- Wolverhampton (32.4% pass rate) is the worst place to take a driving test
- Forfar (72.3% pass rate) is the best place to take a driving test
London, 21st May 2024 – Driving test pass rates are still above pre-pandemic levels, according to research by car leasing comparison site LeaseLoco.
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%.
The average pass rates across all test centres in England, Scotland and Wales has been above 48% since the pandemic struck in 2020 and the country went into lockdown for the first time. Pre-pandemic, the pass rate never exceeded 48%.
During the pandemic, the pass rate actually peaked at 49.8% (for the 2020-2021 financial year) 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).
LeaseLoco analysis shows that although average pass rates across the UK have remained above pre-pandemic levels, they have actually fallen for the third financial year running.
From a peak during the 2020/21 financial year when rates hit 49.8%, pass rates have been declining since. 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.
Table: Average driving test pass rates (%) across all test centres in England, Scotland and Wales over the past decade
| Period | 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 |
Best and worst places to take a driving test
Based on current data, learner drivers are most likely to pass their driving test if they take it in Forfar, Scotland, and 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.
Table: 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
Table: 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 |
John Wilmot, CEO, car leasing comparison website LeaseLoco, comments:
"The driving test backlog post-pandemic has contributed to pass rates remaining high four years after the country went into lockdown for the first time. "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. "Additionally, learners who scheduled tests after the lockdown had more time to prepare, especially those who could practise driving in their personal vehicles outside of formal instructor sessions. This extended preparation likely resulted in fewer individuals taking their tests prematurely, before feeling fully prepared. "Furthermore, quieter road conditions during the pandemic provided learners with more opportunities to build confidence behind the wheel. “Will we see pass rates remain above pre-pandemic levels? Our research suggests the post- pandemic uplift is slowly losing its bounce. In the next couple of years, based on falling average pass rates since the end of the pandemic, it’s likely rates will return to pre-pandemic levels.”
-- ENDS -- Notes to Editors
For more information please contact: Jonny Stevens, Rhizome Media Group jonny@rhizomemediagroup.com 07977 119 579
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