If you’re about to take your UK driving test, it’s perhaps wise to prepare yourself with the knowledge that your chance of a pass is actually less than 50%. According to a BBC report, the current average pass rate is just 47.1%
More of a surprise, however, is the fact that where you learn to drive and take your test seems to have a marked impact on your chance of success. A study of pass rates across the nation has revealed vast variances between different test centres, ranging from 80% in the Isle of Mull, Scotland, to just 32% in London’s Belvedere region.
The level of traffic in the area where the test is taken seems to have a marked impact. All of the areas with the lowest pass-rates are urban, and six of the bottom ten are in London and the Home Counties. As the report points out, a learner in a rural area will likely know all the intricacies of the roads involved in their test, whereas an urban learner has to drive on busier and less predictable roads.
This is a rather obvious observation, but it is surprising just how much it affects driving test results. It really does seem that if you want a better chance of passing, it makes more sense to take your test in a quieter region – and that doesn’t seem particularly fair!
IMAGE CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons