Learning to drive in Kent: prices, test centres and the 2026 rules
What Kent driving schools charge, how Kent's test centres compare, and what changed for learners in 2026.
Key numbers
- A manual driving lesson in Kent costs a middle of £40 an hour on published prices (£35 to £60).
- Kent car test pass rates in 2025-26 ran from 42.4% at Folkestone to 64.5% at Tunbridge Wells, against 50.0% nationally.
- A practical test costs £62 on a weekday and £75 in the evening or at weekends. Since 12 May 2026, only the learner can book it.
Guides
- Driving test booking rules 2026
For car learners: only you can book your test now.
- Driving lesson prices in Kent
What Kent schools charge per hour, by town, manual and automatic.
- Intensive driving courses in Kent
Prices, test-booking claims and deposit terms compared.
- Kent driving test centres compared
Pass rates, first-time rates and waits at every Kent centre.
Kent test centres
- Ashford
46.2% pass rate, 7.1-week median wait.
- Canterbury
45.8% pass rate, 5.4-week median wait.
- Folkestone
42.4% pass rate, 7.1-week median wait.
- Gillingham
56.4% pass rate, 12-week median wait.
- Herne Bay
55.9% pass rate, 8.6-week median wait.
- Maidstone
60.2% pass rate, 9.7-week median wait.
- Sevenoaks
59.0% pass rate, 15-week median wait.
- Tunbridge Wells
64.5% pass rate, 10.6-week median wait.