Toughest test times to take your driving test revealed

• Analysis of more than three million driving test results shows a Friday in March is the worst time to take your driving test
• March has the highest number of failures and is the busiest month to take a driving test
• People are more likely to pass their test at the start of the year and the start of the week
• Men 13.5 per cent more likely to pass
  
  

A new report by Privilege Car Insurance has revealed that if you want to pass your driving test, you should take it on a Monday in August, but avoid Fridays in March at all costs.

Analysis of three years of Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) data (2014-2017) and 3,439,075 driving test results has proven that failure rates average 53.6 and 53.4 per cent during March and February respectively. This compares to August - the best time to take a test – when fail rates drop to 52.3 per cent; the equivalent to 44,708 extra passes (1,442 more a day). August is followed by January, which commands pass rates of 47.4 per cent, suggesting that perhaps New Year’s resolutions really do pay off.

March has also been revealed as the busiest month to take a test, with six per cent more tests taken during this month than any other; an extra 206,344.

When it comes to days, the toughest day to take the driving test is a Friday, with 54 per cent of tests taken on this day resulting in failure. And those who don’t like Mondays will be surprised to hear that they have the highest pass rate (48.1 per cent), followed by Saturday (47.6 per cent) and Tuesday (47.5 per cent).

The results also expose a surprising gender bias, with men 13.5 per cent more likely to pass than women. With an average pass rate of 50.5 per cent for men, and 43.7 per cent for women, this means that women fall considerably below the average overall pass rate of 47 per cent. In real terms, this means that 21,657 fewer woman pass their tests than men each year in the UK. 

Charlotte Fielding of Privilege DriveXpert commented: “A number of factors could be at play here. Friday’s emergence as the hardest day to pass the driving test could be down to an increased number of drivers on the roads ahead of the weekend, and more reckless driving being undertaken due to the fact drivers are exhausted from the week.

“Similarly, Monday may be the best day to pass the driving test due other road users likely to be well rested and alert. The clocks go back in March and the subsequent change in daylight hours may be one of the reasons behind it being the hardest month to pass the driving test. Our research has also revealed that roads are at their busiest with test takers, so this may be affecting the outcome of other tests, as well as driving test examiners.

“Likewise, August is one of the quietest months on the roads due to many people taking holidays while schools are off – this may also be the reason for it having the highest pass rates of the year.
 

Test pass and failure rates by day (2014 – 2017)

Source: Privilege Car Insurance

Test pass and failure rates by month (2014 – 2017)

Source: Privilege Car Insurance

Charlotte Fielding, head of car insurance at Privilege DriveXpert, adds:
 

“Taking a driving test is tough, regardless of the day of the week or month of the year. Through our DriveXpert telematics policies, young drivers aged 25 and under are given a score based on their safe driving ability. This technology not only encourages safe driving, but also rewards those who do so with lower insurance premiums, keeping people driving safely long after their test.”
 

ENDS
 

For more information, please contact: Fran Langdon or Georgia Andrewes at Richmond & Towers Communications:

fran@rtc.london / georgia@rtc.london / 020 3179 0720
 

Privilege

Privilege Insurance specialises in car insurance for safe drivers. It also offers home insurance and breakdown cover by phone or on-line.

Privilege general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Privilege and U K Insurance Limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.  
 

Customers can find out more about Privilege’s products or get a quote by calling

0345 246 0515 or visiting www.privilege.co.uk