For many people, passing your driving test is one of the most momentous lift experiences - but did you know that chances of passing can vastly differ depending on where you take your test in the UK?
Marmalade has analysed 10 years of pass rate data from every driving test centre in the country to reveal the easiest and hardest places to take your test, and the best and worst months to take your test in each location.
Interestingly it's Belvedere in Kent that you should avoid if you're looking to pass your test - as the town is home to the unluckiest test centre in the UK. Based on data from the last ten years, the Belvedere driving test centre has a pass rate of just 31.2% which is well below the UK average pass rate of 54.43%. If you are taking your test at this test centre then avoid December, on average this is the unluckiest month with pass rates dropping to 29.33%.
Region by region, it's London, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands that are the unluckiest regions to take your driving test in the UK. London takes four spots, whilst West Yorkshire and West Midlands have three and two test centres respectively, in the top ten hardest places to pass.
On the other end of the table, Campbeltown in Argyll & Bute, placed top for the easiest place to pass a practical driving test in the UK, with an average pass rate of 73.68%. The best month to take a test in Campbeltown, is May with a pass rate of a whopping 90%. That's 35.57% above the average pass rate for the UK as a whole.
Scottish test centres claimed over half of the spots for the easiest places to pass, with Rothesay, Pitlochry, Ballater, Lerwick, Lochgilphead and Orkney also making the top ten.
Marmalade compiled the data to create a 'Pass Probability Tool' that reveals the likelihood of someone passing their test based on their location, age and the time of year.
Crispin Moger, CEO at Marmalade, comments: "We know that driving tests can bring about nerves. In fact, more than 50% of young motorists are equally or more anxious about facing their driving test than their academic exams. We wanted to provide a handy tool to help young learner drivers, and their parents, find out more about their chosen test centre and its pass rates. Ultimately aiming to give them a little piece of mind when it comes to booking a test and show them how many motorists pass at this centre, in the month of their test."
Top 10 Hardest Places To Pass Your Driving Test In The UK
|
Driving Test Centre
|
Pass Rate
|
Unluckiest Month
|
|
1.Belvedere, Kent
|
31.20%
|
December – 29.33% pass rate
|
|
2.Wanstead, London
|
32.13%
|
June – 31.18% pass rate
|
|
3.Leeds, West Yorkshire
|
34.73%
|
December - 33.28% pass rate
|
|
4.Bradford (Heaton), West Yorkshire
|
35.03%
|
May - 34.23% pass rate
|
|
5.Barking (Tanner Street), London
|
35.38%
|
March - 33.97% pass rate
|
|
6.Barnet, London
|
35.49%
|
November - 34.34% pass rate
|
|
7.Birmingham (South Yardley), West Midlands
|
35.60%
|
March - 34.22% pass rate
|
|
8.Wednesbury, West Midlands
|
35.64%
|
November - 34.08% pass rate
|
|
9.Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire
|
36.19%
|
November - 34.90% pass rate
|
|
10.Wood Green, London
|
36.44%
|
March - 34.94% pass rate
|
Top 10 Easiest Places To Pass Your Driving Test In The UK
|
Driving Test Centre?
|
Pass rate
|
Luckiest Month
|
|
1.Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute
|
73.68%?
|
May – 90% pass rate
|
|
2.Rothesay, Argyll and Bute
|
72.13%?
|
January – 100% pass rate
|
|
3.Pitlochry, Perthshire
|
70.61%?
|
November - 85.71% pass rate
|
|
4.Llandrindod Wells, Powys? ?
|
68.45%?
|
January - 74.37% pass rate
|
|
5.Ballater, Aberdeenshire?
|
68.15%?
|
November - 73.53% pass rate
|
|
6.Lerwick, Shetland?
|
66.89%?
|
December - 71.5% pass rate
|
|
7.Lochgilphead, Argyll and Bute?
|
66.24%?
|
April - 72.31% pass rate
|
|
8.Malton, North Yorkshire?
|
64.17%?
|
January - 67.49% pass rate
|
|
9.Orkney, Orkney?
|
62.72%?
|
January - 66.83% pass rate
|
|
10.Kendal, Cumbria?
|
62.68%?
|
July - 65.09% pass rate
|
For more information please visit: https://www.wearemarmalade.co.uk/pass-probability-calculator/