Recent pass rate data – provided to us via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the DVSA – highlighted the aspects which impacted average pass rates for the time period spanning January 2022 to March 2022, including overall, by day, by time, and by location.

2021/22 data also provided insight into location splits, including the driving centres which have the highest and lowest average pass rates in Q1 2022, as well as which locations had the most first attempt passes (including those with zero minors). Read on to find out more…

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Pass Rates and Location Splits

The data revealed an average pass rate of 47.1% in Q1 2022 – of the 425.887 tests conducted, 200,524 resulted in a pass. However, the average has dropped compared to the data for year 2020/21, where the pass rate was 49.8%.

Looking at gender splits, the average pass rate was 45% for females and 49.1% for males. Looking at age groups, 17 and under had the most success, with an average pass rate of 63.5%, followed by those aged 18 (53.7%) and those aged 23 (48.7%).

The top ten reasons for failing include: junctions (observation); mirrors – (change direction); junctions (turning right); response to signals (traffic lights); control (steering); response to signals (traffic signs); response to signals (road markings); move off (safely); positioning (normal driving); move off (control); response to signals (road markings); move off (safely); positioning (normal driving); move off (control).

2021/22 data provided insight into location splits, including the driving centres which have the highest and lowest average pass rates in Q1 2022, as well as which locations had the most first attempt passes (including those with zero minors).

The centres with the highest average pass rates in Q1 2022 included:

1. Duns (83.2%)
2. Ullapool (77.5%)
3. Rothesay (76.5%)
4. Inveraray (75.1%)
5. Montrose (75%)
6. Aberfeldy (75%)
7. Hawick (74.5%)
8. Stranraer (74.%)
9. Campbeltown (73.9%)
10. Crieff (73.9%)

The centres with the lowest average pass rates in Q1 2022 included:

1. Speke – Liverpool (27.9%)
2. Erith – London (28.6%
3. Belvedere – London (31.4%)
4. Wanstead – London (33.2%)
5. Crewe (33.6%)
6. Rochdale – Manchester (33.9%)
7. Wallasey (35%)
8. Featherstone (35.1%)
9. Crawley (35.1%)
10. Birmingham – Sutton Coldfield (35.2%)

When it comes to the centres with the highest average pass rates for first attempts, the top 10 include Mallaig (84%), Gairloch (83.3%), Lochgilphead (81.1%), Ballater (80.8%), Inveraray (79.6%), Ullapool (79.4%), Montrose (78.3%), Pitlochry (77.6%), Crieff (74.5%), and Lerwick (74.5%).

When it comes to the centres with the highest percentage of first attempt passes with zero minors, the top 10 include Peterhead, Ballater, Lerwick, Kingussie, Gairloch, Islay Island, Fraserburgh, Malton, Pitlochry, and Huntly.

Time and Day

We also submitted an FOI (freedom of information) request to discover how time of test and day of test affect pass rates.

In Q1 2022, overall Mondays had the highest pass rates, with an average pass rate of 48.2%. Tuesdays (47.7%), Sundays (47.4%), and Saturdays (47.2%) also had higher than average pass rates for this time period.

When it came to time slots, morning slots avoiding rush hour had the highest pass rates: 06:30 - 06:59 (66.7%); 10:00 - 10:59 (48.3%); 09:00 - 09:59 (48.1%).

To give drivers the best chance at passing, the luckiest time and day to book your driving test was also analysed, with Wednesdays between 06:30 - 06:59am revealed as the most successful slot specifically.

The top 10 day/time slots included:

The worst 10 day/time slots included:

According to our findings, the early bird catches the worm, so where possible book your driving test to commence before 7am. If you can help it, avoid both the morning and evening rush hours, as well as weekend lunchtimes, as these time slots see significantly lower pass rates – as low as 25% for evening rush hour on Thursdays

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*Time and day data for Jan-March 2022 data acquired from DVSA via Freedom of Information (FOI) request, and all other Jan-March 2022 and 2021/22 data acquired from DVSA via officially released data.