How Many People Pass Their Practical Driving Test?

On average, 1.6 million people take the practical driving test in the UK every year. However, the pass rate is only around 43%.

In real numbers, this means that around 688,000 people actually pass their practical driving test. This equates to a failure rate of about 57%, or around 912,000 people. Interestingly, the pass rate for the theory test is higher than the practical driving test, showing that it’s easier to learn the rules of the road than to put them into practice.

These figures are only for the standard driving license that provides drivers with category AM, A, B1, B, F, K, P and Q licenses.

Many people fail their practical driving tests due to various factors, such as rushing to take the test before they are ready, nerves that cause them to drive recklessly, overconfidence, and, for some, overthinking the situation or just plain silly mistakes.

The best way to prepare for your practical driving test is to get as much practice as possible at different times of day on different routes, as well as get used to the manoeuvres and the independent portion of the driving test.