Driving test pass rates are still above pre-pandemic levels, according to research by car leasing comparison site LeaseLoco.

However, pass rates for both the Theory and the practical test remain stubbornly below 50%.

With more failures, the number of retests increases, leading to longer waiting lists and potentially delaying the process for those eager to take their driving test.

Pandemic plus

The most up-to-date driving test data published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) reveals that between April 2023 and December 2023 – the first three quarters of the last financial year 2023/24 –  the average pass rate was 48.2%.

Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and the subsequent lockdown, the average pass rates across all test centres in England, Scotland, and Wales have consistently remained above 48%. This is a significant shift from the pre-pandemic era, where the pass rate never exceeded 48%.

During the pandemic, the pass rate peaked at 49.8% (for the 2020-2021 financial year). However, this was when test centres were closed across the country, and only 436,044 tests were conducted, compared to 1.6m tests taken in the previous financial year (2019-2020).

 

 

Booster jab

LeaseLoco analysis shows that although average pass rates across the UK have remained above pre-pandemic levels, they have fallen for the third financial year.

From a peak during the 2020/21 financial year when rates hit 49.8%, pass rates have been declining and seem to be heading to pre-pandemic levels. During the 2021/2022 financial year, test passes dropped to 48.9%, and they fell further to 48.4% in the 2022/23 financial year.

The table shows average driving test pass rates (%) across all test centres in England, Scotland and Wales over the past decade.

 

Period (Y/E March 2023)	Male driving test pass rate (%)	Female driving test pass rate (%)	Total pass rate (%)
2014-2015	50.5	43.6	46.9
2015-2016	50.6	43.8	47.0
2016-2017	50.6	43.9	47.1
2017-2018	50.0	43.0	46.3
2018-2019	49.6	42.4	45.8
2019-2020	49.6	42.6	45.9
2020-2021	52.5	47.1	49.8
2021-2022	51.0	46.7	48.9
2022-2023	50.2	46.4	48.4
2023-2024 (ytd)	49.4	46.8	48.2

N.B. – 2023-24 – Covers April 23 to Dec 23

 

Best and worst

Based on current data, learner drivers are most likely to pass their driving test if they take it in Forfar, Scotland.

At the other end of the road, they are the least likely to pass if they take their test in Wolverhampton.

For this research, LeaseLoco only considered test centres where more than 500 tests were taken between the start of April 2023 and the end of December 2023.

An impressive 382 out of 201 drivers (72.3%) passed their test in Forfar between the start of April 2023 and the end of December 2023.

Only 3,638 of 11.225 passed their test (32.4%) during that period in Wolverhampton.

Test centres with the highest pass rates

 

Test Centre	Driving tests	Passes	% Pass rate
Forfar	528	382	72.3
Montrose	511	356	69.7
Newtown	1,452	969	66.7
Barrow In Furness	1,326	882	66.5
Kendal, Oxenholme Road	1,704	1,121	65.8
Chichester	5,193	3,344	64.4
Dorchester	3,943	2,547	64.6
Skegness	853	524	61.4
Lancing	6,175	3,794	61.4
Dundee	4,428	2,710	61.2

N.B. – Only test centres with more than 500 tests during the period were considered

 

Test centres with the lowest pass rates

 

Test Centre	Driving tests	Passes	% Pass rate
Wolverhampton	11,225	3,638	32.4
Speke, Liverpool	7,225	2,362	32.7
Featherstone	9,787	3,263	33.3
Belvedere, London	2,687	942	35.1
Chingford, London	10,760	3,897	36.2
Norris Green, Liverpool	9,643	3,535	36.7
Wednesbury	6,272	2,309	36.8
Leicester, Cannock Street	11,292	4,227	37.4
Grimsby Coldwater	4,062	1,540	37.9
Crawley	5,104	1,942	38.0

N.B. – Only test centres with more than 500 tests during the period were considered

 

On a high

John Wilmot, CEO of car leasing comparison website LeaseLoco, believes the problematic waiting times for tests have contributed to the slight high in pass rates.

“There are a number of reasons why this might be the case. The challenges of the pandemic, including frequent test postponements and cancellations, have spurred many learners to be more determined than ever to pass on their first attempt rather than face prolonged waits for rescheduled exams.

Are you ready?

To deal with the problems of waiting times and lack of test availability, the DVSA introduced several measures. One was to bring in extra examining staff. These were workers who had previous experience as examiners but now carried out other duties within the agency. More test slots were also opened up in the evening and on weekends.

However, demand still outstrips supply. The DVSA believes too many candidates are booking their tests before they are ready. This means slots are booked early, and there is a very high failure rate for first-time test takers.

To help reduce this, the ReadyToPass? scheme. This provides candidates with extra support and advice on learning to drive and understanding when they are ready to book a test.