Clacton-on-Sea Driving Test Centre
At Clacton-on-Sea, 47.4% 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 official DVSA waiting time and a comparison with the nearest centres.
DVSA data last updated July 2026
Clacton-on-Sea sits in the bottom half of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 29%, rank #230 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Ipswich, about 18.6 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 22.9K passed, 25.1K failed, 48.0K total
How Clacton-on-Sea compares
The 1.3-point gap at Clacton-on-Sea (ranked 230 of 323 in its category) is real but small; local route familiarity moves your odds more than the venue does.
Where Clacton-on-Sea ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
The longer arc at Clacton-on-Sea points down: 50.5% in 2017-18 against 47.4% now, a 3.1-point slide, though 2019-20 showed what the routes allow at 53.1%.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Clacton-on-Sea
The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 24 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Clacton-on-Sea in May 2026 had waited 13.5 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 Clacton-on-Sea
- car
- 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 CO15 6QA, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.
About this test centre
Of the DVSA car centres across England, Clacton-on-Sea is the one covering Clacton-on-Sea, Essex and the surrounding CO15 1QP area. The routes are built around the roads the centre's examiners can reach inside the test's time budget. Clacton-on-Sea sees moderate volume: 48.0K practical tests through 2017-18-2024-25. Year-on-year percentages here are meaningful, but watch the trend line rather than fixating on any single period.
If you've been told Clacton-on-Sea is "an easy centre" or "a hard one", the data won't fully back that. 47.4% is 1.3 points below the UK car average of 48.7%, which is rank #230 out of 323. 1.3K first-attempt tests, 47.8% pass rate, against a UK average of 49%. Clacton-on-Sea doesn't favour or punish first-timers relative to the national pattern.
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 Clacton-on-Sea
- Pass rate at Clacton-on-Sea sits close to the UK average. Prepare for an ordinary level of difficulty: examiners apply the standard DVSA marking sheet, and the routes are a representative mix of local conditions.
- If you can, take at least one lesson with an instructor who specifically works the Clacton-on-Sea area. Local instructors know which nearby junctions are demanding and will drill them.
- If you missed the earlier slots at Clacton-on-Sea, 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 Clacton-on-Sea
Give yourself ten minutes in hand when you head to Clacton-on-Sea, and look up where to park beforehand, facilities differ from one DVSA site to the next. The DVSA centre finder (postcode CO15 1QP) shows the exact location. This is a high-demand centre, modelled at roughly 16 to 20 weeks to a slot, so book as far ahead as you can and keep an eye on cancellations. You must have your provisional photocard licence on you, plus a car with L plates and a working interior mirror for the examiner. If Ipswich is fully booked, Clacton-on-Sea is the next closest centre, roughly 19 miles away.
The practical lasts about 40 minutes and uses the standard DVSA format nationwide. After an eyesight check at 20 metres and one show-me and one tell-me question, the examiner sits in for the drive. Roughly 20 minutes of that is independent driving, either following a sat nav set by the examiner or following road signs, and you will complete one of four set manoeuvres; about one in seven tests includes an emergency stop, a frequency the DVSA reduced in late 2025. The drive covers the local mix of road types within roughly a twenty-minute radius of the centre. Across DVSA marking nationally, the fault recorded most often on car tests is junctions - observation, worth drilling on the local routes before your date.
The result is given immediately when you get back. Whatever the outcome, the examiner reads through the marked faults and prints your DL25 feedback form; pass and they take the provisional licence to trigger your full one by post. The threshold is the national one, 15 driving faults at most and zero serious or dangerous, which 47.4% of Clacton-on-Sea's candidates reach right now.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Clacton-on-Sea?
Is Clacton-on-Sea an easy or hard test centre?
How does Clacton-on-Sea compare to the UK average?
How many driving tests does Clacton-on-Sea record?
Which driving test centres are near Clacton-on-Sea?
When is the best time to book a test at Clacton-on-Sea?
How do I book a test at Clacton-on-Sea and what do I need?
How long is the wait for a driving test at Clacton-on-Sea?
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.