Goodmayes (London)

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Driving Test Centre Goodmayes, 98 Goodmayes Road, Ilford

98 Goodmayes Road, IG3 9UZ

Pass Rate
45.1%
Members
5

Test Statistics

Goodmayes (London) passes 45.1% of candidates, below the national average of 48.6%. It is one of the busier centres, running about 59 tests a day — 12,607 in the period DVSA reports. The most common reason for failing is observation at junctions, which costs 13.4% of candidates their test. Tests booked on a Saturday between 13:00 and 14:00 do best, passing 63.6%.

Goodmayes (London) driving test pass rate and statistics

Pass Rate
45.1%
National: 48.6%
Total Tests
12,607
~58.6 per day
First Attempt Rate
43.9%
Avg 2.2 attempts
Dangerous Faults
0.14
12.2% of tests have any
Serious Faults
0.83
50.2% of tests have any
Minor Faults
4.26
96.9% of tests have any

Common faults at Goodmayes (London)

Most Common Fail Reasons

Junctions - observation13.4%
Common Scenarios:
  • Emerging at a T-junction or roundabout and causing another vehicle to slow down.
  • Emerging from a junction without adequate observations (even if clear).
  • Sailing through a crossroads without stopping and looking.
  • Joining a dual carriageway via a sliproad without sufficient mirror and blind spot checks.
  • Turning right in front of oncoming traffic, causing them to slow down.
Why More Common Here:
  • Junctions onto busy roads with fast flowing traffic, small gaps and the requirement to build speed quickly to avoid slowing others behind.
  • Short, curvy or otherwise awkward sliproads onto dual carriageways.
  • Busy high streets and main roads with poor visibility and bikes overtaking.
Control - steering8.3%
Common Scenarios:
  • Steering too much, too little, too early or too late.
  • Mounting the curb when steering out of a junction.
  • Briefly driving on the wrong side of the road when turning through a junction.
Why More Common Here:
  • Tight junctions and narrow roads.
  • Sharp left or right turns on test routes.
Mirrors - change direction7.0%
Common Scenarios:
  • Failing to check mirrors when exiting a roundabout.
  • Failing to check mirrors when changing lanes.
Why More Common Here:
  • Complex multi-lane roundabouts and one-way systems.
Move off - safely5.0%
Common Scenarios:
  • When parked on the road, moving off and causing oncoming traffic to brake or swerve.
  • Not checking mirrors and blindspots when moving off from a parked position.
  • Not completing all 360° observations when continuing after an emergency stop.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes involve stopping on busier roads.
  • Test routes involve stopping on bendy residential roads with restricted visibility.
Response to traffic lights4.8%
Common Scenarios:
  • Driving through a red light.
  • Driving through an amber light when you could have stopped safely.
  • Hesitating unnecessarily at a green light, impeding the flow of traffic.
  • Incorrectly stopping at a red light that is meant for other drivers.
  • Ignoring or misinterpreting a green arrow filter light.
  • Not waiting in the middle of a box junction when turning right.
Why More Common Here:
  • High traffic volume in the area can pressure learners to avoid stopping for amber lights.
  • Confusingly located traffic lights.
  • Traffic lights placed on fast sections of road where learners feel pressured to make good progress.
  • Traffic lights placed within roundabouts, where learners are too focused on lane position and observations.
Judgement - meeting4.5%
Common Scenarios:
  • Failing to slow down or adjust your position when approaching an oncoming vehicle on a narrow road.
  • Misjudging the speed of an oncoming vehicle and failing to allow sufficient space for it to pass safely.
  • Continuing towards other vehicles when they have priority.
Why More Common Here:
  • Narrow residential roads, particularly those lined with parked cars.
  • Residential roads with hills and bends, requiring faster reaction time.
Clearance / obstructions4.2%
Common Scenarios:
  • Driving too close to a vehicle when passing, even though the road allows for more space.
  • Driving too close to parked vehicles or other fixed structures.
Why More Common Here:
  • Narrow roads with limited space for cars to give way to each other.
  • Awkwardly placed width restrictors.
  • High levels of traffic and/or bus routes on narrow roads.
Response to road markings4.1%
Common Scenarios:
  • Driving in an incorrect lane that was clearly marked.
  • Ignoring lane arrows at junctions (e.g. left turn only).
  • Ignoring a give way line and assuming priority.
  • Stopping within a cycle box, not respecting advanced stop lines.
Why More Common Here:
  • Road markings worn away due to infrequent maintenance and/or heavy traffic.
  • Complex or confusing lane restrictions.
  • Road markings can be easily missed in slow moving traffic, especially when other road users may not follow them.
  • Give way lines draw in unusual places.
Pedestrian crossing3.9%
Common Scenarios:
  • Failing to stop at a zebra crossing when pedestrians are waiting.
  • Stopping on the crossing itself, blocking its use by pedestrians.
  • Approaching a crossing too quickly.
  • Moving off before a pedestrian has completely cleared the crossing.
Why More Common Here:
  • Lots of zebra crossings and high foot traffic.
  • Crossings awkwardly placed immediately after roundabouts.
  • Crossings overly obscured by road furniture, requiring advanced observation skills.
Judgement - crossing3.3%
Common Scenarios:
  • Turning right across the path of an oncoming vehicle, failing to anticipate its speed.
Why More Common Here:
  • Certain right turns on fast roads with poor visibility, requiring expert judgement.

Most Common Minor Faults

Progress - undue hesitation0.38
Common Scenarios:
  • Not emerging from a junction when it is safe to do so.
  • Waiting unnecessarily for another road user to pass who has clearly given way to you.
  • Failing to maintain momentum when joining a clear roundabout.
  • Ignoring shields and exit signals on mini-roundabouts and therefore missing many opportunities to proceed.
Why More Common Here:
  • Areas and times with fast, flowing traffic and non-obvious gaps.
  • Busy mini-roundabouts.
  • Test routes with stops along busy main roads.
Control - steering0.35
Common Scenarios:
  • Steering too much, too little, too early or too late.
  • Mounting the curb when steering out of a junction.
  • Briefly driving on the wrong side of the road when turning through a junction.
Why More Common Here:
  • Tight junctions and narrow roads.
  • Sharp left or right turns on test routes.
Progress - speed (too slow)0.33
Common Scenarios:
  • Driving significantly below the speed limit on a clear road without a valid reason (especially if it impacts drivers behind or causes them to overtake).
  • Being hesitant to build speed on a sliproad so as to merge safely.
  • Slowing down excessively for minor hazards, such as slight bends.
  • Losing speed due to improper gear selection on a hill.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes that cross both 20 mph residential zones and regular 30 mph roads - learners may 'hedge' their bets by driving at 20 until they are sure the limit is 30.
  • Rural national speed limit roads.
  • Fast roads with hills and bends, requiring frequent gear changes to maintain progress.
  • Short sliproads necessitating confident acceleration.
Move off - safely0.32
Common Scenarios:
  • When parked on the road, moving off and causing oncoming traffic to brake or swerve.
  • Not checking mirrors and blindspots when moving off from a parked position.
  • Not completing all 360° observations when continuing after an emergency stop.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes involve stopping on busier roads.
  • Test routes involve stopping on bendy residential roads with restricted visibility.
Position - normal stops0.24
Common Scenarios:
  • Stopping in a location that obstructs a driveway, a junction, or a bus stop.
  • Parking with one or more wheels on the pavement.
  • Parking too far from the kerb.
Why More Common Here:
  • Inner city test areas with limited roadside parking.
  • Areas where residents habitually park on the pavement can trick learners into thinking it is acceptable.
Junctions - observation0.21
Common Scenarios:
  • Emerging at a T-junction or roundabout and causing another vehicle to slow down.
  • Emerging from a junction without adequate observations (even if clear).
  • Sailing through a crossroads without stopping and looking.
  • Joining a dual carriageway via a sliproad without sufficient mirror and blind spot checks.
  • Turning right in front of oncoming traffic, causing them to slow down.
Why More Common Here:
  • Junctions onto busy roads with fast flowing traffic, small gaps and the requirement to build speed quickly to avoid slowing others behind.
  • Short, curvy or otherwise awkward sliproads onto dual carriageways.
  • Busy high streets and main roads with poor visibility and bikes overtaking.
Move off - control0.19
Common Scenarios:
  • Stalling from a parked position or in traffic.
  • Rolling back a considerable amount when moving off.
  • Attempting to move off when a gear is not selected.
Why More Common Here:
  • Hilly areas, especially around junctions.
  • Hilly roads with slow stop-start traffic, requiring consecutive hill starts.
Clearance / obstructions0.17
Common Scenarios:
  • Driving too close to a vehicle when passing, even though the road allows for more space.
  • Driving too close to parked vehicles or other fixed structures.
Why More Common Here:
  • Narrow roads with limited space for cars to give way to each other.
  • Awkwardly placed width restrictors.
  • High levels of traffic and/or bus routes on narrow roads.
Vehicle checks0.15
Common Scenarios:
  • Getting either the show me or tell me question wrong (one minor fault).
  • Losing control of the car when answering the show me question.
Judgement - meeting0.15
Common Scenarios:
  • Failing to slow down or adjust your position when approaching an oncoming vehicle on a narrow road.
  • Misjudging the speed of an oncoming vehicle and failing to allow sufficient space for it to pass safely.
  • Continuing towards other vehicles when they have priority.
Why More Common Here:
  • Narrow residential roads, particularly those lined with parked cars.
  • Residential roads with hills and bends, requiring faster reaction time.

Manoeuvres tested at Goodmayes (London)

Emergency stopTested 30.8% of the time
Pass Rate
52.2%
Fail Rate
1.5%
Reverse rightTested 28.3% of the time
Pass Rate
42.6%
Fail Rate
7.7%
Parallel parkTested 26.5% of the time
Pass Rate
46.2%
Fail Rate
10.6%
Reverse bay parkTested 22.9% of the time
Pass Rate
46.5%
Fail Rate
8.2%
Forward bay parkTested 21.9% of the time
Pass Rate
46.3%
Fail Rate
7.9%

Best times to book at Goodmayes (London)

Sunday
14:00-15:00
Pass Rate
85.7%
~0.2 tests/day
Sunday
08:00-09:00
Pass Rate
75.0%
~0.3 tests/day
Sunday
10:00-11:00
Pass Rate
75.0%
~0.3 tests/day
Sunday
12:00-13:00
Pass Rate
75.0%
~0.3 tests/day
Saturday
13:00-14:00
Pass Rate
63.6%
~1.1 tests/day
Sunday
All times
Pass Rate
63.0%
~1.8 tests/day
Sunday
09:00-10:00
Pass Rate
62.5%
~0.3 tests/day
Saturday
12:00-13:00
Pass Rate
57.9%
~1.2 tests/day
Mon-Fri
16:00-17:00
Pass Rate
50.0%
~0.2 tests/day
Saturday
07:00-08:00
Pass Rate
50.0%
~1.7 tests/day
Mon-Fri
07:00-08:00
Pass Rate
48.6%
~4.8 tests/day
Saturday
10:00-11:00
Pass Rate
47.1%
~2.2 tests/day
Saturday
All times
Pass Rate
46.8%
~13.7 tests/day
Mon-Fri
15:00-16:00
Pass Rate
45.6%
~8.5 tests/day
Mon-Fri
08:00-09:00
Pass Rate
45.5%
~11.4 tests/day
Mon-Fri
13:00-14:00
Pass Rate
45.4%
~10.3 tests/day
Mon-Fri
12:00-13:00
Pass Rate
45.1%
~4.4 tests/day
Mon-Fri
All times
Pass Rate
45.0%
~79.0 tests/day
Mon-Fri
09:00-10:00
Pass Rate
44.6%
~9.6 tests/day
Mon-Fri
10:00-11:00
Pass Rate
44.5%
~10.6 tests/day
Saturday
08:00-09:00
Pass Rate
44.4%
~2.3 tests/day
Mon-Fri
14:00-15:00
Pass Rate
43.9%
~9.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
11:00-12:00
Pass Rate
43.4%
~10.0 tests/day
Sunday
11:00-12:00
Pass Rate
42.9%
~0.2 tests/day
Saturday
09:00-10:00
Pass Rate
42.4%
~2.1 tests/day
Saturday
11:00-12:00
Pass Rate
39.7%
~2.2 tests/day
Saturday
14:00-15:00
Pass Rate
37.5%
~0.8 tests/day
Sunday
13:00-14:00
Pass Rate
28.6%
~0.2 tests/day
Sunday
07:00-08:00
Pass Rate
0.0%
~0.0 tests/day

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