About 12 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 19.1 weeks shorter22.1 weeks → 3 weeks
- Appointment availability
- Same published measure (24 weeks → 24 weeks)
South East driving test waiting times and pass rates
Compare 33 driving test centres across South East, including September 2026 actual waits, current appointment availability and the latest published pass rates. Figures are statistical snapshots, not live appointments.
September 2026 regional summary
Read the latest UK reportSouth East at a glance
Actual-wait figures below are published centre medians. The regional average is an unweighted average of those centre-level medians.
- Average of centre actual-wait medians
- 11.1 weeks 33 centres with published medians
- Current appointment availability
- 19.9 weeks Unweighted average of valid centre records
- Month-on-month availability movement
- 0.2 weeks lower 32 centres with both months
South East actual-wait range: published centre medians ran from 1 week at Medway Ambley Road to 22.1 weeks at Slough (London).
Month-on-month context: Across 32 centres with records for both months, the unweighted appointment-availability average fell by 0.2 weeks. This is movement in DVSA's separate 10% appointment-availability measure, not a change in how long learners actually waited.
Centre-level detail
Where waits are shortest, longest and improving
These rankings use published centre records for September 2026. Improvements refer only to the appointment-availability measure and are not changes in median actual waits.
Shortest median actual waits
- 01Medway Ambley Road1 week
- 02Chichester3.7 weeks
- 03Bletchley4 weeks
- 04Oxford (Cowley)4.4 weeks
- 05Canterbury5.4 weeks
Longest median actual waits
- 01Slough (London)22.1 weeks
- 02Chertsey (London)21.7 weeks
- 03Farnborough19.6 weeks
- 04Lee On The Solent18.9 weeks
- 05Crawley17.8 weeks
Biggest availability improvements
- 01Sevenoaks6.5 weeks lower
- 02Hastings (Ore)4.5 weeks lower
- 03High Wycombe4.5 weeks lower
- 04Canterbury4.3 weeks lower
- 05Folkestone2.4 weeks lower
Official nearby comparisons
Nearby alternatives with shorter actual waits
Each comparison uses one of the three nearest centres in DVSA's official list. A shorter historical actual wait does not guarantee an earlier appointment, so the separate availability measure is shown alongside it.
About 11 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 13.9 weeks shorter21.7 weeks → 7.8 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 9.7 weeks lower at the alternative (24 weeks → 14.3 weeks)
About 21 miles on DVSA's official nearest-centre list
- Median actual wait
- 12.4 weeks shorter16.1 weeks → 3.7 weeks
- Appointment availability
- 3 weeks higher at the alternative (19 weeks → 22 weeks)
These are statistical comparisons, not live appointments or booking recommendations. Check travel practicality and use GOV.UK to book or manage a test.
October 2025 to September 2026 · matched-month analysis
Was nearby appointment availability lower over time?
A lower figure in the latest month does not tell you whether the difference persisted. These examples compare the same months at a booked centre and one of its currently listed official alternatives.
Look beyond the latest snapshot
The selected comparisons show how often an alternative had a lower, equal or higher 10% appointment-availability figure. Use the monthly records to check whether a recent gap also appeared earlier, then discuss travel and test readiness with your instructor.
This is appointment-availability history, not a history of median actual waits. It cannot tell you when you will get a test.
CanterburyHerne Bay
About 9 miles on the current official nearby list
- Months with lower availability figure at the alternative
- 12 of 12 matched months0 equal · 0 higher
- September 2026 appointment availability
- 14.3 weeks → 13 weeks. The alternative was lower.
Check the 12 matched months
| Month | Canterbury | Herne Bay | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 weeks | 10.5 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 6.5 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 17 weeks | lower | |
| 19.3 weeks | 18 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 18.3 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 21.6 weeks | lower | |
| 23.5 weeks | 21 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 21 weeks | lower | |
| 21 weeks | 18.2 weeks | lower | |
| 20 weeks | 16 weeks | lower | |
| 18.6 weeks | 15.2 weeks | lower | |
| 14.3 weeks | 13 weeks | lower |
AylesburyHigh Wycombe
About 19 miles on the current official nearby list
- Months with lower availability figure at the alternative
- 9 of 12 matched months2 equal · 1 higher
- September 2026 appointment availability
- 24 weeks → 4.5 weeks. The alternative was lower.
Check the 12 matched months
| Month | Aylesbury | High Wycombe | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 weeks | 5 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 9.5 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 20.6 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 8.5 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 24 weeks | equal | |
| 21 weeks | 24 weeks | higher | |
| 24 weeks | 24 weeks | equal | |
| 18.8 weeks | 9.3 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 19 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 5.3 weeks | lower | |
| 18.4 weeks | 9 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 4.5 weeks | lower |
Ashford (Kent)Folkestone
About 16 miles on the current official nearby list
- Months with lower availability figure at the alternative
- 8 of 12 matched months0 equal · 4 higher
- September 2026 appointment availability
- 17 weeks → 9 weeks. The alternative was lower.
Check the 12 matched months
| Month | Ashford (Kent) | Folkestone | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 weeks | 24 weeks | higher | |
| 11 weeks | 24 weeks | higher | |
| 9 weeks | 24 weeks | higher | |
| 9.8 weeks | 22 weeks | higher | |
| 24 weeks | 19.5 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 20.2 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 21.3 weeks | lower | |
| 24 weeks | 19.8 weeks | lower | |
| 20.6 weeks | 13.2 weeks | lower | |
| 20 weeks | 13 weeks | lower | |
| 18.4 weeks | 11.4 weeks | lower | |
| 17 weeks | 9 weeks | lower |
Coverage: 33 centres in this area; 32 have a published official nearby list. 96 of 96 directed centre-to-alternative pairs could be matched to our records; 96 have at least 6 shared published months in this 12-month window. 3 selected examples are shown.
How these examples were calculated and selected
For each current official nearby pair, compare the separate 10% appointment-availability measure in the same published months within the stated 12-month window. Missing months and conflicting numeric duplicates are excluded; zero is a published value. At least six matched months are needed for an example. The denominator is matched months, not all 12 calendar months or tests taken.
Examples are ordered by a lower alternative figure in the latest stated month first, then the largest share of matched months lower, most matched months, shortest published official distance, and origin/alternative slugs. Up to three directed pairs are shown; these are selected examples, not a region-wide estimate.
These are historical statistical snapshots, not live appointments, booking probabilities or how long learners actually waited. Gaps do not establish an uninterrupted streak. Current official nearby relationships are applied retrospectively; they need not have been the official alternatives throughout the historical window. Check travel practicality and use GOV.UK to book or manage a test.
Source: DVSA car driving-test data tables (opens on GOV.UK in a new tab) and the official nearest-centre list (opens on GOV.UK in a new tab) (list updated 15 October 2026). Figures use the site's September 2026 data release.
Centres in South East
Showing 33 test centres
Compare selected centres| Test centre | Town | Region | How long learners actually waited | Current appointment availability | Pass rate | Last updated | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford (Kent) | Ashford | South East | 7.1 weeks | 17 weeks | 46.2% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Aylesbury | Aylesbury | South East | 7.3 weeks | 24 weeks | 49.3% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Banbury | Banbury | South East | 12.1 weeks | 24 weeks | 41.3% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Basingstoke | Basingstoke | South East | 10.1 weeks | 24 weeks | 56.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Bletchley | Bletchley | South East | 4 weeks | 24 weeks | 51.5% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Burgess Hill | Burgess Hill | South East | 12.1 weeks | 24 weeks | 45.5% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Canterbury | Canterbury | South East | 5.4 weeks | 14.3 weeks | 45.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Chertsey (London) | Chertsey | South East | 21.7 weeks | 24 weeks | 52.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Chichester | Chichester | South East | 3.7 weeks | 22 weeks | 61.6% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Crawley | Crawley | South East | 17.8 weeks | 24 weeks | 42.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Eastbourne | Eastbourne | South East | 13.4 weeks | 24 weeks | 55.4% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Farnborough | Farnborough | South East | 19.6 weeks | 24 weeks | 59.7% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Folkestone | Folkestone | South East | 7.1 weeks | 9 weeks | 42.4% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Gillingham | Gillingham | South East | 12 weeks | 23 weeks | 56.4% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Greenham | Newbury | South East | 8.7 weeks | 24 weeks | 56.5% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Guildford | Guildford | South East | 7.8 weeks | 14.3 weeks | 57.1% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Hastings (Ore) | Hastings | South East | 17.1 weeks | 9.5 weeks | 52.4% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Herne Bay | Herne Bay | South East | 8.6 weeks | 13 weeks | 55.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| High Wycombe | High Wycombe | South East | 6.1 weeks | 4.5 weeks | 51.5% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Lee On The Solent | Lee on the Solent | South East | 18.9 weeks | 24 weeks | 63.2% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Maidstone | Maidstone | South East | 9.7 weeks | 21 weeks | 60.2% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Medway Ambley Road | Gillingham | South East | 1 week | Not published | Not published | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Newport (Isle of Wight) | Newport | South East | 7.1 weeks | 9.8 weeks | 54.1% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Oxford (Cowley) | Oxford | South East | 4.4 weeks | 24 weeks | 50.6% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Portsmouth | Portsmouth | South East | 16.1 weeks | 19 weeks | 52.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Reading | Reading | South East | 6.3 weeks | 24 weeks | 55.4% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Redhill Aerodrome | Redhill | South East | 13.3 weeks | 24 weeks | 53.9% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Sevenoaks | Sevenoaks | South East | 15 weeks | 7.5 weeks | 59.0% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Slough (London) | Slough | South East | 22.1 weeks | 24 weeks | 50.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Southampton (Maybush) | Southampton | South East | 14.4 weeks | 20.5 weeks | 50.3% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Tunbridge Wells | Tunbridge Wells | South East | 10.6 weeks | 24 weeks | 64.5% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Winchester | Winchester | South East | 11.3 weeks | 24 weeks | 52.2% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
| Worthing | Worthing | South East | 13.7 weeks | 24 weeks | 59.8% | 14 October 2026 | View details |
No exact matches
Try a town, postcode, broader region or clear the filters.
Understanding the regional figures
Regional averages include valid numeric DVSA records only and are not weighted by test volume or population. How long learners actually waited is based on the median at each centre; current appointment availability is the separate 10% measure. Neither shows live appointments, and pass rates do not measure centre difficulty.
See the latest UK report, chart and full methodology.
Explore other regions
EnglandView regional comparisonScotlandView regional comparisonWalesView regional comparisonEast MidlandsView regional comparisonEast of EnglandView regional comparisonLondonView regional comparison
Data source and date
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Latest records for how long learners actually waited and current appointment availability were published 14 October 2026; pass rates cover April 2025 to March 2026.