The best test around: top ten BEST and WORST places to pass your driving test revealed
- All ten of the best places to pass your driving test are in Scotland
- The hardest places to pass include locations in metropolitan London and Birmingham
- Nearly 9 in 10 people pass their tests at the best locations – compared to less than 3 in 10 at the worst.
Does where you take your driving test really make a difference? The comparison experts at Go.Compare car insurance have studied the latest data* to reveal the highest and lowest pass rates at driving test centres across the UK – and there’s a big difference between them.
Looking at figures from the last twelve months, the test centres with the highest pass rates are:
|
|
Test Centre Location |
Conducted |
Passes |
Pass rate |
|
1 |
Mallaig |
31 |
27 |
87.1% |
|
2 |
Ballater |
112 |
95 |
84.8% |
|
3 |
Lochgilphead |
123 |
99 |
80.5% |
|
4 |
Ullapool |
51 |
40 |
78.4% |
|
5 |
Crieff |
152 |
119 |
78.3% |
|
6 |
Montrose |
602 |
471 |
78.2% |
|
7 |
Golspie |
104 |
79 |
76.0% |
|
8 |
Pitlochry |
102 |
77 |
75.5% |
|
9 |
Inveraray |
81 |
61 |
75.3% |
|
10 |
Hawick |
312 |
234 |
75.0% |
The top ten test centres with the highest pass to fail ratios are all located in Scotland – from Hawick on the Scottish borders, to Ullapool in the far north.
All ten of the centres above have achieved pass rates of 75% or higher in the last twelve months, meaning more than 7 in 10 people who take their tests in these locations are given the green light. The number one test centre, with a pass rate of 87.1%, is Mallaig – a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland.
On the other end of the scale, the ten worst places to pass your test are:
|
|
Places |
Conducted |
Passes |
Pass rate |
|
1 |
Erith (London) |
4797 |
1361 |
28.4% |
|
2 |
Belvedere (London) |
3981 |
1237 |
31.1% |
|
3 |
Speke (Liverpool) |
7898 |
2616 |
33.1% |
|
4 |
Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham) |
7709 |
2707 |
35.1% |
|
5 |
Rochdale (Manchester) |
6453 |
2307 |
35.8% |
|
6 |
Kingstanding (Birmingham) |
11132 |
3995 |
35.9% |
|
7 |
Stoke-On-Trent (Cobridge) |
4409 |
1584 |
35.9% |
|
8 |
Wolverhampton |
10023 |
3677 |
36.7% |
|
9 |
South Yardley (Birmingham) |
7890 |
2899 |
36.7% |
|
10 |
Wanstead (London) |
7743 |
2871 |
37.1% |
Overall, the test centre with the worst pass rate is Erith in south-east London, with less than 3 in 10 people who take their tests being judged roadworthy. In total, four of the driving test centres with the lowest pass rates are located in London boroughs, while a further three are in Birmingham, and one in Manchester.
Ryan Fulthorpe, motoring expert at Go.Compare, said: “When it comes to taking your driving test, there are a number of factors that will affect what happens on the day – and while we all know the importance of choosing a good driving instructor and preparing well in advance, our research shows your choice of test centre could make a difference too.
“The average pass rates across the country vary widely, with as many as 9 in 10 people passing their tests in some locations, and as few as 3 in 10 passing in other places. Rural Scottish driving test centres boast the best pass rates across the UK – though they are also some of the quietest, with the number one test centre – Mallaig – only conducting 31 tests in the last 12 months.
“On the other hand, test centres with the lowest pass rates are much busier in comparison – with all conducting well over 7000 tests. Urban areas dominate the lower end of the scale – with test centres in London, Birmingham and Manchester having some of the worst pass rates in the last twelve months – and with the added challenges of built-up roads, big intersections and traffic jams, this may not come as a surprise.
“Learner drivers have a lot to think about in the run-up to their test – and insurance is one thing it’s important to get right. Comparing car insurance policies will help you find a great price, as well as making sure you have the cover you need, whether you pass first time or not.”
Read the full Go.Compare driving test report, here: https://www.gocompare.com/motoring/reports-statistics/driving-tests-uk/
-Ends-
Contact Information
Rosie Johns
Notes to editors
* Data source: GOV.UK Car driving test data by test centre, 2021-2022
For further information please contact:
Lynsey Walden on lynsey.walden@gocompare.com, or Kath Chadwick on Kathryn.chadwick@gocompare.com
Keep up-to-date with GoCompare on Twitter; @GoCompare
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