 2GL) | 55.4% |
“Needed an instructor quickly and was allocated one within 2 days and started lessons straight away and instructor had many available days for lessons. Passed my test first time with only 3 minors. Would highly recommend.”
“Great experience, the instructor is very professional and knows what he's talking about. I learnt a lot while enjoying the lessons. I recommend it.”
“Rated Driving has made booking your driving lessons easy and found me a great instructor!”
“Loved my instructor was easy and simple and I learnt how to drive fully within 10 hours and am looking to do more hours and complete the tests”
“Easy to book lessons, teaching is very good not a single minute wasted”
Rated Driving scores 4.8 out of 5 from 252 reviews on Trustpilot.
Of the 13 centres our Essex towns use, Ipswich is highest at 62.3% from 11,466 tests in the DVSA 2025/26 figures, and Chingford is lowest at 39.9%. Chingford is the busiest, passing 39.9% of 13,120 tests. A pass rate reflects local roads and who tests there, so a centre you can reach calmly can matter more than a few points.
Basildon is the home centre for 7 of our 34 Essex towns, with Southend-on-Sea for 7 and Chelmsford for 4. The town directory on this page lists the primary centre for every town. A new test can be booked at any centre in Britain, though since 9 June 2026 moving a test you already hold is limited to the three centres nearest to where it is booked.
Rates are set per postcode area, so this county page does not quote a price. Each Essex town page shows its own current rates, and the postcode box at the top of this page takes you straight to yours.
Yes. You can ask for a female driving instructor when you book, and the match is limited to instructors who cover your Essex postcode. If nobody suitable has space we tell you up front rather than quietly matching you with someone else.
Yes, in every Essex town we cover. An automatic licence lets you drive automatic cars only, while a manual licence covers both. At Chingford, manual tests pass at 41.2% and automatic tests at 38.3% in the DVSA 2025/26 figures.
There is no fixed number of lessons. DVSA advice is that learners who pass have usually had around 45 hours of professional lessons plus about 22 hours of private practice. You need to pass the theory test before booking the practical test, and the theory pass certificate is valid for two years.
Yes. The practical car test follows the same DVSA format everywhere: an eyesight check, show me tell me questions, around 20 minutes of independent driving and one reversing exercise, lasting about 40 minutes in total. Only the local roads differ, which is why centre pass rates vary.
No. Rated Driving matches you with independent, DVSA-licensed driving instructors across Essex. Every instructor is DBS-checked, and we hold your payment until after the lesson.
Enter your Essex postcode to go straight to your town.
