More than half of UK learners now fail the theory test.
The national car theory test pass rate has fallen from 65% in 2007 to 44.8% today — and a record 2.9 million tests were taken last year. We analysed every DVSA figure to March 2026, plus pass rates at all 194 test centres, to show how much harder the test has become — and how much your odds depend on where you sit it.
Source: DVSA official statistics · Open Government Licence v3.0
2025–26
2025–26 (record)
than 2007–08
best vs worst centre
A test that keeps getting harder
In 2007–08, nearly two-thirds of learners passed. Today it's under half. The steepest fall came in the early 2010s, after the DVSA stopped publishing the exact question bank and made the test less learnable by rote.
Each point is one financial year (April–March). Data since April 2025 is provisional. Source: DVSA table DRT111A.
Women pass more than men — every single year
In 18 years of data, women have never had a lower annual theory pass rate than men. The gap has narrowed but never closed.
Higher than men in every year on record since 2007–08.
A 4.1-point gap — down from 6.6 points in 2007–08.
Your test centre can swing your odds by 17 points
Across the 138 centres that ran at least 1,000 tests in 2024–25, pass rates ran from 36.8% to 53.6% — a 16.8-point spread for the exact same test.
Easiest to pass
Hardest to pass
Find your test centre
| Test centre | Tests conducted | Pass rate ▼ |
|---|---|---|
| Symbister | 23 | 65.2% |
| Kyle of Lochalsh | 56 | 64.3% |
| Helmsdale | 56 | 60.7% |
| Portree | 49 | 59.2% |
| Aviemore | 47 | 57.4% |
| Craignure (Isle of Mull) | 21 | 57.1% |
| North Berwick | 332 | 56.3% |
| Huntingdon | 133 | 55.6% |
| Ullapool | 40 | 55.0% |
| Rushden | 123 | 54.5% |
| Guildford | 16,307 | 53.6% |
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 9,724 | 53.6% |
| Brodick (Isle of Arran) | 47 | 53.2% |
| Cambridge | 22,974 | 53.2% |
| Mallaig | 38 | 52.6% |
| Tarbert (Argyll & Bute) | 76 | 52.6% |
| Lochmaddy | 84 | 52.4% |
| Saxmundham | 88 | 52.3% |
| Tain | 73 | 52.1% |
| Cumnock | 52 | 51.9% |
| Southwark | 66,976 | 51.7% |
| Exeter | 13,318 | 51.5% |
| Brighton | 18,833 | 51.4% |
| Morden | 39,929 | 51.4% |
| Harrogate | 6,727 | 51.3% |
| Ballater | 43 | 51.2% |
| Oxford | 20,939 | 51.0% |
| Kirkwall | 452 | 50.9% |
| Blandford Forum | 1,745 | 50.7% |
| Edinburgh | 38,608 | 50.6% |
| Stratford-upon-Avon | 11,665 | 50.2% |
| York | 12,201 | 50.2% |
| Cheltenham | 8,854 | 50.1% |
| Bowmore (Isle of Islay) | 44 | 50.0% |
| Diss | 102 | 50.0% |
| Strathpeffer | 38 | 50.0% |
| Glossop | 396 | 49.7% |
| Lerwick | 477 | 49.7% |
| Salisbury | 6,594 | 49.7% |
| Truro | 10,270 | 49.4% |
| Hornsea | 65 | 49.2% |
| Kendal | 3,925 | 49.2% |
| Oban | 638 | 49.2% |
| Galashiels | 3,181 | 49.1% |
| Frome | 11,312 | 49.0% |
| Penzance | 1,701 | 49.0% |
| Bristol | 44,946 | 48.9% |
| Grantham | 6,066 | 48.9% |
| Reading | 33,341 | 48.9% |
| Bodmin | 1,476 | 48.8% |
| Pitlochry | 125 | 48.8% |
| Andover | 8,849 | 48.6% |
| Norwich | 19,773 | 48.6% |
| Kingsbridge | 1,090 | 48.4% |
| Torquay | 7,199 | 48.3% |
| Dundee | 17,732 | 48.2% |
| Aberdeen | 17,305 | 48.1% |
| Inverness | 5,779 | 48.1% |
| Tarbert (Isle of Harris) | 54 | 48.1% |
| Bury St Edmunds | 7,931 | 48.0% |
| Redditch | 15,698 | 48.0% |
| Chelmsford | 20,957 | 47.9% |
| Northallerton | 4,955 | 47.9% |
| Fareham | 9,809 | 47.7% |
| Plymouth | 12,759 | 47.7% |
| Tongue | 44 | 47.7% |
| Axminster | 2,361 | 47.6% |
| Chester | 18,170 | 47.6% |
| Bethnal Green | 38,873 | 47.4% |
| Newport (Isle of Wight) | 4,201 | 47.3% |
| Chichester | 8,128 | 47.2% |
| Milton Keynes | 28,820 | 47.2% |
| Penrith | 214 | 47.2% |
| Bournemouth | 15,317 | 47.1% |
| Lincoln | 12,551 | 47.0% |
| Newcastle | 43,141 | 47.0% |
| Williton | 621 | 47.0% |
| Nottingham | 40,722 | 46.8% |
| Stirling | 12,685 | 46.8% |
| Yeovil | 8,156 | 46.8% |
| Bishop Auckland | 503 | 46.7% |
| Kirkbymoorside | 75 | 46.7% |
| Hertford | 23,806 | 46.6% |
| Watford | 35,207 | 46.6% |
| Launceston | 1,484 | 46.4% |
| Aylesbury | 14,420 | 46.3% |
| Builth Wells | 1,321 | 46.3% |
| Horley | 18,752 | 46.3% |
| Shrewsbury | 14,110 | 46.3% |
| Southampton | 19,173 | 46.3% |
| Worcester | 15,572 | 46.3% |
| Canterbury | 26,182 | 46.2% |
| Ipswich | 13,460 | 46.2% |
| Leven | 412 | 46.1% |
| New Romney | 1,951 | 46.1% |
| Scarborough | 4,997 | 46.1% |
| Worthing | 7,835 | 46.1% |
| Huntly | 139 | 46.0% |
| Taunton | 9,699 | 46.0% |
| Colchester | 14,510 | 45.9% |
| Aldershot | 15,723 | 45.8% |
| Corby | 11,286 | 45.8% |
| Louth | 144 | 45.8% |
| Peterhead | 96 | 45.8% |
| Sidcup | 40,098 | 45.8% |
| Brechin | 103 | 45.6% |
| Portsmouth | 15,672 | 45.6% |
| Burnley | 1,420 | 45.5% |
| Hexham | 154 | 45.5% |
| Lanark | 605 | 45.5% |
| Stockport | 34,381 | 45.5% |
| Carmarthen | 1,821 | 45.4% |
| Liverpool | 64,736 | 45.4% |
| Staines | 16,851 | 45.4% |
| Cardiff | 29,281 | 45.3% |
| Crewe | 14,500 | 45.3% |
| Croydon | 43,824 | 45.3% |
| Hastings | 6,371 | 45.3% |
| Chesterfield | 14,391 | 45.2% |
| Fakenham | 124 | 45.2% |
| Aberystwyth | 2,226 | 45.1% |
| Dumfries | 3,575 | 45.1% |
| Barnstaple | 4,944 | 45.0% |
| Glasgow | 71,187 | 45.0% |
| Swindon | 19,823 | 45.0% |
| Ayr | 10,365 | 44.9% |
| Southend-On-Sea | 22,489 | 44.8% |
| Gloucester | 12,045 | 44.4% |
| Hull | 20,406 | 44.3% |
| Derby | 33,637 | 44.2% |
| Eastbourne | 6,756 | 44.2% |
| Greenock | 4,682 | 44.2% |
| Grimsby | 9,081 | 44.2% |
| Leeds | 46,982 | 44.2% |
| Hereford | 8,079 | 44.1% |
| Sheffield | 43,049 | 44.1% |
| Bala | 545 | 44.0% |
| Preston | 52,846 | 44.0% |
| Chatham | 32,365 | 43.9% |
| Fort William | 553 | 43.9% |
| Campbeltown | 73 | 43.8% |
| North Finchley | 62,447 | 43.8% |
| Sunderland | 20,419 | 43.8% |
| Coventry | 47,766 | 43.7% |
| Carlisle | 6,775 | 43.6% |
| Elgin | 3,591 | 43.3% |
| Weymouth | 4,755 | 43.3% |
| Wrexham | 8,281 | 43.3% |
| Manchester | 85,425 | 43.1% |
| Northampton | 27,373 | 43.1% |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 21,269 | 43.1% |
| Dumbarton | 4,235 | 43.0% |
| Alnwick | 1,319 | 42.9% |
| Bangor | 7,367 | 42.9% |
| Wick | 315 | 42.9% |
| Bridgend | 8,495 | 42.8% |
| Peterborough | 21,055 | 42.8% |
| Barrow | 3,493 | 42.6% |
| Huddersfield | 27,436 | 42.6% |
| Sutton Coldfield | 24,308 | 42.4% |
| Stornoway | 555 | 42.3% |
| Swansea | 20,541 | 42.3% |
| Berwick | 1,022 | 42.2% |
| Middlesbrough | 32,287 | 42.2% |
| Kings Lynn | 7,862 | 42.0% |
| Lowestoft | 6,634 | 42.0% |
| Worksop | 310 | 41.9% |
| Cromer | 110 | 41.8% |
| Luton | 35,766 | 41.8% |
| Doncaster | 25,240 | 41.6% |
| Haverfordwest | 4,523 | 41.6% |
| Slough | 25,103 | 41.6% |
| Bolton | 44,680 | 41.5% |
| Workington | 4,091 | 41.5% |
| Boston | 6,477 | 41.3% |
| Newport (Gwent) | 14,677 | 41.1% |
| Rhyl | 6,419 | 41.0% |
| Dolgellau | 443 | 40.9% |
| Newtown | 1,291 | 40.9% |
| Skegness | 176 | 40.9% |
| Stranraer | 270 | 40.7% |
| Cardigan | 805 | 40.6% |
| Ilford | 89,742 | 40.5% |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 13,544 | 40.5% |
| Newton Stewart | 84 | 40.5% |
| Birmingham | 80,284 | 40.4% |
| Leicester | 54,335 | 39.7% |
| Wolverhampton | 35,159 | 38.5% |
| Dudley | 28,873 | 38.2% |
| Uxbridge | 82,369 | 38.2% |
| Bradford | 41,920 | 36.8% |
| Dunoon | 38 | 36.8% |
| Porthmadog | 714 | 35.7% |
| Millom | 52 | 34.6% |
What this does and doesn't mean. The theory test is standardised — the pass mark is 43 out of 50 everywhere, and no centre gives an easier test. These differences reflect who tests where: the age mix, first-language make-up, and how much preparation candidates have had. Treat them as a picture of local outcomes, not a ranking of test difficulty.
How we built this
- Source. DVSA official statistics — tables DRT111A (national) and DRT112A (pass rates by test centre), published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Periods. The national trend covers April 2007 to March 2026. Test-centre figures are the 2024–25 financial year, aggregated from DVSA's monthly records.
- Rankings. The easiest/hardest lists include only centres that ran at least 1,000 tests in the year (138 of 194 centres). The searchable table lists all 194.
- Validation. Our centre totals sum to 2,792,641 tests — within 0.01% of DVSA's published national total of 2,792,839, the difference being a handful of remote centres with confidential (suppressed) figures.
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