Revealed: Driving test centres among toughest in UK
The pass rates for driving test centres across the Black Country and Staffordshire have been revealed – with one site coming out as among the toughest in the UK.
Only around one in three people (34 per cent) who took their practical test in Wolverhampton in the nine months to December 2018 managed to pass, 12 per cent below the national average.
The Spring Road centre saw a total of 2,733 drivers pass out of 7,961, according to figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
The contract could not have been greater with Cannock Chase test centre, where 52 per cent of 1,000 learners got their licences.
In general, built up urban areas tended to have lower pass rates, while at quieter rural test centres pass rates were higher.
At Wednesbury test centre 37.6 per cent of 5,261 learners passed, while at Featherstone the figures was 39 per cent of 5,804 tests.
Lower Gornal test centre conducted 7,940 tests over the nine-month period and 3,658 people passed (46 per cent).
The average pass rate for test centres across Great Britain was 46 per cent. The Pavilion in Birmingham came out as the toughest centre of all, with just 30 per cent of drivers successfully getting their licences.
Drivers taking the test can pass with up to 15 minor faults, such as not checking their mirrors at the right time.
DVSA chief driving examiner, Mark Winn, said: "The driver testing and training regime tests candidates’ ability to drive safely and responsibly as well as making sure they know the theory behind safe driving.
"All candidates are assessed to the same level and the result of their test is entirely dependent on their performance on the day.
"We constantly monitor our examiner’s performance so they conduct and assess driving tests in accordance with the standards set. This includes the supervision of live tests."
The driving test was changed last year, with many observers saying the new test is tougher than the old one.
Learners now must navigate for 20 minutes using a sat-nav, and explain how to test the brakes, clean the windscreen and demist their windows while driving.
However, the new test does not seem to have had a major impact on the majority of rookie drivers, with pass rates only slightly lower than before.
