My Garage

Popular searches

Driving tests

Car theory test pass rates

How many people pass the car theory test, from DVSA's published figures: 44.9% in 2025/26. By age, by gender and at every theory test centre in Great Britain.

Last updated
Records analysed
2,924,430 car theory tests in 2025/26
Methodology
View methodology

What is the theory test pass rate?

44.9% of car theory tests were passed in April 2025 to March 2026: 1,311,480 passes from 2,924,430 tests. So far in 2026/27 the rate is 44.0%.

  • Theory pass rate, 2025/26 44.9% 2,924,430 tests
  • Practical pass rate 50.0% the same year
  • 17-year-olds 51.1% the best of any age
  • Practical goes to pass 1.99 average, where a pass happened
  • Highest centre 67.0% Bath
  • Lowest centre 37.6% Bradford

A theory test is one sitting of both parts, the multiple-choice questions and hazard perception. Figures cover Great Britain: DVSA does not test in Northern Ireland.

Is the theory test getting harder?

The pass rate was 65.4% in 2007/08 and 44.9% in 2025/26, with 55.7% five years ago. The test itself has changed over that time, so this is a record of outcomes rather than of difficulty alone.

Theory test pass rate by year

Financial years, April to March. The question bank and the hazard perception section have both changed since 2007.

Car theory test pass rate by financial year, Great Britain
Year Pass rate
2007/08 65.4%
2008/09 65.4%
2009/10 63.8%
2010/11 63.1%
2011/12 60.8%
2012/13 59.1%
2013/14 51.7%
2014/15 51.0%
2015/16 49.3%
2016/17 48.7%
2017/18 48.7%
2018/19 47.3%
2019/20 47.1%
2020/21 55.7%
2021/22 50.1%
2022/23 44.2%
2023/24 45.2%
2024/25 44.9%
2025/26 44.9%

Source:DVSA 2025/26 Updated

Tests each month

Bookings rise ahead of summer and fall away over Christmas.

Car theory tests conducted each month, Great Britain
Month Tests
2024-07 240,682
2024-08 237,154
2024-09 214,384
2024-10 239,345
2024-11 244,976
2024-12 203,183
2025-01 221,116
2025-02 238,429
2025-03 266,608
2025-04 245,268
2025-05 241,387
2025-06 247,644
2025-07 259,025
2025-08 257,843
2025-09 245,631
2025-10 256,000
2025-11 239,062
2025-12 206,580
2026-01 219,148
2026-02 240,943
2026-03 265,899
2026-04 241,298
2026-05 236,917
2026-06 257,576

Source:DVSA 2025/26 Updated

Pass rates by age, and by gender

17-year-olds pass most often, at 51.1%, and the rate falls with age to 36.0% for 55-year-olds. Over the last twelve months women passed 47.1% of their tests and men 42.9%.

Theory test pass rate by age

DVSA groups older candidates into bands. Unknown ages, mostly non-DVLA licences, are left out.

Car theory test pass rate by age, 2025/26
Age Pass rate
16 2,242 tests 40.2%
17 694,029 tests 51.1%
18 262,871 tests 40.1%
19 172,796 tests 42.1%
20 131,839 tests 44.4%
21 117,781 tests 47.6%
22 107,851 tests 48.9%
23 99,452 tests 46.7%
24 95,045 tests 45.2%
25 95,324 tests 43.9%
26 91,683 tests 43.9%
27 88,802 tests 43.5%
28 85,993 tests 43.4%
29 80,493 tests 43.5%
30 75,127 tests 43.0%
31 69,260 tests 43.1%
32 63,920 tests 42.7%
33 58,806 tests 42.7%
34 53,415 tests 42.9%
35 51,073 tests 42.4%
36 46,827 tests 41.9%
37 43,517 tests 41.7%
38 40,073 tests 41.4%
39 36,394 tests 40.8%
40 32,998 tests 40.3%
41 29,644 tests 39.5%
42 26,839 tests 39.3%
43 23,368 tests 39.6%
44 20,639 tests 38.3%
45 19,050 tests 37.6%
46 16,007 tests 38.4%
47 13,419 tests 37.1%
48 11,492 tests 36.6%
49 10,254 tests 36.7%
50 8,981 tests 36.0%
51 7,418 tests 36.1%
52 6,191 tests 37.1%
53 5,492 tests 37.0%
54 4,725 tests 37.7%
55 4,255 tests 36.0%
56 3,473 tests 37.5%
57 2,862 tests 37.2%
58 2,477 tests 38.2%
59 1,971 tests 36.7%
60 and over 8,262 tests 38.5%
Total 2,924,430 tests 44.8%

Source:DVSA 2025/26 Updated

How many attempts does it take?

DVSA publishes no figures for theory test attempts. For the practical test it does: passing took 1.99 goes on average in 2025/26, and 49.7% of all passes came at the first attempt.

Car practical driving tests by attempt number, 2025/26
Attempt Tests Passes Pass rate
First 984,415 497,361 50.5%
2 495,742 252,013 50.8%
3 245,449 122,356 49.9%
4 124,606 60,782 48.8%
5 65,070 31,029 47.7%
6 or more 83,339 36,502 43.8%

The average counts DVSA's last band, "6 or more", as six, so the true figure is a little higher. A theory test pass is valid for two years, so a candidate who takes longer than that to pass the practical has to sit the theory again.

Theory test centres

Of the 198 centres with 1,000 or more tests, Bath has the highest pass rate at 67.0% and Bradford the lowest at 37.6%. Where people sit the test says more about who lives there than about the centre itself: the questions are the same everywhere.

Highest pass rates

Theory test centres with the highest pass rates, 2025/26
Centre Pass rate
Bath 3,630 tests 67.0%
Dunfermline 2,658 tests 65.8%
Birkenhead 2,488 tests 64.6%
Inverness2 2,342 tests 64.6%
Runcorn 2,127 tests 64.5%
Tunbridge Wells 1,423 tests 64.3%
Basingstoke 2,908 tests 63.9%
Durham 3,698 tests 63.3%
Kendal2 2,995 tests 63.2%
Motherwell 3,256 tests 63.1%

Source:DVSA 2025/26 Updated

Lowest pass rates

Theory test centres with the lowest pass rates, 2025/26
Centre Pass rate
Bradford 42,749 tests 37.6%
Uxbridge 83,604 tests 38.1%
Dudley 28,272 tests 40.0%
Ilford 92,249 tests 40.2%
Wolverhampton 36,811 tests 40.3%
Boston 7,094 tests 40.4%
Leicester 61,224 tests 40.4%
Birmingham 78,958 tests 40.6%
Haverfordwest 4,177 tests 40.8%
Middlesbrough 34,351 tests 40.9%

Source:DVSA 2025/26 Updated

Car theory test pass rates by test centre, 2025/26
Aberdeen 17,313 47.8% 45.7% 50.2%
Aberystwyth 2,214 49.1% 45.3% 53.8%
Aldershot 15,142 47.8% 46.3% 49.6%
Alnwick 1,429 46.4% 45.8% 47.0%
Andover 11,475 48.9% 47.2% 50.9%
Andover (Portland House) 2,933 59.4% 56.4% 62.6%
Axminster 2,350 50.5% 48.0% 53.3%
Aylesbury 14,399 46.9% 45.9% 48.2%
Aylesbury2 5,934 60.2% 58.3% 62.5%
Ayr 11,227 44.1% 43.1% 45.2%
Bangor 8,034 43.6% 42.0% 45.5%
Barnstaple 5,190 45.1% 41.7% 49.1%
Barrow 3,666 43.0% 41.2% 45.3%
Basildon 9,914 50.3% 49.9% 50.8%
Basingstoke 2,908 63.9% 63.9% 63.9%
Bath 3,630 67.0% 64.7% 69.4%
Berwick 1,002 45.6% 44.6% 46.6%
Bethnal Green 40,236 46.9% 44.8% 50.1%
Birkenhead 2,488 64.6% 62.9% 66.2%
Birmingham 78,958 40.6% 39.0% 42.6%
Blackpool 4,882 54.3% 53.5% 55.3%
Blandford Forum 2,047 52.4% 51.2% 53.6%
Bodmin 1,460 52.6% 49.2% 56.1%
Bolton 46,465 41.7% 39.8% 43.9%
Boston 7,094 40.4% 38.1% 43.0%
Bournemouth 15,930 47.0% 45.3% 49.0%
Bradford 42,749 37.6% 35.9% 39.7%
Bridgend 8,428 41.4% 39.5% 43.5%
Brighton 18,387 52.4% 49.5% 56.0%
Bristol 44,554 48.9% 46.9% 51.4%
Bristol (Avonmouth - closed) 1,829 53.5% 52.0% 55.3%
Bristol (closed) 23,252 51.5% 48.7% 54.8%
Bristol (Temple Back) 17,375 58.1% 55.6% 60.8%
Builth Wells 1,298 46.8% 46.9% 46.6%
Burnley 1,401 44.4% 45.3% 43.7%
Bury St Edmunds 8,867 48.3% 45.9% 51.1%
Cambridge 25,043 52.8% 50.1% 56.2%
Canterbury 26,438 47.4% 45.9% 49.2%
Canterbury (Lower Bridge Street) 7,556 55.1% 52.3% 58.0%
Cardiff 31,891 44.9% 42.7% 47.6%
Cardigan 1,095 41.6% 40.5% 43.2%
Carlisle 7,165 41.7% 40.0% 43.8%
Carmarthen 2,077 44.0% 43.7% 44.3%
Chatham 32,955 44.1% 42.6% 45.8%
Chelmsford 22,482 47.9% 45.6% 50.4%
Cheltenham 9,110 50.0% 46.6% 53.6%
Cheltenham (Albion Street) 3,434 61.3% 58.5% 63.9%
Chester 20,210 47.6% 45.5% 50.3%
Chesterfield 16,248 45.3% 43.2% 47.7%
Chichester 10,653 46.7% 44.9% 48.9%
Clydebank 3,453 62.3% 62.9% 61.7%
Clydebank (Erskine House) 3,484 61.2% 58.4% 63.6%
Colchester 15,487 45.1% 43.4% 47.1%
Corby 11,626 45.1% 44.5% 45.9%
Coventry 48,874 43.3% 42.3% 44.6%
Crawley 4,117 61.3% 58.8% 64.0%
Crewe 16,952 45.0% 43.8% 46.5%
Croydon 43,848 45.8% 44.5% 47.8%
Derby 35,069 44.7% 43.6% 46.0%
Doncaster 27,263 41.3% 39.2% 43.8%
Dudley 28,272 40.0% 38.1% 42.1%
Dumbarton 5,242 42.5% 40.6% 44.6%
Dumfries 3,919 45.3% 43.0% 48.0%
Dundee 18,928 46.7% 44.0% 49.7%
Dunfermline 2,658 65.8% 64.8% 66.7%
Durham 3,698 63.3% 59.7% 66.9%
Eastbourne 6,958 45.1% 43.5% 47.1%
Edinburgh 42,186 49.5% 46.8% 52.9%
Elgin 3,679 42.4% 39.7% 45.8%
Exeter 13,994 50.6% 48.6% 52.9%
Exeter 2 4,238 61.0% 58.5% 63.5%
Fareham 9,799 46.1% 43.5% 49.1%
Frome 11,497 49.9% 47.5% 52.7%
Frome (Tucker Close) 4,476 56.9% 53.4% 60.9%
Galashiels 3,760 49.8% 48.2% 51.7%
Glasgow 75,311 44.1% 41.9% 46.8%
Gloucester 14,291 44.5% 42.3% 47.1%
Grantham 6,552 47.8% 45.8% 50.1%
Greenock 5,172 44.2% 43.1% 45.5%
Grimsby 10,119 42.5% 40.6% 44.6%
Guildford 14,826 54.0% 52.6% 55.6%
Harlow 7,171 53.5% 53.8% 53.1%
Harrogate 7,802 51.3% 48.5% 54.7%
Hastings 6,891 45.2% 42.8% 47.9%
Haverfordwest 4,177 40.8% 39.1% 42.6%
Hereford 8,410 44.3% 42.4% 46.4%
Hertford 25,517 46.6% 45.2% 48.3%
Holborn 8,220 55.4% 53.8% 57.0%
Horley 18,913 47.3% 45.6% 49.5%
Huddersfield 28,154 42.8% 40.7% 45.3%
Hull 22,194 42.9% 41.3% 45.0%
Ilford 92,249 40.2% 38.6% 42.7%
Inverness 5,864 46.7% 45.3% 48.3%
Inverness2 2,342 64.6% 62.8% 66.6%
Ipswich 14,015 44.8% 43.6% 46.1%
Kendal 4,348 51.2% 49.0% 53.9%
Kendal2 2,995 63.2% 61.9% 64.5%
Kings Lynn 8,376 42.3% 41.7% 43.1%
Kingsbridge 1,117 52.2% 50.2% 54.6%
Kingston 16,389 56.3% 56.1% 56.6%
Launceston 1,535 48.4% 45.8% 51.6%
Leeds 56,711 43.3% 41.4% 45.7%
Leicester 61,224 40.4% 38.5% 43.0%
Limehouse 40,418 52.2% 52.2% 52.2%
Limehouse A 6,983 52.7% 51.3% 54.7%
Limehouse B 10,782 58.1% 56.9% 59.7%
Limehouse C 11,710 56.8% 55.2% 59.1%
Lincoln 13,333 45.2% 43.0% 47.9%
Liverpool 69,093 45.6% 43.7% 47.8%
Lowestoft 7,099 43.8% 41.2% 46.7%
Luton 38,665 41.0% 39.4% 43.2%
Manchester 88,658 42.5% 40.8% 44.7%
Manchester (Universal Square) 15,140 51.5% 48.4% 55.4%
Mansfield 6,415 49.4% 49.0% 49.8%
Merthyr Tydfil 13,427 41.1% 39.7% 42.6%
Middlesbrough 34,351 40.9% 39.2% 43.1%
Mile End 23,674 51.4% 50.5% 52.6%
Milton Keynes 27,333 46.6% 44.7% 48.7%
Morden 42,181 51.7% 49.6% 54.3%
Morpeth 4,885 59.7% 58.1% 61.5%
Motherwell 3,256 63.1% 59.5% 66.8%
New Romney 1,859 47.2% 47.2% 47.3%
Newcastle 45,324 45.9% 43.5% 48.7%
Newport (Gwent) 15,193 41.2% 39.6% 43.1%
Newport (Isle of Wight) 4,183 48.9% 47.5% 50.5%
Newport-Isle Wight 1,431 56.9% 54.2% 60.0%
Newtown 1,204 44.9% 43.2% 46.8%
North Finchley 67,769 43.7% 42.3% 45.7%
Northallerton 4,868 47.0% 44.4% 49.9%
Northallerton2 2,553 60.7% 58.8% 62.7%
Northampton 29,016 44.1% 42.9% 45.4%
Norwich 21,224 47.6% 44.4% 51.6%
Norwich (Prince of Wales Road) 6,972 57.7% 53.3% 62.4%
Norwich (Thorpe Road) 1,754 51.2% 47.8% 54.9%
Nottingham 42,273 46.6% 44.3% 49.4%
Oldham 8,765 47.1% 45.6% 48.7%
Oxford 19,803 50.5% 47.8% 53.6%
Oxford B 1,226 55.9% 54.2% 57.8%
Penzance 1,909 48.9% 46.5% 52.0%
Peterborough 22,356 42.3% 40.4% 44.4%
Plymouth 13,278 49.0% 46.7% 51.5%
Portsmouth 16,334 43.8% 42.8% 45.0%
Preston 54,263 43.9% 41.3% 47.0%
Reading 34,220 49.6% 47.6% 52.0%
Redditch 16,042 48.4% 47.9% 49.0%
Rhyl 6,477 43.1% 42.5% 43.7%
Royal Tunbridge Wells 9,660 53.6% 51.3% 56.3%
Runcorn 2,127 64.5% 62.3% 66.7%
Salford 29,232 51.5% 50.7% 52.4%
Salisbury 7,710 50.3% 48.4% 52.6%
Salisbury 2 3,055 59.5% 56.5% 60.1%
Scarborough 5,544 44.6% 43.2% 46.2%
Scunthorpe 2,751 48.1% 47.4% 48.8%
Sheffield 45,068 44.0% 41.9% 46.5%
Shrewsbury 14,051 47.2% 44.7% 50.2%
Sidcup 42,577 46.0% 45.2% 47.0%
Skipton 4,607 52.9% 52.5% 53.4%
Skipton2 2,776 60.2% 57.4% 62.8%
Slough 24,639 41.4% 39.9% 43.3%
Solihull 3,754 63.0% 59.6% 66.7%
Southampton 20,885 46.2% 44.1% 48.8%
Southampton (Anglo City) 7,311 57.9% 54.7% 61.1%
Southend-On-Sea 24,458 45.3% 43.7% 47.1%
Southgate 23,591 49.4% 48.7% 50.0%
Southport 4,731 53.3% 53.6% 52.9%
Southwark 68,847 52.0% 50.3% 54.5%
Southwark - (closed) 51,226 54.5% 53.2% 56.1%
Southwark (Shand Street) 18,929 57.5% 56.8% 58.4%
St Helens 6,188 53.6% 53.0% 54.1%
Staines 16,298 46.1% 44.9% 47.6%
Stevenage 7,351 55.5% 55.5% 55.5%
Stevenage (Middlesex House) 5,626 58.6% 55.8% 61.7%
Stirling 13,655 45.7% 43.4% 48.3%
Stockport 38,841 46.0% 43.7% 48.9%
Stoke-on-Trent 22,423 43.9% 41.7% 46.5%
Stratford uponAvon 4,070 61.6% 57.7% 65.7%
Stratford-upon-Avon 11,790 50.3% 47.9% 53.1%
Sunderland 22,878 43.3% 42.0% 44.9%
Sutton Coldfield 23,976 42.6% 40.5% 45.1%
Sutton Coldfield 2 9,402 55.3% 52.7% 58.2%
Swansea 20,289 42.4% 40.5% 44.6%
Swindon 20,767 43.5% 41.7% 45.5%
Taunton 9,757 46.4% 44.1% 49.0%
Torquay 7,758 49.1% 46.9% 51.8%
Truro 10,246 50.2% 46.7% 54.2%
Tunbridge Wells 1,423 64.3% 61.8% 65.9%
Uxbridge 83,604 38.1% 36.4% 40.6%
Uxbridge 2 11,720 50.5% 49.2% 52.0%
Watford 36,812 47.0% 45.0% 49.5%
Weymouth 4,806 44.9% 42.0% 48.2%
Wigan 4,972 52.8% 52.3% 53.3%
Wolverhampton 36,811 40.3% 39.0% 41.7%
Worcester 15,633 47.6% 46.7% 48.7%
Workington 4,710 41.0% 39.8% 42.3%
Worthing 8,240 46.1% 43.2% 49.6%
Wrexham 8,134 43.7% 42.2% 45.4%
Yeovil 8,678 45.7% 44.1% 47.5%
York 12,896 50.6% 48.3% 53.1%

Questions about the theory test

What is the theory test pass rate?

44.9% of car theory tests were passed in April 2025 to March 2026: 1,311,480 passes from 2,924,430 tests in Great Britain. In 2007/08 it was 65.4%.

How many attempts does it take to pass the theory test?

DVSA does not publish how many attempts the theory test takes, only the pass rate. It does publish attempts for the practical test: passing took 1.99 goes on average.

Which age passes the theory test most often?

17-year-olds, at 51.1%. The rate falls with age: it is 36.0% for 55-year-olds. Younger candidates tend to be revising for the test as part of learning to drive from scratch.

Do men or women pass the theory test more often?

Over the last twelve months of published figures, women passed 47.1% of their theory tests and men 42.9%. It is the opposite way round from the practical test, where men pass more often.

Why is the theory pass rate lower than the practical?

Almost anyone can book a theory test, and many sit it early in their learning, while a practical test usually comes after an instructor thinks a candidate is ready. In 2025/26 the theory rate was 44.9% against 50.0% for the practical.

What does the theory test involve?

Two parts in one sitting: 50 multiple-choice questions, where 43 correct is a pass, and the hazard perception clips. Both parts must be passed on the same visit, and DVSA counts the whole sitting as one test in these figures.

Data stories to read next

All insights

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Theory test statistics Driving test and theory test data (DRT tables) Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency 2025/26 2,924,430 car theory tests in 2025/26 18 September 2026
  • Car theory tests (category B) in financial years, April to March. A test is one sitting of both parts, so a candidate who fails the hazard perception counts once.
  • Total tests can be higher than male plus female, because a candidate’s gender is not always recorded. Small age groups are combined, and unknown ages are candidates with a licence not issued by DVLA.
  • Figures from April 2025 are provisional until the year is finalised. During Covid restrictions DVSA combined some quarters to avoid identifying individuals.
  • Centre figures are for the last year each centre has published tests, and centres with fewer than 1,000 tests are left out of the comparison.
  • Attempt figures are for the practical test (DRT121D): DVSA publishes no attempt figures for the theory test.
How we calculate these figures All data sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.