Basildon Driving Test Centre
Basildon in Basildon, England has a current pass rate of 45.6%, 3.1 points below the UK average of 48.7%. This page breaks down the multi-year trend, the first-time and gender pass rates, the waiting time and how it compares with the rest of the UK, all from the DVSA quarterly data.
DVSA data last updated July 2026
Basildon sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 19%, rank #263 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Gillingham, about 13.2 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 44.7K passed, 61.1K failed, 105.8K total
How Basildon compares
Basildon sits 3.1 points under the national average, ranked 263 of 323 in its category. Routes here are likely more demanding than at rural centres; extra time on the local roads pays back directly.
Where Basildon ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
The direction of travel here is upward: Basildon has added 10 points since 2017-18, from 35.6% to 45.6%, with its strongest year at 56.1% in 2020-21.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Basildon
The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 24 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Basildon in May 2026 had waited 4.3 weeks from booking to test day.
Official DVSA data, May 2026. The median is the time between booking and taking the test; for live availability use the DVSA booking service.
Centre details
Address
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Basildon
- car
- motorcycle module 1 (off-road)
- motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
- ADI part 3
Accessibility & facilities
Parking and toilet details aren't included in DVSA's published feed. For the current on-site facilities, check the DVSA find a driving test centre tool with postcode SS14 3JS, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Of the DVSA car centres across England, Basildon is the one covering Basildon, Essex. The routes are built around the roads the centre's examiners can reach inside the test's time budget. The DVSA has logged 105.8K tests at this centre over 2017-18-2024-25. At that scale, the year-on-year shifts you see in the chart correspond to genuine changes in how the centre is performing, not statistical wobble.
If you've been told Basildon is "an easy centre" or "a hard one", the data won't fully back that. 45.6% is 3.1 points below the UK car average of 48.7%, which is rank #263 out of 323. Across 2.2K first attempts, the pass rate at Basildon is 45.3%, against 49% nationally. Booking your first test here is doable, but it's worth a few lessons around the centre before the date.
All figures shown are aggregated from the DVSA quarterly statistical release covering the most recent reporting periods available. Pass-rate calculations exclude tests cancelled by the candidate or examiner. Sample sizes and methodology are described in the source attribution at the foot of this page.
What learners should know about Basildon
- Basildon doesn't deviate much from the national curve, so generic preparation advice (mock tests, mirror discipline, junction observation) applies here in the same shape it would anywhere.
- Basildon is a high-volume centre. Booking pressure is real, check the DVSA booking service daily for earlier slots rather than relying on the headline available date.
- Ask any instructor working Basildon about the centre's "usual fails", they'll have two or three specific junctions or manoeuvres in mind. Practise those until they're automatic before your date.
- If you missed the earlier slots at Basildon, cancellations appear on the official DVSA booking service throughout the day. Check at off-peak times (early morning, late evening) for the best chance of catching one.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Basildon
Arrive at Basildon with about ten minutes to spare and know your parking options in advance, they vary site to site across the DVSA network. The DVSA centre finder maps the centre and its surroundings. With very high demand and waits near 18 to 22 weeks, take any earlier slot the booking service offers rather than holding out. Don't set off without your provisional photocard licence; the test cannot start without it, and your car needs L plates and a working interior mirror. If Tilbury is fully booked, Basildon is the next closest centre, roughly 9 miles away.
The test runs for around 40 minutes and follows the same DVSA format used at every centre. The examiner checks your eyesight at 20 metres, asks you a tell-me safety question, then sits in for the drive, with one show-me question while you are driving. About 20 minutes of it is independent driving, either following a sat nav the examiner sets up or following road signs to a named place. You will do one of four set manoeuvres, and roughly one in seven candidates is asked to perform an emergency stop. The drive works through whatever mix of urban and outlying roads sits within about a twenty-minute radius, and at a centre this busy that usually means heavier traffic to read. Across DVSA marking nationally, the fault recorded most often on car tests is junctions - observation, worth drilling on the local routes before your date.
You will know the result before you leave Basildon. The examiner explains the faults marked on your DL25 feedback form and, if you have passed, takes the provisional licence so a full one can be posted out. The pass standard is fixed nationally, 15 driving faults maximum and zero serious or dangerous faults, and 45.6% of candidates here meet it under current DVSA marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Basildon?
Is Basildon an easy or hard test centre?
How does Basildon compare to the UK average?
How many driving tests does Basildon record?
Which driving test centres are near Basildon?
When is the best time to book a test at Basildon?
How do I book a test at Basildon and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Basildon?
Data: DVSA quarterly statistical release, released under the Open Government Licence v3.0. PassRates.uk aggregates DVSA centre-level totals across reporting periods.
Edited by Vikas. DVSA data period: 2024-25.