Test Centre Stats

East of England, England · DVSA car test centre

Colchester driving test centre

Grange Way, Colchester, CO2 8HF · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car, ADI part 2, ADI part 3.

Waiting times to September 2026 and pass rates for 2025–26, from DVSA statistics published .

Median wait, September 2026

12.1 weeks

−4.0 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

50.6%

+0.6 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

147 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 12th of 24 East of England

Weeks to 10% of slots free

22.5 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Colchester in September 2026 had booked it a median of 12.1 weeks earlier: 0.5 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and about the same as the East of England figure (12 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 16.1 weeks, so the wait has shortened by 4 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 8.1 weeks to 18.3 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 22.5 weeks to reach a week with at least 10% of its test slots free (Great Britain: 19.7 weeks). Across the whole 24-week window, 10.8% of standard slots were still unbooked (Great Britain: 13.3%).

Waiting time over the last two years

Median weeks between booking a test and taking it, for tests taken each month.

  • Colchester
  • East of England
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Colchester, October 2024 to September 2026Colchester: 12.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2612.1Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2612.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Colchester, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthColchesterEast of EnglandGreat Britain
September 202612.112.011.6
August 202612.411.911.1
July 202612.411.711.1
June 20269.411.410.7
May 20268.19.49.7
April 20269.69.09.1
March 202616.39.39.0
February 202618.311.010.4
January 202612.510.410.1
December 202511.710.110.1
November 202512.410.010.4
October 202514.811.611.6
September 202516.112.112.4
August 202511.710.911.7
July 202511.410.312.0
June 20258.79.311.0
May 20257.99.611.3
April 20256.18.310.6
March 20255.78.010.4
February 20256.18.611.4
January 20257.18.911.0
December 20247.09.710.4
November 20244.98.39.9
October 20246.07.99.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Colchester in September 2026, 36.9% had been booked within 7 weeks and 29.1% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Colchester
East of England
Great Britain

At Colchester, 36.9% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 29.1% more than 21 weeks ahead.

Show these figures as a table
How far ahead tests taken in September 2026 were booked
Within 7 weeks7 to 14 weeks14 to 21 weeksOver 21 weeks
Colchester36.9%18.5%15.5%29.1%
East of England42.2%11.0%11.7%35.1%
Great Britain41.1%14.2%15.2%29.5%

If your test is booked here

Since 9 June 2026 a car test can only be moved to one of the three centres DVSA lists as nearest by road (or back to the centre where you first booked), and you get two changes in total. For a test booked at Colchester, those three are below. Of the three, Ipswich (5.3 weeks) and Clacton-on-Sea (6.4 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Colchester in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Colchester can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs ColchesterPass rate 2025–26
Clacton-on-Seaabout 15 miles by roadabout 15 mi6.4 weeks−5.7 wk48.2%
Ipswichabout 21 miles by roadabout 21 mi5.3 weeks−6.8 wk62.3%
Chelmsfordabout 28 miles by roadabout 28 mi20.9 weeks+8.8 wk55.4%

From DVSA's list of centres you can move your test to, which it says may change. The change service shows your actual options.

Pass rates

In 2025–26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 7,756 car tests were taken here and 50.6% passed, close to the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 48.0%, so the rate rose by 2.6 points. First attempts did about the same: 51.1% of 4,102 first-time candidates passed, and 3.5% did it with no faults at all.

  • Colchester
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    50.6%about the same as Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    51.1%about the same as Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    3.5%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    51.7%about the same as Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    49.4%about the same as Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    62.0%1.6 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars29% of tests here were in automatics
    43.5%1.1 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Colchester compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureColchesterGreat Britain
All tests50.6%50.0%
First attempts51.1%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults3.5%2.9%
Men51.7%50.8%
Women49.4%49.1%
17-year-olds62.0%63.6%
Automatic cars43.5%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Colchester
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Colchester by financial yearPass rate at Colchester in 2025–26: 50.6%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Colchester, 2019–20: 43.9%44Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Colchester, 2020–21: 54.9%55Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Colchester, 2021–22: 46.2%46Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Colchester, 2022–23: 44.1%44Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Colchester, 2023–24: 46.5%47Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Colchester, 2024–25: 48.0%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Colchester, 2025–26: 50.6%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Colchester, 2019–20: 43.9%44Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Colchester, 2020–21: 54.9%55Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Colchester, 2021–22: 46.2%46Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Colchester, 2022–23: 44.1%44Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Colchester, 2023–24: 46.5%47Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Colchester, 2024–25: 48.0%48Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Colchester, 2025–26: 50.6%51Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Colchester by financial year
YearColchesterGreat Britain
2019–2043.9%45.9%
2020–2154.9%49.8%
2021–2246.2%48.9%
2022–2344.1%48.4%
2023–2446.5%47.9%
2024–2548.0%48.7%
2025–2650.6%50.0%

Years run April to March; ’20 is 2020–21.

By age, 17 to 25 (2025–26)

Candidates aged 17 did best here, at 62.0%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1762.0% of 1,614
  • Age 1853.2% of 1,071
  • Age 1952.6% of 468
  • Age 2051.5% of 342
  • Age 2152.5% of 295
  • Age 2245.2% of 314
  • Age 2351.9% of 237
  • Age 2453.2% of 190

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 383 tests at Colchester, about 49.4 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (266). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness266
  • Examiner leave92
  • Weather and other acts of nature25

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Colchester (Ground Floor, Block F, The Knowledge Gateway, Nesfield Road, CO4 3ZL), 0.9 mi away. In 2025–26, 45.1% of its 15,487 car theory tests were passes, close to the Great Britain rate (44.8%). You can sit the theory test at any centre.

Nearby centres

The nearest centre with a shorter wait is Clacton-on-Sea, 11 mi away, at 6.4 weeks. Within the same list, Chelmsford (13 mi) had a pass rate of 55.4%. You can book a new test at any centre in Great Britain, but once it's booked a car test can only be moved to the three centres DVSA names for that centre. Distances here are straight-line.

Centres near Colchester, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Clacton-on-SeaShorter wait11 mi6.4 weeks48.2%
ChelmsfordHigher pass rate13 mi20.9 weeks55.4%
IpswichShorter waitHigher pass rate16 mi5.3 weeks62.3%
Southend-on-Sea24 mi17.6 weeks47.0%
BasildonShorter wait27 mi3.7 weeks49.1%
Bury St Edmunds28 mi12.7 weeks46.2%
Brentwood (London)Shorter wait32 mi5.3 weeks48.5%
Bishops StortfordShorter wait33 mi5.9 weeks51.3%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Clacton-on-Sea: 6.4 weeksChelmsford: 20.9 weeksIpswich: 5.3 weeksSouthend-on-Sea: 17.6 weeksBasildon: 3.7 weeksBury St Edmunds: 12.7 weeksBrentwood (London): 5.3 weeksBishops Stortford: 5.9 weeksColchesterColchester

Reading these figures

  • The waiting time is a median for tests taken that month: half of candidates booked closer to their test date, half further ahead. It is not the earliest date you could book today, which can be sooner when tests are cancelled or extra ones are added.
  • DVSA marks figures from April 2025 onwards as provisional; they can be revised at the quarterly update.
  • Pass rates are published once a year; the latest cover April 2025 to March 2026. Waiting times are monthly, to September 2026.
  • The figures cover DVSA car tests only, not tests run by delegated examiners (such as some fleet and emergency service tests).

To book or move a test, use the official services: book your driving test or change your driving test on GOV.UK. DVSA explains when new tests are released. We have no link with DVSA and no access to its booking system.

Sources

DVSA, Driving test and theory test data: cars: tables DRT122F (waiting times), DRT121G (regional and national), DRT122A to DRT122E (pass rates), DRT122B (cancellations) and DRT112A (theory tests). Address and coordinates from GOV.UK's Find a driving test centre. Open Government Licence v3.0. Checked 3 November 2026.