UK driving test pass rates explained

The average driving test pass rate in the 2023/24 financial year was 47.9 per cent. That’s across every driving test centre in England, Scotland and Wales, where a record number of driving tests were taken, a total of 1,945,225. Overall driving test pass rates have held relatively stable over time with a 44.2 per cent figure in 2007/08 being the lowest and a 49.8 per cent figure in 2020/21 being the highest.

The 2020/21 financial years were, of course, something of an anomaly, with the Covid pandemic closing test centres across the country. Only 436,044 driving tests were carried out over this period and we’ve seen slightly suppressed numbers of tests in the years following. The 2023/24 financial year saw the highest number of driving tests taken since 2007, as test centres attempt to clear some of the backlog caused by the pandemic.

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Average waiting times to book a driving test in the UK doubled from 7.5 weeks to 15.1 weeks between 2019/20 and 2022/23, with the latest data from earlier in 2024 showing the average wait time remains stubbornly high at 15.1 weeks. That has involved learner drivers shopping around to try to find test centres with shorter waiting lists.

Excluding 2020/21 where fewer driving tests were taken due to the pandemic, the high point for driving test passes in the UK since the available data began in 2007 was 2016/17, with 815,168 people tearing up their L-plates at a pass rate of 47.1 per cent. Since then there’s been a slow decline in the number of tests taken, with a spike 2022/23. Those who are determined to learn to drive are under growing pressure to pass first time and as soon as possible to avoid the cost of extra lessons and another test.

So what are your chances of passing your practical driving test? We’ve analysed the data to find out who, where and when has the best driving test pass rates, plus how much you should expect to pay to get your full driving licence.

How much will learning to drive cost?

Prospective motorists have to shell out up to £43 just to get their provisional licence these days, but that’s just the start.

Driving lessons cost on average £35 per hour and the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) reckons the average number of lessons you’ll need to pass is 47. That’s £1,645 on driving lessons alone.

The theory test will set you back £23, while the practical car test costs £62 on weekdays or £75 on evenings or weekends. Added together, drivers are forking out around £1,730 for the privilege of getting behind the wheel.

Where is the best place to take my practical driving test?

Driving test pass rates vary significantly by location and test centre. According to the figures, the more rural the test centre the better your chances in the practical driving test. Remote locations in Scotland are your best bet, with Mallaig – a small port town in the west of Scotland – returning a driving test pass rate of over 85 per cent, although only 41 tests were taken there in 2023/24 financial year. For an even better chance, twenty people took tests on the Isle of Barra, with an 90.0 per cent pass rate - the second highest behind Benbecula Island which had a pass rate of 91.0 per cent from 111 driving tests taken.

Clearly, travelling to remote parts of Scotland for a driving test isn’t practical for the majority of people, so where else is best? Of the test centres that have taken over 1,000 tests in the 2023/24 financial year, Newtown in Wales has the highest pass rate at 67.7 per cent, followed by Barrow In Furness, Kendal, Dorchester and Chichester.

The test centre where you’re least likely to pass is Wolverhampton in the Midlands, where only 32.4 per cent of learner drivers tore up their L-plates. That accounted for just over 10,000 would-be drivers needing to resit the test.

Is the theory test easier than the practical?

The theory test pass rate has fallen dramatically over the past few years because the DVSA has tightened up on revision guides and questioning. Back in 2007, just over 65 per cent of drivers passed the theory test, falling all the way down to 44.2 per cent for the 2022/23 financial year. Theory test pass rates increased slightly in 2023/24, rising to 45.2 per cent.

That’s very close to the practical driving test pass rate, despite the perception among learner drivers that the theory test is the easy part. The theory test is certainly less unpredictable than the practical exam, but still requires a degree of practice, both in memorising the relevant signage and learning the Highway Code rules. Then there's the challenge of applying your road safety knowledge to the hazard perception test.

Are men or women better at passing the driving test?

Women are better at passing the theory test while men are better at the practical, according to DVSA annual figures. For the practical driving test, the gap between men and women has narrowed in recent years. While the difference in pass rates hovered around six percentage points from 2013 to 2018, with men just over 50 per cent and women around 44 per cent, the difference was less than three percentage points in 2023/24. It’s women drivers who seem to have improved as well, with the male pass rate decreasing to 49.1 percent and women climbing to 46.5 per cent.

The split of men and women taking the test has remained around 50-50 for both the practical and theory tests, with some variations from year to year. In total, UK drivers have taken between 1.8 and 1.5 million driving tests every year since 2007. That’s ignoring 2021 when only 436,000 tests were taken because of the Covid pandemic. 2023/24 saw the highest number of driving tests taken, at almost 1.95 million, as driving test centres attempt to clear the backlog caused by the pandemic.

Frequently Asked Questions

The overall UK driving test pass rate for 2023/24 is 47.9 per cent, which is odds of around one in two or 50/50. The pass rate on the first attempt is slightly higher at 48.1 per cent. In 2023/24 just over 20,500 people passed their test at the first attempt with no faults, the highest total since the available data began in 2007. The best way to improve your odds of passing is to practise and study the highway code.

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Ryan Birch

Content editor

Ryan is responsible for looking after the day-to-day running of the Auto Express website and social media channels. Prior to joining Auto Express in 2023, he worked at a global OEM automotive manufacturer, as well as a specialist automotive PR and marketing agency.