
New data has revealed the easiest and hardest places in the UK to pass your driving test, making the exam feel like somewhat of a ‘postcode lottery’.
Figures obtained by The Telegraph under Freedom of Information (FoI) rules revealed the examiners with the highest and lowest pass rates at centres across the UK over two three-month periods in 2023 and 2024.
The official figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) highlighted that learner drivers are 15 times more likely to be failed by some examiners than others.
In 2023, the highest examiner pass rate was recorded at Ashfield in Nottinghamshire at 91.7 per cent.
This meant the marker was 15 times more likely to pass candidates than those who took the test at Scunthorpe – where one examiner only gave licenses to 6 per cent of hopefuls.
The datat also showed that the most lenient testers will pass nine in 10 of their candidates, while critical examiners pass fewer than one in 10.
Wide disparities were also noticed within the same centres.
For instance, the lowest examiner pass rate of 8 per cent was recorded at the Bredbury test centre in Manchester, where the most forgiving examiner handed licenses out to nearly 67 per cent of candidates.
Similarly at Wrexham in Wales, the lowest pass rate was 16.7 while another examiner at the same centre was found to have a 76.2 per cent clearance rare – with a gap of nearly 60 percentage points.
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Other centres where the lowest pass rate on record was less than 20 per cent included Goodmayes in London and Glasgow in Scotland (both 16.7 per cent), as well as Borehamwood (18.8 per cent).
Meanwhile, some of the highest pass rates in 2024 were recorded at Newport (Gwent) and Llanelli in Wales (93.3 per cent and 92.09 per cent respectively) as well as Peebles in Scotland (92.3 per cent), Nottingham (Chilwell) in East Midlands (88.9 per cent) and Chertsey in Surrey (85.7 per cent).
The average pass rate in the UK sits at around 50 per cent.
Commenting on the wide range of examiner pass rates, Ruth Cadbury, the Labour chair of the Commons transport committee, told The Telegraph they appeared to contradict the Department of Transport’s claim that standards were being applied consistently.
‘I would encourage the department to take a keen interest in examining the reasons for these variations, which seem too great to simply be anomalies,’ she said.
The figures were published after it was reported the DVSA had recruited 450 new examiners in a bid to slash learner test waiting times across the UK.
This was part of the agency’s seven-point plan to improve the current testing experience that was released last year.
Other changes included increasing the cancellation period from three to 10 working days, beginning in spring, to lower the number of missed tests and free up more time slots.
Test centres where the lowest pass rate on record was less than 20 per cent included Goodmayes in London and Glasgow in Scotland (both 16.7 per cent), as well as Borehamwood (18.8 per cent)
In an attempt to improve test availability, plans were also being considered last December to make exam slots bookable earlier than the current 24 week window.
Data from the DVSA obtained by MailOnline in 2022 previously found that the Rothesay test centre in the Isle of Bute in Scotland had the highest pass rate of 92.3 per cent.
Meanwhile, aspirants hoping to clear the test at Erith and Wanstead in London faced a greater challenge, with the pass rates at these centres estimated at 28 per cent and 34 per cent respectively.
In 2020, MailOnline reported that learner drivers in Birmingham faced the most difficult task in passing their test, with less than a third of candidates in the city found to be successful in their first attempt.
Data supplied by the DVSA at the time also showed massive inconsitencies in pass rates across the country’s 324 driving test centres.
At the time, it was reported that Scotland, Wales, Northumberland, and Yorkshire had the highest pass rates, while London was among the worst places to sit the test.
Analysts at insurance company Go Compare, which compiled the data, said the variations were likely because ‘small towns can be easier to navigate’.

The average pass rate in the UK sits at around 50 per cent
‘Fewer roundabouts, less congestion and fewer built-up areas mean you’re more likely to have a smoother driving test and therefore pass,’ they added.
The UK Driving Test report put together by GoCompare found that on average drivers spend £647 and take 22 lessons to secure the freedom of the roads on the first time of asking.
Those who need multiple attempts can spend thousands of pounds, so determining ‘a friendly driving test centre’ can save significant money.
At the time, GoCompare’s driving expert Matt Oliver told MailOnline: ‘Preparation is always the key when it comes to tackling any challenge.
‘But there’s no harm in looking at extra ways to boost your chances, and choosing a quieter route can keep your nerves at a minimum.
‘The most common reason for failure in driving tests is responding incorrectly at lights. At busy junctions, it’s easy to lose your concentration when surrounded by different distractions – choosing a quieter location is a good way to limit this risk.
‘To make sure you’re prepared, try to practise in a variety of conditions. Once you’ve chosen your test centre, drive the routes as often as possible, so you can get used to the trickier roads.’