Key Insights on Driving Test Pass Rates, Faults, and Preparation

To understand driving tests in UK, it is important to examine driving test pass rates, identify common reasons for failure, and learn strategies to improve your chances of passing.

Recent data shows that location significantly affects driving test outcomes.

Overall Pass Rate Stats

Practical Driving Test Pass Rates

The average practical driving test pass rate for 2023/24 across all 328 test centers in Great Britain was 48%. This rate is the same as the previous year but slightly lower than 2021/22 (down 1%) and 2020/21 (down 2%).

This suggests passing might be a bit more challenging, or learners might be less prepared compared to past years.

Theory Test Pass Rates

For theory tests, the average pass rate across 201 centres in Great Britain for 2023/24 was 46.5%. This marks a 2% increase from the previous year (44.2%).

However, the theory pass rate has generally remained below 50% since 2015/16.

Where You Test Matters: Practical Pass Rates by Location

Pass rates for practical tests vary significantly across the country.

Highest Pass Rates Across Great Britain

Test centres in Scotland tend to have the highest practical pass rates, with nine Scottish centres appearing in the top ten list based on centres conducting at least 250 tests in the last year.

At these top centres, at least seven in ten learners successfully obtain their licence.

Test centres with high pass rates are often located in rural areas. The Isles of Scilly in Cornwall also boasts a high pass rate of 72.7%.

Lowest Pass Rates Across Great Britain

Urban centres often have lower pass rates. Wolverhampton appears to be the lowest performing practical test centre in the country, with only about a third of learners passing (32.4%).

Several test centres in London also feature among the lowest pass rates nationally.

Regional Breakdowns (England, Wales, Scotland Examples)

1. England: Barrow in Furness in Cumbria is noted as a strong location for learners in England, with over two thirds passing (66.5%).
2. Wales: Newtown in Powys has the highest pass rate in Wales (66.7%). Learners in Newport appear to face more challenges, with less than half passing (47.1%). Porthmadog in Wales has the lowest theory test pass rate in Great Britain (37.3%). Builth Wells is the most successful location for theory tests in Wales (48.5%).
3. Scotland: While many Scottish centres have high pass rates, Shieldhall in Glasgow has a lower rate (40.9%), and Greenock at the Anniesland centre also sees less than half of learners succeed (41.4%). North Berwick is the location with the highest theory test pass rate in Scotland (58%), while Elgin has the lowest (41%).

Focus on London Practical Pass Rates

The overall practical driving test pass rate in London is 51.2%, which is higher than the UK average of 48%. However, pass rates vary considerably within the city.

London Test Centres with the Highest Practical Pass Rates (at least 250 tests in the last year):

1. Sidcup – 57.9%
2. Enfield (Innova Business Park) – 52.4%
3. Hornchurch – 52.4%
4. Hither Green – 51.6%
5. Tolworth – 51.3%

London Test Centres with the Lowest Practical Pass Rates (at least 250 tests in the last year), some featuring in the UK bottom ten:

1. Belvedere – 35.1%
2. Chingford – 36.2%
3. Barking (Tanner Street) – 39.6%
4. Greenford (Horsenden Lane) – 40.3%
5. Wanstead – 40.4%

Theory Test Pass Rates Vary by Location

Similar to practical tests, theory test pass rates also differ geographically. Areas with the highest pass rates often correlate with isolated, low-population areas.

Highest Pass Rate Areas

Areas with the highest pass rates for theory tests in Great Britain are generally isolated areas with low populations.

Lowest Pass Rate Centres

Porthmadog in Wales has the worst theory test pass rate in Great Britain (37.3%). Bradford ranks second worst (37.5%). Other centres in the bottom ten include Dudley (38.8%), Uxbridge in London (39.1%), and Leicester (39.6%).

Regional Breakdowns (England, Wales, Scotland Examples)

1. England: While Glossop has the top spot (53.6%), learners in England looking to pass their theory test often have better chances in the South, with Cambridge, Brighton, and Oxford boasting average pass rates over 50%.
2. Wales: Builth Wells is the most successful location for theory tests in Wales (48.5%), followed by Aberystwyth (46.8%).
3. Scotland: North Berwick has the highest theory test pass rate in Scotland (58%), while Elgin has the lowest (41%).

Focus on London Theory Pass Rates

In London, the Southwark test centre has a higher-than-average theory pass rate of 52%, placing it seventh in the UK top ten. Conversely, the Uxbridge test centre has a low pass rate of 39.1%, ranking as the fourth lowest across the UK. Other centres like Croydon (46%) and Bethnal Green (47%) have pass rates closer to the national average.

Why Learners Fail: Common Dangerous Faults

Understanding the reasons why tests result in failure can help learners prepare. There are three types of faults: driving faults (minor), serious faults (potentially dangerous), and dangerous faults (actual danger). Making more than 15 driving faults or any serious or dangerous faults results in failure.

Top 10 Dangerous Faults

The ten most common dangerous faults that lead to an instant driving test fail (based on the last 12 months) are:

1. Loss of control while forward parking – (25%)
2. Insufficient observation while at a junction (17%)
3. Failing to use mirrors when changing direction (10%)
4. Loss of steering control specifically (7.2%)
5. Insufficient observation while forward parking – (6.6%)
6. Failure to leave sufficient clearance when passing obstructions (4.5%)
7. Failure to judge risks at a crossing (4.5%)
8. Failure to judge risks when meeting another car (3.8%)
9. Failure to move off safely (2.5%)
10. Failure to maintain control of the car when moving off (2.1%)

Loss of control while parking is the most common reason for an instant fail.

Increasing Your Likelihood of Passing: Advice and Practice

Gaining valuable driving experience is highlighted as one of the best ways to get ready for your test.

The Value of Practice

You don’t always need to wait for a licensed instructor to start practicing. Provisional licence holders are legally required to have insurance when driving under supervision.

While a driving instructor’s car is likely covered by their insurance, you will need a valid policy for private practice with a friend or family member.

Private Practice with Insurance

You can practice in a borrowed car (or your own) if supervised by someone who is aged between 25 and 75 years old, has held a British driving licence for at least three years, and is qualified to drive the vehicle type you are learning in. 

Crucially, everyone must be fully insured to drive the vehicle before you start driving. Temporary learner driver insurance offers a flexible option for this private practice, available for coverage periods from one day up to 5 months.

Nicholas Shaw, Director of Operations at Dayinsure, emphasizes that temporary learner driver insurance is a cheap and flexible option for private practice sessions with friends or family, which can help improve your chances of passing the first time.

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