UK Driving Test Statistics 2026: 48% Pass, 1.84M Tests

#What is the UK driving test pass rate in 2024-25?

The overall UK Category B pass rate sat at around 48% across 2024-2025. The figure has been stable within a 47% to 49% band for over a decade, with brief upward spikes during pandemic recovery years when test volume crashed.

First-time pass rate runs slightly lower at 47%, while the gap between best and worst centres has widened to nearly 35 percentage points.

#How many UK driving tests are taken and what are the wait times?

• ~1.84 million practical car tests booked in 2024-2025
• ~570 active driving test centres across the UK
• National average wait time: ~16 weeks, up from ~6 weeks pre-pandemic
• Worst-affected centres: 24+ week waits in parts of London and the South East
• Best-affected centres: 4 to 6 week waits in Scottish islands and rural Wales

#What is the gender breakdown of UK driving test pass rates?

Men passed at 51% on average; women at 47%. This roughly 4-point gap has been remarkably consistent over multiple decades. The gap narrows in younger candidates and widens slightly with age.

#How do UK driving test pass rates vary by region?

• Scotland: average pass rate ~55%, the highest of any UK nation
• Wales: average pass rate ~52%
• Northern Ireland: average pass rate ~52% (different test structure)
• England: average pass rate ~47%, dragged down by London and the Midlands

#Which UK driving test centres have the highest and lowest pass rates?

The kindest UK centres are concentrated in the Scottish islands and Highlands and in rural market towns: Lerwick on Shetland runs at 67.4% (three-year sample), Mallaig at 63% (2024-25, 46 tests), and mainland leaders such as Dorchester (66.7%) and Kendal (64.8%) on full latest-year samples. Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides sits a little lower at 57.7%. The toughest centres are concentrated in the West Midlands and Greater London: Wolverhampton is lowest at 33.4%, with Featherstone (34.1%), Wednesbury (36.4%), Chingford (36.5%) and Belvedere (38.3%) close behind. That gives a rankable spread of about 33 percentage points between the best and worst centres with reliable samples.

#How wide is the gap between the best and worst centres?

The national 48.7% average hides an enormous spread at centre level. Among the 262 centres with a high-confidence sample (1,000 or more car tests in 2024-25), pass rates run from 33.4% at Wolverhampton to 66.7% at Dorchester. That is a 33-percentage-point gap, and it is the single most important number for any individual learner: it means a well-chosen centre can roughly double your odds on the day relative to the toughest one, on identical preparation.

#How much revenue do UK driving test fees generate?

Test fees alone generated roughly £140 million in 2024-2025 across all categories. The average learner pays for 1.7 practical attempts before passing, contributing to the per-pass cost gap between best-prepared and average candidates.

#What are the year-on-year trends in UK driving test data?

• Pass rate stable, ~48%
• Test volume up 4% versus 2023-2024
• Wait times up slightly versus 2023-2024
• Automatic share up to ~22% of all car tests, from ~18% the year before
• Female test share up to ~46%, the highest on record

#What do the UK driving test trends mean for learners?

The combination of long waits and stable pass rates means choosing a centre and preparing thoroughly matters more, not less, than five years ago. A failed test is not just £62 lost, it is up to four months added to the journey to a full licence.

#Sources and further reading

The figures, fees, and procedures referenced in this article are verifiable on the official gov.uk pages below. PassRates.uk is built on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s open data, published under the Open Government Licence.

• Driving test (gov.uk)
• Driving test fees (gov.uk)
• If you fail your driving test (gov.uk)
• Driving licence categories (gov.uk)
• Driving test and theory test data, cars (gov.uk)
• Open Government Licence v3.0 (nationalarchives.gov.uk)