Pandemic prompts rise in driving test pass rates

Matt Allan
By Matt Allan
Published 18th May 2022, 10:17 BST
Updated 19th May 2022, 14:15 BST
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Latest test figures show improved pass rates in wake of Covid disruption, with more than half of first-time candidates granted a licence

Driving test pass rates have improved since the start of the Covid pandemic, according to the latest figures.

While two years of lockdowns and restrictions severely affected learners and the driving test, the latest figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency show that overall pass rates are up 4% on pre-pandemic times while first-time pass rates have improved even more and are now at more than 50%.

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Figures for 2020/21 show that 49.8% of all candidates learners passed their practical driving test - up from 45.9% in 2019/20 and higher than the 47% average for the preceding five years.

Pass rates for learners sitting their test for the first time were even better, at 51%. That compares with 43.2% in 2019/20 and a five-year average of 46.2%.