Tunbridge Wells driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
Tunbridge Wells is one of Britain's 10 easiest driving test centres.
Quick answers
- Where is it? 8 Upper Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2ES. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 65% overall (manual 66%, automatic 61%), compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 2½ months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? Easier than most. Only eight of Britain's 276 bigger centres had a higher pass rate.
- What's nearby? Sevenoaks is the closest, 20 minutes away. Its pass rate is 59% and its typical wait about 3½ months.
Waiting times
Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 2½ months, about the same as in the 12 months before.
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 1½ months.
| Year | Tunbridge Wells | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1½ months | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 3 months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 5½ months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 4 months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 3½ months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 2 months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 2½ months | 2½ 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
Sevenoaks is the only other centre within half an hour's drive. Its pass rate is lower than Tunbridge Wells's, and its wait longer.
| Test centre | Driving time | Pass rate | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| Sevenoaks 14 miles by road | 20 minutes | 59.0% | 60.9% | 54.2% | 3½ months |
Driving times are without traffic.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Tunbridge Wells's pass rate was 65%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been above Britain's pass rate every year since DVSA's figures began in 2007.
The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 61%, compared with 66%. That gap is narrower than at most centres. Only two of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests had a higher automatic pass rate. 26% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.
Men had a higher pass rate than women here: 65%, compared with 64%. That's a similar gap to Great Britain's, where men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| 2025 to 2026 | 5,726 | 64.5% | 65.8% | 61.0% | 9th of 276 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 4,887 | 58.9% | 58.7% | 59.2% | 29th of 275 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 4,332 | 59.5% | 59.1% | 61.0% | 21st of 277 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 3,381 | 58.6% | 58.9% | 57.4% | 29th of 271 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 4,392 | 59.7% | 59.9% | 58.0% | 35th 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 Tunbridge Wells.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Tunbridge Wells?
61% in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with Britain's automatic pass rate of 45%.
How can I get a test sooner at Tunbridge Wells?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.
How busy is Tunbridge Wells test centre?
It ran 5,726 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 Tunbridge Wells 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 Sevenoaks, about 20 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.