Driver and rider testing and instructor statistics: October to December 2022
Published 15 March 2023
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/driver-and-rider-testing-and-instructor-statistics-october-to-december-2022/driver-and-rider-testing-and-instructor-statistics-october-to-december-2022
About this release
This statistical release is published by the Department for Transport (DfT) based on statistics produced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), on the numbers and pass rates for driving and riding theory and practical tests conducted in Great Britain.
These statistics are presented as financial quarters and years (for example April 2021 to March 2022).
The driver and rider tests and instructors collection provides further detail of the key findings presented in this statistical release, including detailed data tables and operational data by test centre.
Headline figures
Impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19)
At the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, measures by the UK government to limit the impact and transmission of the virus affected trends in these statistics. Certain periods since March 2020 saw large reductions in the number of conducted driving tests as they were suspended (except for critical workers) during national lockdowns. Due to these reductions, some of the commentary in this release will be referencing numbers with a very low base.
Coverage
Certain tests conducted by delegated examiners are excluded from these statistics. This relates to the following test types:
- LGV (Large Goods Vehicle) vocational on road
- LGV vocational off road
- PCV (Passenger Carrying Vehicle) vocational on road
- PCV vocational off road
- LGV CPC (Certificate for Professional Competence) practical
- PCV CPC practical
Theory tests
Comparing theory tests in Great Britain in October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) with October to December 2021 (Quarter 3):
- 600,000 car tests were conducted, up 11%
- the car test pass rate was 42.9%, down 5.0 percentage points
- 15,500 motorcycle tests were conducted, down 5%
- 22,700 LGV multiple choice tests were conducted, down 19%
- 16,700 LGV hazard perception tests were conducted, down 29%
- 2,090 PCV multiple choice tests were conducted, up 36%
- 1,660 PCV hazard perception tests were conducted, up 22%
Practical tests
Comparing practical tests in Great Britain in October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) with October to December 2021 (Quarter 3):
- 425,000 car tests were conducted, up 1%
- the car test pass rate was 48.0%, down 0.1 percentage points
- 12,700 motorcycle module 1 (off-road) tests were conducted, down 18%
- 13,900 motorcycle module 2 (on-road) tests were conducted, down 18%
- 28,100 LGV vocational (on-road) tests were conducted, up 4%
- 1,700 LGV vocational (off-road) tests were conducted (started in November 2021, no comparison available)
- 1,680 PCV vocational (on-road) tests were conducted, up 68%
- 180 PCV vocational (off-road) tests were conducted (started in November 2021, no comparison available)
Professional tests (CPC)
Comparing Certificate for Professional Competence (CPC) tests in Great Britain in October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) with October to December 2021 (Quarter 3):
- 15,200 LGV theory CPC tests were conducted, down 13%
- 2,280 LGV practical CPC tests were conducted, down 17%
- 1,540 PCV theory CPC tests were conducted, up 57%
- 280 PCV practical CPC tests were conducted, up 27%
Large Goods Vehicles (LGVs), commonly referred to as lorries, trucks, or heavy goods vehicles, require a category C licence to drive.
Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCVs), commonly referred to as buses or coaches, require a category D licence to drive.
A Certificate for Professional Competence (CPC) test pass is required by an individual, in addition to all other LGV or PCV tests, to drive professionally (as the main purpose of their job). CPC tests are not required to obtain a licence to drive LGVs or PCVs.
Cars (category B): overview
Theory
Figure 1: Car theory tests conducted and pass rates, Great Britain, quarterly, October to December 2012 (Quarter 3) to October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) (DRT0102)
Between October to December 2012 (Quarter 3) and January to March 2020 (Quarter 4), car theory tests conducted ranged between 290,000 and 510,000 tests, whilst pass rates steadily decreased from 63% to 46%, as shown in Figure 1.
From April 2020 onwards, the availability of tests conducted was affected by the coronavirus pandemic. There were very low numbers of tests conducted in:
- April to June 2020 (Quarter 1) with 6,400 theory tests
- January to March 2021 (Quarter 4) with 2,900 theory tests
Despite the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the number of car theory tests conducted between July and December 2020 (Quarter 2 and 3) were similar to test numbers seen across the previous 10 years.
The number of theory tests conducted in April to June 2021 (Quarter 1) was the highest quarter ever recorded at 733,000, which was 43% higher than the previous record of 514,000 tests in April to June 2016 (Quarter 1). Every quarter in the year-ending March 2022 had a higher number of theory tests conducted compared to this previous record, ranging between 538,000 and 733,000.
In the latest quarter, car theory test numbers have continued to be higher than historic levels (600,000) and showing a rise of 11% compared to the same period in 2021.
During the pandemic period, car theory pass rates (up to June 2021) were elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels, ranging between 53% and 61%. After July 2021, for the next 3 quarters, pass rates decreased back to pre-pandemic levels, ranging between 48% and 50%. From April to June 2022 however (Quarter 1), the car theory pass rate fell to 44%, the lowest recorded level in these statistics back to April to June 2007 (Quarter 1). In the latest quarter from October to December 2022 (Quarter 3), the pass rate showed a further drop to 43%.
Table 1: Car theory tests by gender, Great Britain, October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) (DRT5201)
| Metric and time period | Total | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests Conducted: Oct to Dec 2022 | 599,528 | 269,887 | 329,641 |
| Tests Passed: Oct to Dec 2022 | 256,932 | 120,090 | 136,842 |
| Pass Rate (%): Oct to Dec 2022 | 42.9% | 44.5% | 41.5% |
| Tests Conducted (%): Annual change | +11.5% | +6.6% | +15.8% |
| Tests Passed (%): Annual change | -0.1% | -3.6% | +3.3% |
| Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change | -5.0 | -4.7 | -5.0 |
Total figures include tests where the gender is unknown.
Practical
Figure 2: Car practical tests conducted and pass rates, Great Britain, quarterly, October to December 2012 (Quarter 3) to October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) (DRT0101)
Between October to December 2012 (Quarter 3) and January to March 2020 (Quarter 4), car practical tests conducted ranged between 330,000 and 480,000 tests, whilst pass rates ranged between 45% and 48%, as shown in Figure 2.
From April 2020 onwards, the availability of tests conducted was affected by the coronavirus pandemic. There were very low numbers of tests conducted in:
- April to June 2020 (Quarter 1) with 6,300 practical tests
- January to March 2021 (Quarter 4) with 1,300 practical tests
Since July 2021, the number of practical car tests has returned to pre-pandemic levels, with the latest quarter, October to December 2022 (Quarter 3), having 425,000 tests conducted.
During the pandemic period, car practical pass rates were elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels, ranging between around 50% and 60%. The most recent pass rate for October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) was 48%, which continued to be above pre-pandemic levels.
Table 2: Car practical tests by gender, Great Britain, October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) (DRT0201)
| Metric and time period | Total | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests Conducted: Oct to Dec 2022 | 425,182 | 199,286 | 225,818 |
| Tests Passed: Oct to Dec 2022 | 203,924 | 91,608 | 112,289 |
| Pass Rate (%): Oct to Dec 2022 | 48.0% | 46.0% | 49.7% |
| Tests Conducted (%): Annual change | +1.3% | -2.3% | +4.7% |
| Tests Passed (%): Annual change | +1.0% | -2.2% | +3.9% |
| Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change | -0.1 | 0.0 | -0.4 |
Total figures include tests where the gender is unknown.
Motorcycles (category A)
Table 3: Motorcycle tests by test type, Great Britain, October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) (DRT0101, DRT0102)
| Metric and time period | Theory | Practical: Module 1 | Practical: Module 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests Conducted: Oct to Dec 2022 | 15,488 | 12,708 | 13,882 |
| Tests Passed: Oct to Dec 2022 | 10,311 | 9,134 | 9,756 |
| Pass Rate (%): Oct to Dec 2022 | 66.6% | 71.9% | 70.3% |
| Tests Conducted (%): Annual change | -4.9% | -17.5% | -18.3% |
| Tests Passed (%): Annual change | -9.3% | -18.4% | -19.7% |
| Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change | -3.2 | -0.8 | -1.2 |
Large Goods Vehicles (category C)
The LGV vocational practical test changed in November 2021 from a single test to become a two-part test. The majority of the off-road manoeuvres (Module 3a) part of the test is carried out by external assessors. The on-road (Module 3b) part of the test is carried out by the DVSA.
Table 4: Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) tests by test type, Great Britain, October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) (DRT0101, DRT0102)
| Metric and time period | Theory: Multiple choice | Theory: Hazard perception | Theory: CPC | Practical: Vocational (on-road) | Practical: Vocational (off-road) | Practical: CPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests Conducted: Oct to Dec 2022 | 22,676 | 16,690 | 15,173 | 28,112 | 1,701 | 2,281 |
| Tests Passed: Oct to Dec 2022 | 13,016 | 13,474 | 10,649 | 16,777 | 1,286 | 2,165 |
| Pass Rate (%): Oct to Dec 2022 | 57.4% | 80.7% | 70.2% | 59.7% | 75.6% | 94.9% |
| Tests Conducted (%): Annual change | -19.4% | -29.0% | -12.6% | +3.6% | [z] | -17.1% |
| Tests Passed (%): Annual change | -30.5% | -31.6% | -20.0% | +4.9% | [z] | -16.2% |
| Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change | -9.2 | -3.1 | -6.4 | +0.8 | [z] | +1.0 |
[z] = Not applicable. The LGV practical vocational (off-road) test was introduced in November 2021, so no comparison is available.
Passenger Carrying Vehicles (category D)
The PCV vocational practical test changed in November 2021 from a single test to become a two-part test. The majority of the off-road manoeuvres (Module 3a) part of the test is carried out by external assessors. The on-road (Module 3b) part of the test is carried out by the DVSA.
Table 5: Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) tests by test type, Great Britain, October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) (DRT0101, DRT0102)
| Metric and time period | Theory: Multiple choice | Theory: Hazard perception | Theory: CPC | Practical: Vocational (on-road) | Practical: Vocational (off-road) | Practical: CPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests Conducted: Oct to Dec 2022 | 2,092 | 1,655 | 1,543 | 1,678 | 184 | 275 |
| Tests Passed: Oct to Dec 2022 | 1,299 | 1,356 | 770 | 1,058 | 164 | 261 |
| Pass Rate (%): Oct to Dec 2022 | 62.1% | 81.9% | 49.9% | 63.1% | 89.1% | 94.9% |
| Tests Conducted (%): Annual change | +35.9% | +22.0% | +57.3% | +68.3% | [z] | +26.7% |
| Tests Passed (%): Annual change | +27.0% | +19.9% | +48.9% | +71.5% | [z] | +27.3% |
| Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change | -4.4 | -1.4 | -2.8 | +1.2 | [z] | +0.4 |
[z] = Not applicable. The PCV practical vocational (off-road) test was introduced in November 2021, so no comparison is available.
Car driving instructors (ADI)
An Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) is someone who has passed their ADI tests and has been added to the ADI statutory register. There are 3 parts of the ADI test:
- theory (part 1)
- driving ability (part 2)
- instructional ability (part 3)
Prospective instructors must pass all 3 parts of the ADI tests to be approved and registered. ADIs must undergo a standards check during each 4 year registration period.
Table 6: Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) tests by test type, Great Britain, October to December 2022 (Quarter 3) (DRT0101, DRT0102)
| Metric and time period | Part 1 (theory) | Part 2 (driving ability) | Part 3 (instructional ability) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests Conducted: Oct to Dec 2022 | 5,009 | 2,239 | 1,967 |
| Tests Passed: Oct to Dec 2022 | 1,907 | 1,246 | 740 |
| Pass Rate (%): Oct to Dec 2022 | 38.1% | 55.6% | 37.6% |
| Tests Conducted (%): Annual change | +30.9% | -8.6% | +9.3% |
| Tests Passed (%): Annual change | +16.5% | -13.5% | +16.9% |
| Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change | -4.7 | -3.1 | +2.5 |
Background notes
Test categories included
Practical test categories in the release are:
- B (car)
- A, A1 and A2 (motorcycles)
- C1 (medium sized vehicles)
- C1E (medium-sized vehicles with a trailer)
- C (large vehicles)
- CE (large vehicles with a trailer)
- D1 (minibuses)
- D1E (minibuses with a trailer)
- D (buses)
- DE (buses with a trailer)
Differences between vocational and CPC tests
LGV and PCV practical vocational test figures are always higher than the corresponding CPC practical test figure, as CPC tests are only required to drive these vehicles professionally. Non-commercial use of these vehicles might include, for example, driving a horse box.
Publication of monthly data
Some statistics on tests conducted in Great Britain are also published as faster indicators to monitor transport activity on a timelier basis for topical issues relating to transport.
The test types currently included are:
- LGV practical on-road
- car practical (including forward bookings)
Ethnicity information
Additional data on ethnicity of candidates are released via data.gov.uk. This information is not published as part of the statistical release as many candidates do not declare their ethnicity. It is, therefore, highly likely that the information is subject to self-selection and reporting biases and neither DVSA nor DfT would recommend that users rely on these data being a true reflection of the ethnicity of all candidates.
Official statistics
Official statistics are produced to the high professional standards set by the Code of Practice for Statistics. However, these statistics have not yet been assessed by the Office for Statistics Regulation.
Details of ministers and officials who receive pre-release access to these statistics up to 24 hours before release can be found in the pre-release access list.
Next release
Driving and rider testing statistics are published quarterly.
The next release is due in June 2023 and is the annual release, which will cover data for the period up to the end of the financial year to March 2023. The quarterly releases (typically published in September, December and March) have a reduced number of tables and commentary compared to the annual publication (typically published in June).
Any updates to these plans will be advertised via the DfT statistical publications schedule.
To find out more about DfT statistics publications as they are released, please follow us on Twitter.
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