Driver and rider testing and instructor statistics: July to September 2020
Published 15 December 2020
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The key findings for the quarter July to September are as follows:
The number of car practical tests conducted in the quarter was reduced compared to the same period in 2019, as tests continued to be affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 188,520 practical car driving tests were conducted in Great Britain, representing a decrease of 53.8% compared to the same period in 2019 (Figure 1).
The reduction in the number of car theory tests was smaller, with 457,177 theory car driving tests conducted in Great Britain. This represents a decrease of 8.4% compared to the same period in 2019 (Figure 2).
The pass rate for practical car driving tests was 50.1%, an increase of 3.9 percentage points on the same quarter in 2019 (Figure 1). This was likely the result of priority testing for critical workers, who may have received additional training.
For theory car driving tests, the pass rate was 56.3%, an increase of 8.2 percentage points on the same quarter in 2019 (Figure 2). It is thought that the candidates tested during quarter 2 (July to September) were better prepared and motivated, due to the previous suspension of tests earlier in the year.
There was also a decline in the number of practical motorcycle tests compared to the same period in 2019, by -22.3% and -31.7% for practical tests module 1 and module 2 respectively. By contrast, there was an increase in motorcycle theory tests of 38.6% compared to the same period in 2019, with 28,595 tests conducted in Great Britain.
The pass rate for motorcycle practical driving tests was 77.0% and 73.3% for practical tests module 1 and module 2, with respective increases of 4.9 and 4.7 percentage points compared to the same period in 2019.
For motorcycle theory driving tests, the pass rate was 76.0%. This was an increase of 4.9 percentage points compared to the same period in 2019.