Essex's toughest test centres for passing a driving exam have been revealed, according to a new study.

Research conducted by electronic car part remanufacturer, ACTRONICS LTD, analysed data released by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency revealing Loughton test centre managed a pass rate of just 44.75 per cent.

Of the 4,755 driving tests conducted at the Loughton test centre, only 2,128 yielded a positive result.

This bleak figure made Loughton the toughest of the driving test centres analysed in Essex in the study, where the overall average pass rate for the 289 national driving test centres sat at 50.27 per cent.

The difficulty for Essex would-be drivers did not end with Loughton, with the Colchester centre not far behind, possessing a pass rate of 45.40 per cent.

Here, out of the 10,266 tests conducted, a mere 4,661 were deemed successful.

Basildon didn’t fare much better with its pass rate standing at 46.94 per cent, resulting from 3,027 successful tests out of a total of 6,449 administered.

Other centres, such as Chelmsford (Hanbury Road) and Tilbury, also struggled with pass rates of 49.22 per cent and 49.24 per cent, respectively.

Southend and Brentwood barely just about managed to exceed the average, with pass rates of just over 50 per cent.

The results weren't all doom and gloom, as Clacton emerged with the highest pass rate of 51.89 per cent.

There, a total of 1,165 aspiring drivers managed to pass from a total of 2,245 tests conducted.

A deeper inspection of the study by ACTRONICS LTD also revealed the five most common reasons for test failures since April 2018.

The top reasons for failing

The number one fault, impacting the most tests, was found to be insufficient observation at junctions.

Aspiring drivers often failed to properly assess the road and were unable to check for oncoming traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists before entering or crossing junctions.

Additionally, faults included improper usage of mirrors, difficulties with turning right at junctions, poor steering control, and failure to move off safely from a stationary position.

These consistent problems lead to missed hazards, potential collisions, and dampened the success rate of the practical driving tests.

A spokesman for ACTRONICS said: "To put the figures into perspective the average pass rate for the 289 driving test centres in the study was 50.27 per cent.

"And the driving test centre that had the highest pass rate was Arbroath in Scotland, out of 560 tests 413 people were successful resulting in an overall pass rate of 73.75 per cent.

"Speke emerged as the most difficult driving test centre in the UK during 2023.

"Out of 9,398 tests conducted, only 3,106 resulted in passes, yielding a pass rate of just 33.05 per cent."

So, as it stands, Essex is a challenging location for driving test success, with Loughton taking the crown as the toughest centre to pass within the county.