PassRates.uk
Car Test Centre, England

Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BChelmsfordTougher than average

At Chelmsford (Hanbury Road), 44.7% of candidates pass, one of the 323 test centres we rank from the DVSA data. Below you will find the full pass-rate history, the demographic split, the estimated waiting time and a comparison with the nearest centres.

By Vikas DulgundeUpdated MethodologySources
Pass rate (2024-25)
44.7%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
10.8K
2024-25
National rank
#270
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
44.8%
below UK avg

DVSA data last updated July 2026

Compare and decide

Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 17%, rank #270 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Bishops Stortford, about 16.9 miles away.

Bishops StortfordBest nearby
16.9 mi away
50.4%
+5.7 pp
All centres in Chelmsford→See every centre on the map→Best centre for me→

Pass vs fail at a glance

44.7%passed
failed55.3%

All-time 37.1K passed, 40.7K failed, 77.8K total

How Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) compares

Chelmsford (Hanbury Road)
44.7%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-4 pp

Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) sits 4 points under the national average, ranked 270 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 Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) ranks among 323 centres

Bottom 17%
Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates
Rank
#270
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

Stability is the story at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road): 45.8% in 2017-18, 44.7% now, and every year in between inside a 7-point band.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 4.2 pp
Male49.8%
0%UK avg 52.0%100%
Female45.6%
0%UK avg 48.0%100%
Zero faults1.6%
858 candidates have passed without a single recorded fault across all DVSA periods

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
18 to 22 weeks
Very high demand
Weekly capacity
~203
estimated test slots per week
Demand
Very high
among the busiest centres

Booking requires patience: on this estimate, learners booking at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) would typically wait around 18 to 22 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
when UK waits tend to be longest
Best to book
November, December, January, February
when UK waits tend to be shortest

This wait is an estimate modelled from regional demand and this centre's test volume, not a live booking figure. See how it is worked out on our methodology page, and check the DVSA booking service for live slots.

Centre details

Address

9 Crittall Road
Witham
CM8 3DR
England

Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.

Tests offered at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road)

  • Car

Accessibility & facilities

Wheelchair accessible per DVSA

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 CM8 3DR, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) is one of the DVSA's car test sites in England, located in Chelmsford, Essex. The choice of routes reflects the local mix of road types rather than any standard national template. If you're cross-checking this pass rate against other sources, the sample size matters. 77.8K tests over 2017-18-2024-25 is large enough that any rounding you see between sites is just rounding, not disagreement on the underlying data.

Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) runs close to the national curve: 44.7% pass rate, 4 points below the UK average of 48.7%. The rank is #270 of 323 car centres. First-attempt pass rate at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road): 44.8%, against 49% nationally. That's 4.2 points below the UK average. Many candidates need a second go, and local-road familiarity is one of the most consistent things that improves the second attempt.

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.

Country
England
Test category
Car

What learners should know about Chelmsford (Hanbury Road)

  • Centre difficulty is roughly average at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road). The same fault categories that fail candidates nationally (junctions, mirrors, observation) are what fail candidates here, in similar proportions.
  • 77.8K tests through this centre over the published window. At that throughput, competition for short-notice slots is constant, so make a habit of checking the official booking page often.
  • If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) area. Local instructors know which nearby junctions are demanding and will drill them.
  • If you missed the earlier slots at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road), 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

Basildon
11.4 mi, 105.8K tests, Rank #263
45.6%
+0.9 pp
Brentwood (London)
10.8 mi, 39.0K tests, Rank #204
48.5%
+3.8 pp
Tilbury
19.4 mi, 100.4K tests, Rank #198
49.1%
+4.4 pp
Hornchurch (London)
16.2 mi, 82.9K tests, Rank #214
48.3%
+3.6 pp
Southend-on-Sea
17.0 mi, 62.7K tests, Rank #218
48.1%
+3.4 pp
Bishops StortfordBest nearby
16.9 mi, 114.5K tests, Rank #167
50.4%
+5.7 pp
See all centres in Chelmsford→Easiest UK centres→Hardest UK centres→Best for first-time pass→Busiest UK centres→

On the day at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road)

Turn up at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) ten minutes before your appointment, and check ahead where you can park, DVSA sites vary on that. You can preview the location on the DVSA centre finder. Demand is very high and waits are near 18 to 22 weeks, so an early booking plus a cancellation watch is the sensible approach. The examiner will ask to see your provisional photocard licence before anything else, and your car must carry L plates and a working interior mirror. If Basildon is fully booked, Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) is the next closest centre, roughly 11 miles away.

Plan for a drive of roughly 40 minutes, identical in structure to every other DVSA centre. First comes the 20-metre eyesight check and a tell-me vehicle-safety question, then the examiner joins you for the road section, with one show-me question while you drive. About 20 minutes is independent driving by sat nav or by following signs to a named target, you tackle one of four set manoeuvres, and around one in seven candidates get 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 find out there and then, back at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road). The examiner runs through the faults on the DL25 feedback form and, on a pass, keeps your provisional licence so a full licence follows in the post. Clearing the test means staying under 16 driving faults, that is 15 or fewer, with no serious or dangerous fault; 44.7% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road)?
The current pass rate at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) driving test centre is 44.7%, calculated from 10.8K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 44.8%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 47.7% (from 77.8K tests).
Is Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) an easy or hard test centre?
Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) is ranked #270 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 44.7% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Higher pass rates often correlate with quieter rural or suburban routes; lower rates with dense urban centres featuring complex junctions and multi-lane roundabouts.
How does Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) compare to the UK average?
Chelmsford (Hanbury Road)'s pass rate is 4 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) sits 4 points under the national average, ranked 270 of 323 in its category. Routes here are likely more demanding than at rural centres; extra time on the local roads pays back directly.
How many driving tests does Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) record?
Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) has recorded 77.8K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 37.1K passed and 40.7K failed. The yearly trend chart on this page shows how volume and pass rate have moved across recent reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Chelmsford (Hanbury Road)?
The closest DVSA test centres to Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) are Basildon (45.6%), Brentwood (London) (48.5%), Tilbury (49.1%) and Hornchurch (London) (48.3%). Of these, Basildon, Brentwood (London), Tilbury, Hornchurch (London) have higher current pass rates than Chelmsford (Hanbury Road)'s 44.7%. You can compare every nearby centre in the "Other test centres nearby" section above, or see them all on the interactive PassRates map.
When is the best time to book a test at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road)?
Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) currently sees very high demand with an estimated wait of about 18 to 22 weeks. Across the UK, waits tend to ease in November, December, January, when fewer learners are booking, and peak in June, July, August. Where you can be flexible on dates, targeting one of the quieter months tends to bring a shorter wait and a wider choice of slots. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) as your centre. You will need your provisional licence number and your theory test pass certificate number. To pass, you must finish with no more than 15 driving (minor) faults and zero serious or dangerous faults. Our guides cover how to book step by step and how faults are marked.
How long is the wait for a driving test at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road)?
The estimated wait at Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) is about 18 to 22 weeks (very high demand). That range is modelled from regional demand patterns reported in the National Audit Office investigation into car driving test waiting times, the DVSA Despatch blog updates, and this centre's test volume of 77.8K lifetime tests, so treat it as an estimate rather than a live figure. Across the UK, waits peak in June and July and ease in November and December. For live availability, check the official DVSA booking service.
Source

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.