Taking your driving test is a nerve wracking experience, no matter how much of a confident driver you are. But what if your postcode has an impact on your chances of passing your practical driving test? UK driving test pass rates are a hot topic of discussion, and there are plenty of stats out there telling different stories, for example you may be more likely to pass if you live in a rural area.
But what about how driving schools across the country are improving driving test pass rates? A lot can change in five years, so we have taken data from driving test centres across the UK and compared those figures to pass rates in 2011 – the results were quite revealing…
Map of UK Pass Rates: 2011 vs. 2016 Stats
Pass Rate Improvements
Out of all of the UK driving test centres we found 13 centres had the biggest pass rate improvements, ranging from 17% in Dundee to an impressive 45% pass rate increase in Stevenage – the highest in the country. In 2011 the pass rate in Stevenage was 36.8%, way below the national average of 46.9%. Whizz ahead five years and the pass rate is 53.4%, so if you’re in Stevenage we’d say now is the time to take your driving test. Meanwhile the Scottish village of Golspie experienced a 42.7% increase in pass rates – and they scored the highest pass rate in the UK with 83.9% in 2016.
Scotland and the East of the UK had the most impressive pass rate improvements, with a total of eight Scottish towns appearing on our map.
Pass Rate Decreases
But it isn’t all smooth sailing for Scotland, out of the five biggest decreases in driving test pass rates we found Scottish towns feature in three places. Although the biggest decrease goes to the Lincolnshire town of Grantham, which went from an impressive 63% pass rate in 2011 to 49.3% in 2016 – a decrease of 21.7% (however, this is still above the national pass rate of 47.4%)
Towns Above National Pass Rate
In 2011 the national pass rate was 46.9%, thanks to the towns across the UK which have increased their pass rates in 2016 this increased by 1.1% to 47.4%
Many of the towns on our map have exceeded the national pass rate, we’ve listed them below for you, how well is your town doing?
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Improve your chances of passing with an intensive driving course to get you started.
New opportunities
Passing your driving test opens up a world of new job opportunities for you. Today many jobs require you to hold a UK driving licence, and for some it is essential, find out more about our driving instructor training here.
Complete List of UK Driving Test Pass Rates For 2016 vs. 2011
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