Maidstone driving test centre

The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.

Maidstone's pass rate is the highest it has been since DVSA's figures began in 2007.

Quick answers

  • Where is it? Unit 1 North Court, South Park Business Village, Armstrong Rd, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6JZ. Directions
  • What's the pass rate? 60% overall (manual 63%, automatic 54%), compared with the 50% national average.
  • How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 2 months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
  • Is it hard to pass? Easier than most. Only 25 of Britain's 276 bigger centres had a higher pass rate.
  • What's nearby? Gillingham is the closest, 22 minutes away. Its pass rate is 56% and its typical wait about 3 months.

Waiting times

Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 2 months, down from about 2½ months in the 12 months before. Waits here have been falling, so yours could be shorter.

Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 1½ months.

Typical wait at MaidstoneAcross Great Britain
Typical wait by year at Maidstone and across Great Britain
YearMaidstoneGreat Britain
20191½ months1½ months
20203 months2½ months
20215½ months4 months
20222½ months2½ months
20233 months2½ months
20242 months2 months
20252 months2½ months
20262 months2½ months

2019 starts in May and 2026 runs to September.

See how waits have changed across Britain in our report on driving test waiting times.

Other test centres nearby

Gillingham is the only other centre within half an hour's drive. Its pass rate is lower than Maidstone's, and its wait longer.

Test centreDriving timePass rateTypical wait
OverallManualAutomatic
Gillingham
12 miles by road
22 minutes56.4%59.3%51.9%3 months

Driving times are without traffic.

Pass rate over the years

In the 12 months to March 2026, Maidstone's pass rate was 60%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been above Britain's pass rate for the last six years.

The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 54%, compared with 63%. That gap is about the same as at most centres, but only 22 of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests had a higher automatic pass rate. 32% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.

Men had a higher pass rate than women here: 61%, compared with 59%. That's a similar gap to Great Britain's, where men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.

YearTestsPass ratePlace
OverallManualAutomatic
2025 to 20268,05360.2%63.4%53.6%26th of 276
2024 to 20256,33058.0%60.4%51.8%37th of 275
2023 to 20246,19855.3%56.9%50.3%54th of 277
2022 to 20235,69352.7%53.6%48.7%84th of 271
2021 to 20223,99353.2%54.2%45.5%100th of 280

Each year runs from April to March.

Compare every centre in our report on driving test pass rates.

Before your test

In the weeks before your test, ask your instructor to take you round the roads near the centre, and practise the faults learners make most often. If you're still looking for an instructor, see who teaches in Maidstone.

Frequently asked questions

What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Maidstone?

54% in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with Britain's automatic pass rate of 45%.

How can I get a test sooner at Maidstone?

Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.

How busy is Maidstone test centre?

It ran 8,053 car tests in the 12 months to March 2026. That's around the middle for Britain's test centres.

Can I move my test from Maidstone to another centre?

Yes. You can move it to any centre with a free date, on gov.uk. Before you do, check your instructor can take you there, and bear in mind it's harder to pass on roads you don't know. The closest other centre is Gillingham, about 22 minutes away by road.

Figures from DVSA: pass rates for the 12 months to March 2026, waits for September 2026, published 14 October 2026. Driving times by road, from OpenRouteService. How we worked these out.