Best and Worst Driving Test Places

Head to the Highlands if You Want to Pass Your Driving Test

Anyone learning to drive will no doubt have had plenty of advice about where to take their test. For those lucky enough to live in an area with a choice of test centres, there’s always a rumour that it’s easier to pass at one rather than the other. In a lot of cases this is actually true, as you can compare the pass rates for both.

If there are some test centres that are better for taking your test on a local scale, does the same apply on a national level? And are there some places that are better for taking the theory test too?

At Robins and Day, we used data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) between April 2017 and March 2018 to find out where the best and worst places are to take your practical and theory driving tests.

The Scottish Highlands Hold the best Pass Rates

Comparing the pass rates of test centres across the UK from the DVSA’s data, the Scottish Highlands and its islands came out on top. Caithness, Orkney and Ross and Cromarty were the top three places with the highest pass rates, all found way up north, with Powys in Wales and Berwickshire just behind them.

It’s a similar tale when it comes to the theory test, with the Isles of Tiree, Arran and Mull the places with the top three pass rates in the country. Axminster is fourth and the place in England with the highest pass rate for the theory test at 64.2%, though it’s still a long way behind the Isle of Tiree’s 83.3%. These are both a lot higher than the overall theory test pass rate of 48.7% and much closer to pass rates a decade ago that were 16.7% higher.

There must be something in the Scottish air or water helping drivers pass both tests so successfully. Although for the practical test it’s probably due to the quieter roads, while a much smaller population will also have an impact.

Drivers in Wales and Cornwall Struggle to Pass

Flintshire in Wales had a practical driving test pass rate of just 39.97%, as the lowest in the UK. The West Midlands, Merseyside, London and Bedfordshire make up the rest of the top five worst places for taking your practical driving test. As most of these are fairly large, there will be differences across each city or region no doubt and the greater number of people taking their test probably impacts on the overall pass rate.

With a pass rate of just 24.4%, Driffield in Yorkshire was actually the worst place for taking your theory test in the last year. However, the Isles of Scilly were the second worst with a 35.7% pass rate, followed by the Isle of Barra, Bodmin and Peterhead. This does suggest that places with a small population can experience disproportionately low as well as high pass rates.

It’s also worse if you’re a man when it comes to the theory test, with the overall pass rate at 46.8% compared to 50.7% for women. The very worst record from the last year was in February 2018 in Cromer, Norfolk when just 11.1% of men managed to pass their driving test. Maybe it was the miserable weather, the short month or something else.

If you’re looking to take your test it can be worth researching the pass rates in your local area. Or if you’ve just passed, well done! Why not check out some of the new and used vehicles for sale at Robins and Day and find your first car.