Driver and Rider Test and Instructor Statistics, Great Britain: Quarter 3 2011/12

This publication presents information on the number and pass rates of driving and riding tests conducted in Great Britain to 31st December 2011. The statistics are derived from data held by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), which administers the driving test and training schemes in Great Britain.

A supplementary bulletin will be released in March 2012. This will contain tables about the approved driving instructor (ADI) tests conducted, as well as other statistics from the ADI register and the Integrated Register of Driver Trainers (IRDT). From June all the tables will be released together.

The key findings from Driver and Rider Test and Instructor Statistics: Quarter 3 2011/12 include:

• A total of 437,038 tests were conducted across all test categories between October and December 2011. This represents an overall increase of 14% in comparison with the same period the year before.

• The increase in the number of tests conducted during the quarter in comparison with the previous year (Q3 2010/11) is due to the milder winter weather in late 2011. The heavy snowfall throughout most of Great Britain in December 2010 led to a reduction in the number of tests conducted and lowered candidate demand for tests.

• Overall, the practical car test pass rate has increased slightly from 44% in 2007/08 to 46% in 2010/11. The pass rate for the first three quarters of 2011/12 is 47%.

• The number of car tests taken by females is higher than for males largely due to females having a lower pass rate than males, hence taking higher number of tests before passing.