53.7% is the current pass rate at Braintree — above the UK average of 50.1%. Expect both town driving and genuine open-road sections where the national speed limit applies — candidates who've only practised in built-up areas tend to find the unmarked rural junctions catch them out.
📍 Test Centre Address
Fairfield Road
Braintree, CM7 3JA
Official DVSA booking — opens in a new tab
Pass Rate at Braintree
The pass rate at Braintree is 53.7%, above the UK national average of 50.1%. A higher pass rate typically reflects a road network where candidates can demonstrate skills clearly — but the DVSA standard is identical everywhere. Do not mistake the pass rate for a measure of examiner leniency.
Among East of England test centres, Braintree's 53.7% pass rate places it 17th out of 28 — above Kings Lynn (51.9%) and Hemel Hempstead (50.7%), and below Welwyn Garden City (54.4%) and Cambridge (53.8%). The highest in East of England is Thetford at 63.4%; the lowest is Luton at 39.2%.
DVSA does not publish data for this specific test centre in our current dataset — this figure is a regional estimate based on nearby centres of similar size, not an official DVSA statistic.
Pass Rate Comparison — All East of England Test Centres
The table below shows every driving test centre in East of England, sorted by pass rate. Braintree is highlighted. All figures are sourced from DVSA open data where available.
| Test Centre | Pass Rate | vs UK avg (50.1%) |
|---|---|---|
| Thetford | 63.4% | +13.3% |
| Ipswich | 62.3% | +12.2% |
| Felixstowe | 61.7% | +11.6% |
| Norwich | 61.7% | +11.6% |
| March | 61.3% | +11.2% |
| Ely | 60.8% | +10.7% |
| St Ives | 59.6% | +9.5% |
| Wisbech | 58.7% | +8.6% |
| Great Yarmouth | 56.8% | +6.7% |
| Huntingdon | 56.1% | +6% |
| Chelmsford | 55.4% | +5.3% |
| Stevenage | 55.3% | +5.2% |
| Witham | 55.2% | +5.1% |
| Hertford | 55.1% | +5% |
| Welwyn Garden City | 54.4% | +4.3% |
| Cambridge | 53.8% | +3.7% |
| Bedford | 53.7% | +3.6% |
| Braintree ★ | 53.7% | +3.6% |
| Kings Lynn | 51.9% | +1.8% |
| Hemel Hempstead | 50.7% | +0.6% |
| St Albans | 50.7% | +0.6% |
| Colchester | 50.6% | +0.5% |
| Basildon | 49.1% | -1% |
| Brentwood | 48.5% | -1.6% |
| Harlow | 46.8% | -3.3% |
| Bury St Edmunds | 46.2% | -3.9% |
| Watford | 46.2% | -3.9% |
| Luton | 39.2% | -10.9% |
Test Centres Near Braintree
Before booking at Braintree, it's worth checking how it stacks up against other centres near Braintree — pass rate, route type, and typical wait for a slot can all vary more than you'd expect between centres just a few miles apart.
- Witham driving test centre (7 miles — 55.2% pass rate)
- Chelmsford driving test centre (11 miles — 55.4% pass rate)
- Colchester driving test centre (16 miles — 50.6% pass rate)
- Basildon driving test centre (20 miles — 49.1% pass rate)
What to Expect on Test Routes from Braintree
Single-carriageway roads at the national speed limit make up a real part of the test route from Braintree. Country lanes and A-roads test safe speed management directly — judging a safe following distance behind slower vehicles, and knowing when not to try an overtake, come up on most routes here.
Where candidates tend to lose marks is the transition back down in speed after the rural stretches — carrying too much speed into a 30mph village or town approach racks up speed-related faults fast.
Most Common Fail Reasons at Braintree
DVSA doesn't break fault data down by centre, so the list below is the national picture, weighted for the kind of roads you'll actually face at Braintree and other East of England centres.
- Speed — national speed limit roads: Driving significantly below the limit without reason on open country roads, or failing to reduce speed early enough when re-entering a village or 30mph zone.
- Junctions — observation: Emerging too quickly at rural T-junctions where visibility may be limited by hedges, bends, or crests.
- Mirrors — change direction: Failing to check mirrors before slowing, pulling over, or turning onto rural side roads.
- Road positioning: Incorrect positioning on single-carriageway roads — too far left on narrow lanes or too central on roads with oncoming traffic.
- Response to hazards: Not responding early enough to agricultural vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians on rural routes.
Full breakdown: The 10 Most Common Driving Test Fails →
Booking Your Test at Braintree
Book your practical driving test at Braintree through the official DVSA service. You will need your provisional driving licence number and a debit or credit card. The current fee is £62 for weekday tests and £75 for evenings, weekends, and bank holidays.
Your theory test certificate must be valid when you book — theory passes expire two years from the test date. Check yours before starting a booking.
If Braintree has no availability on your target date, the DVSA booking tool lets you search other test centres nearby — useful if you are flexible on location.
Find a Driving Instructor Near Braintree
Choosing an instructor familiar with Braintree's test routes is one of the most effective things you can do before test day. Local route knowledge means your final lessons can focus on the exact junctions and manoeuvres you'll face — not generic practice.
National speed limit country roads, low-visibility bends, junctions shared with farm traffic — Braintree's rural test routes feel genuinely different from town driving, and many candidates underestimate the gap. A local instructor who covers these roads makes a real difference.
Search for ADIs near Braintree using the official tool below, then ask this directly: "How well do you know the specific rural routes used at Braintree, and do your lessons cover national speed limit roads and low-visibility junctions?" Any instructor worth their fee will give you a specific answer, not a vague one.
Find an Approved Driving Instructor near Braintree →
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