Gillingham driving test centre
Gillingham driving test centre is at Unit 1, Astra Park, Courteney Road, Gillingham, ME8 0EZ. DVSA figures show 56.4% of car tests there were passes in 2025-26 (14,886 tests), 6.4 points above the Great Britain rate of 50.0%. The median wait from booking to test was 9.9 weeks in July 2026, against 11.1 weeks across Great Britain.
Gillingham pass rate by year
| Year (April to March) | Gillingham | Car tests | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 56.4% | 14,886 | 50.0% |
| 2024-25 | 57.2% | 14,761 | 48.7% |
The pass rate fell by 0.8 points between 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Source: DVSA table DRT122A, car driving test by test centre, 2025-26 and 2024-25. The Great Britain 2025-26 figure is 1,000,043 passes from 1,998,621 tests; the 2024-25 figure is the total of every centre in the table. A pass rate counts every attempt, first or not, and says nothing about why people pass or fail at a centre.
Driving test waiting time at Gillingham
| Median wait, July 2026 | Weeks |
|---|---|
| Gillingham | 9.9 |
| South East | 10 |
| Great Britain | 11.1 |
Source: DVSA table DRT122F, car driving test availability by test centre (July 2026). The median is the middle wait between the day a test was booked and the day it was taken. Every centre is in our driving test waiting times tracker.
Where is Gillingham driving test centre?
ME8 0EZ
What happens on test day
Bring your UK driving licence, your theory test pass certificate if you have it, and a car that meets the rules. Most people use their instructor's car. Without the right things the test is cancelled and you lose the fee (GOV.UK, what to take to your test).
The test lasts around 35 minutes of driving. According to GOV.UK's guide to what happens during the test, it has four parts:
- An eyesight check: read a number plate from 20 metres (20.5 metres for an old-style plate). Fail it and the test ends.
- Two vehicle safety questions: a ‘tell me’ question before you drive and a ‘show me’ question on the move. Practise them with our show me tell me questions.
- General driving, including 20 to 35 minutes of independent driving following a sat nav, traffic signs or both. Routes are not published, and taking a wrong turning is not a fault.
- One reversing exercise: a parallel park, a bay park, or pulling up on the right and reversing about two car lengths. You may also be asked to do an emergency stop.
Your instructor can sit in the back and be there for the result if you ask. The test is the same in a manual or an automatic car.
Test centres near Gillingham
| Centre | Distance | Pass rate | Median wait (July 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maidstone | 7.6 miles | 60.2% (2025-26) | 10 weeks |
| Tilbury | 12.0 miles | 50.4% (2025-26) | 7.1 weeks |
| Southend-on-Sea | 13.8 miles | 47% (2025-26) | 7.5 weeks |
| Basildon | 16.0 miles | 49.1% (2025-26) | 4.8 weeks |
| Sevenoaks | 18.1 miles | 59% (2025-26) | 10.4 weeks |
Distances are straight-line miles between centre postcodes.
Driving lessons near Gillingham
Learning on the roads around the centre you will be tested at is the most useful practice you can get. Search Orbit's instructor listings for the area: the search shows instructors whose own coverage includes your postcode, and if nobody covers it yet you can leave a request.
Search driving instructors near ME8 0EZ
Town pages for the area:
Gillingham driving test centre FAQs
What is the pass rate at Gillingham driving test centre?
56.4% in 2025-26, from 14,886 car tests, according to DVSA table DRT122A. The Great Britain rate for 2025-26 was 50.0%. In 2024-25 it was 57.2%.
How long is the wait for a driving test at Gillingham?
The median wait between booking and taking a car test at Gillingham was 9.9 weeks in July 2026, according to DVSA table DRT122F. The Great Britain median was 11.1 weeks.
Where is Gillingham driving test centre?
Unit 1, Astra Park, Courteney Road, Gillingham, ME8 0EZ. DVSA lists it in the South East region.
What do I need to bring to my driving test at Gillingham?
Your UK driving licence, your theory test pass certificate if you have it, and a car that meets the rules. Most people use their instructor's car. GOV.UK says your test will be cancelled and you will not get your money back if you do not bring the right things.