Determined drivers take up to 20 attempts to pass test
Written by News on 20/07/2019
Passing a driving test on the first time of trying is seen by many as a badge of honour.
And while others will admit to having to retake the practical two or three times, new data has a revealed a group of people who might keep schtum about how many tests they took.
According to the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), a couple of motorists racked up at least 20 practical tests in a single calendar year.
The 10 most prolific candidates every year between 2009 and 2018 showed each took until at least their 13th attempt to pass.
In 2016, one driver passed on their 21st attempt that year.
A learner in 2018 failed 19 times, but the 20th was a charm.
In 2009, 2015, and 2017 a learner driver took 19 tests in one year and failed them all.
The 10 most prolific learner drivers every year from 2009 to 2018 failed a median average of 15 tests each.
In five of the 10 years, the single candidate who failed the most ended December without their pass.
Racking up several failures can be an expensive business. It costs £62 to take the practical test on a weekday, and £75 to take it in an evening or on a weekend or bank holiday.
Drivers must have a valid theory test pass when they take their practical test, which costs £23 to take.
DVSA’s chief driving examiner Mark Winn said: “DVSA’s priority is to help everyone through a lifetime of safe driving.
“Candidates should only attempt their test when they’ve gained a broad range of experience and are ready to drive safely and independently.
“Anyone who fails their driving test has to wait at least 10 working days to take another. This ensures the candidate has time to undergo additional training and improve any faults noted by the examiner before they take their test again.
“To prepare people better for driving safely on our roads, we changed the driving test in 2017 so that it reflects real-life driving.”
The figures were released to Press Association under the Freedom of Information act.
Separate data shows the car driving test pass rate was 45.8% in 2018/19, with lowest figure since 45.3% in 2008/09.
Last year, in 2018/19, 18,922 learners passed their test with zero faults, up from 18,410 in the previous year.
(c) Sky News 2019: Determined drivers take up to 20 attempts to pass test
