Herne Bay

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Altria Business park, Margate Road, Thanet Way

Thanet Way, CT6 6GZ

Pass Rate
56.7%
Members
1

Test Statistics

Herne Bay is among the stronger places in the country to sit a practical test: 56.7% of candidates pass, against the national average of 48.6%. The most common reason for failing is observation at junctions, which costs 11.2% of candidates their test. Tests booked on a Saturday between 10:00 and 11:00 do best, passing 64.1%.

Herne Bay driving test pass rate and statistics

Pass Rate
56.7%
National: 48.6%
Total Tests
4,510
~21.0 per day
First Attempt Rate
54.3%
Avg 2.0 attempts
Dangerous Faults
0.05
4.6% of tests have any
Serious Faults
0.69
41.7% of tests have any
Minor Faults
4.72
94.8% of tests have any

Common faults at Herne Bay

Most Common Fail Reasons

Junctions - observation11.2%
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 - steering4.8%
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.
Move off - safely4.1%
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.
Clearance / obstructions3.9%
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.
Junctions - turning right3.7%
Common Scenarios:
  • Incorrect positioning when turning right at junctions.
  • Not positioning to the right of the road when turning right.
  • Turning right at a roundabout using the incorrect lane.
  • Not using the waiting area in the middle of the road when waiting to turn right, therefore blocking traffic behind.
Why More Common Here:
  • Confusing road layouts, worn road markings and circuitous test routes involving waiting area for right turns.
  • Roundabouts with many exits making lane choice less obvious.
  • Roundabouts whose signs contradict the actual road geometry, making the 12 o'clock rule difficult to follow.
Response to road markings3.2%
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.
Mirrors - change direction3.1%
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.
Response to traffic signs3.1%
Common Scenarios:
  • Not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign.
  • Attempting to drive through a no-entry sign.
  • Attempting to drive through any other sign that restricts access (e.g. buses only).
  • Ignoring a give way sign and assuming priority.
  • Ignoring a keep left sign.
Why More Common Here:
  • Stop signs are rare in the UK, but may show up in this test centre area.
  • Confusing one-way systems.
  • Complex road signs restricting access (e.g. bus-only at certain times).
Positioning - normal driving2.7%
Common Scenarios:
  • Not driving in the centre of the lane.
  • Driving for too long in the right hand lane of a dual carriageway, for no reason.
  • 'Straight-lining' a roundabout.
  • Not driving in the bus lane when it is allowed at that time.
Why More Common Here:
  • Many timed bus lanes around test centre.
  • Multi-lane roundabouts with worn lane markings.
Judgement - crossing2.7%
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

Control - steering0.41
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 - undue hesitation0.34
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.
Move off - safely0.33
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.
Progress - speed (too slow)0.32
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 - control0.31
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.
Junctions - observation0.24
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 - gears0.20
Common Scenarios:
  • Selecting a low gear at high speed, causing a sudden loss of speed and danger for vehicles behind.
  • Selecting a high gear at low speed, and possibly stalling.
Why More Common Here:
  • Test routes with numerous fast stretches of road, necessitating higher gears and more shifting.
Positioning - normal driving0.18
Common Scenarios:
  • Not driving in the centre of the lane.
  • Driving for too long in the right hand lane of a dual carriageway, for no reason.
  • 'Straight-lining' a roundabout.
  • Not driving in the bus lane when it is allowed at that time.
Why More Common Here:
  • Many timed bus lanes around test centre.
  • Multi-lane roundabouts with worn lane markings.
Junctions - approach speed0.17
Common Scenarios:
  • Approaching a junction too quickly, making it difficult to make observations and stop safely if necessary.
  • Braking harshly when needing to stop at give way lines.
Why More Common Here:
  • Roundabouts and other junctions that 'appear out of nowhere' on fast roads, possibly due to inadequate signage.
  • Sharp bends or steep inclines on approach to roundabouts.
  • Sharp exits off fast roads (e.g. t-junctions off dual carriageways).
Clearance / obstructions0.16
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.

Manoeuvres tested at Herne Bay

Emergency stopTested 28.6% of the time
Pass Rate
62.5%
Fail Rate
1.5%
Reverse bay parkTested 27.5% of the time
Pass Rate
55.2%
Fail Rate
2.3%
Reverse rightTested 25.5% of the time
Pass Rate
56.9%
Fail Rate
4.9%
Forward bay parkTested 23.2% of the time
Pass Rate
58.0%
Fail Rate
2.8%
Parallel parkTested 23.1% of the time
Pass Rate
58.6%
Fail Rate
8.5%

Best times to book at Herne Bay

Saturday
14:00-15:00
Pass Rate
68.8%
~0.5 tests/day
Mon-Fri
16:00-17:00
Pass Rate
66.7%
~0.1 tests/day
Saturday
10:00-11:00
Pass Rate
64.1%
~2.1 tests/day
Saturday
13:00-14:00
Pass Rate
62.5%
~0.5 tests/day
Mon-Fri
12:00-13:00
Pass Rate
60.9%
~2.5 tests/day
Saturday
08:00-09:00
Pass Rate
58.5%
~2.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
10:00-11:00
Pass Rate
58.3%
~3.5 tests/day
Mon-Fri
15:00-16:00
Pass Rate
58.1%
~1.1 tests/day
Mon-Fri
11:00-12:00
Pass Rate
57.6%
~2.7 tests/day
Mon-Fri
07:00-08:00
Pass Rate
57.6%
~2.9 tests/day
Mon-Fri
All times
Pass Rate
56.8%
~26.8 tests/day
Mon-Fri
08:00-09:00
Pass Rate
56.5%
~3.8 tests/day
Mon-Fri
09:00-10:00
Pass Rate
55.6%
~3.7 tests/day
Mon-Fri
13:00-14:00
Pass Rate
55.5%
~3.2 tests/day
Saturday
All times
Pass Rate
54.9%
~12.6 tests/day
Saturday
07:00-08:00
Pass Rate
54.7%
~1.7 tests/day
Mon-Fri
14:00-15:00
Pass Rate
53.4%
~3.3 tests/day
Saturday
09:00-10:00
Pass Rate
52.2%
~2.2 tests/day
Saturday
12:00-13:00
Pass Rate
47.6%
~1.4 tests/day
Saturday
11:00-12:00
Pass Rate
44.6%
~2.1 tests/day

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