Driver and rider testing and instructor statistics: April 2022 to March 2023
Published 12 July 2023
© Crown copyright 2023
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/driver-and-rider-testing-and-instructor-statistics-april-2022-to-march-2023/driver-and-rider-testing-and-instructor-statistics-april-2022-to-march-2023
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.
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.
This department is currently working to make our tables accessible for our users.
As part of this release, the format of the DRT spreadsheet tables that accompany this release has changed to make them more accessible for our users.
If you have any feedback on the new format of our tables, please contact vehicles statistics.
The INS spreadsheet tables will be updated for accessibility in a future publication.
Full details of these changes can be found in the improvements made in this release section.
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 have 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.
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 the year-ending March 2023 with the year-ending March 2022:
- 2,431,000 car tests were conducted, down 1%
- the car test pass rate was 44.2%, down 5.9 percentage points
- 82,400 motorcycle tests were conducted, down 10%
- 93,100 LGV multiple choice tests were conducted, up 2%
- 71,400 LGV hazard perception tests were conducted, down 6%
- 8,400 PCV multiple choice tests were conducted, up 40%
- 6,900 PCV hazard perception tests were conducted, up 36%
Practical tests
Comparing practical tests in Great Britain in the year-ending March 2023 with the year-ending March 2022:
- 1,689,000 car tests were conducted, up 10%
- the car test pass rate was 48.4%, down 0.5 percentage points
- 58,900 motorcycle module 1 (off-road) tests were conducted, down 13%
- 59,100 motorcycle module 2 (on-road) tests were conducted, down 13%
- 114,000 LGV vocational (on-road) tests were conducted, up 19%
- 10,700 LGV vocational (off-road) tests were conducted (started in November 2021, no comparison available)
- 6,300 PCV vocational (on-road) tests were conducted, up 54%
- 930 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 the year-ending March 2023 with the year-ending March 2022:
- 62,100 LGV theory CPC tests were conducted, up 13%
- 10,400 LGV practical CPC tests were conducted, up 9%
- 5,800 PCV theory CPC tests were conducted, up 54%
- 1,200 PCV practical CPC tests were conducted, up 39%
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, January to March 2013 (Quarter 4) to January to March 2023 (Quarter 4) (DRT1101)
From April 2020 onwards, the availability of tests conducted has been 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
The number of theory tests conducted in April 2021 to March 2022 was the highest for a financial year ever recorded at 2,464,000. The most recent financial year, starting April 2022 and ending March 2023 had 2,431,000 tests conducted, which was 1% lower than the previous financial year. This continues to be higher than any records prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
The most recent financial year starting April 2022 and ending March 2023 had the lowest yearly pass rate in the published series, at 44.2%. For the previous financial year ending March 2022, pass rates were higher at 50.1%, a level similar to pre-pandemic rates. Prior to this, during the financial year affected by the pandemic ending March 2021, car theory pass rates were at a higher level than pre-pandemic levels since the financial year ending March 2013, with a pass rate of 55.7%.
Practical
Figure 2: Car practical tests conducted and pass rates, Great Britain, quarterly, January to March 2013 (Quarter 4) to January to March 2023 (Quarter 4) (DRT1101)
Statistics on car practical tests conducted in Great Britain are also published as a faster indicator to monitor transport activity on a timelier basis for topical issues relating to transport.
From April 2020 onwards, the availability of tests conducted has been 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
The number of practical car tests conducted in April 2021 to March 2022 was a significant increase from the previous year which took place during the pandemic with a total of 1,538,000, however this was the lowest number for a financial year since April 2015 to March 2016. The most recent financial year of April 2022 to March 2023 has seen an increase to 1,689,000, the highest since the financial year ending March 2018.
The most recent pass rate for the year-ending March 2023 was 48.4%, which is above pre-pandemic levels. During the pandemic period, car practical pass rates were at a higher level than pre-pandemic levels, with a pass rate of 49.8% for the year ending March 2021.
Cars by age, gender, and number of attempts
Table 1: Car theory and practical tests by gender, Great Britain, the year-ending March, 2022 and 2023 (DRT1201)
| Metric and time period | Theory: Total | Theory: Female | Theory: Male | Practical: Total | Practical: Female | Practical: Male |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests Conducted: Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 2,430,653 | 1,095,366 | 1,335,069 | 1,688,955 | 801,673 | 886,928 |
| Tests Passed: Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 1,074,915 | 501,713 | 573,059 | 816,775 | 371,806 | 444,828 |
| Pass Rate (%): Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 44.2% | 45.8% | 42.9% | 48.4% | 46.4% | 50.2% |
| Tests Conducted: Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 2,463,621 | 1,172,363 | 1,291,101 | 1,538,314 | 746,650 | 791,286 |
| Tests Passed: Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 1,234,013 | 610,474 | 623,430 | 751,914 | 348,578 | 403,209 |
| Pass Rate (%): Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 50.1% | 52.1% | 48.3% | 48.9% | 46.7% | 51.0% |
| Tests Conducted (%): Annual change | -1% | -7% | +3% | +10% | +7% | +12% |
| Tests Passed (%): Annual change | -13% | -18% | -8% | +9% | +7% | +10% |
| Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change | -5.9 | -6.3 | -5.4 | -0.5 | -0.3 | -0.8 |
Total figures include tests where the gender is unknown.
Figure 3: Car practical test pass rates by gender and age band, Great Britain, the year-ending March 2023 (DRT1203)
In the year-ending March 2023, female candidates had a higher overall pass rate for car theory tests, whereas male candidates had a higher pass rate for the car practical test (Table 1). This effect can be seen across all age bands, with the practical pass rate typically declining with age (Figure 3).
Figure 4: Car practical tests by attempt, with pass rate, Great Britain, the year-ending March 2023 (DRT0202)
The pass rate for candidates on their first attempt was 48.3% in the year-ending March 2023, which is an increase of 1.0 percentage points compared to the year-ending March 2022.
In the financial year ending March 2023, 391,000 were passed on the first attempt out of 817,000 passes, making up 48% of the total. Of the 872,000 failures, 3% were for candidates on their 6th attempt or higher.
Figure 4 illustrates that the pass rate is typically lower for those candidates that have had more attempts.
Motorcycles (category A)
Figure 5: Motorcycle tests conducted by test type, Great Britain, annually, the year-ending March, 2013 to 2023 (DRT1101)
Each motorcycle test type saw a decrease in number of tests conducted in the financial year-ending March 2023 in comparison to the previous year, as shown in Figure 5. Motorcycle theory numbers were however still higher than all other previous financial years since the year ending 2009 (excluding the year ending 2022). Module 1 and 2 practical tests were also higher than all other financial years since the year ending 2013.
Motorcycle test pass rates decreased for all test types in the financial year-ending March 2023 compared to the year-ending March 2022, with the theory test down 2.5 percentage points, and the practical module 1 and 2 tests both down 1.3 percentage points.
Table 2: Motorcycle tests by test type, Great Britain, the year-ending March, 2022 and 2023 (DRT1101)
| Metric and time period | Theory | Practical: Module 1 | Practical: Module 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests Conducted: Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 82,384 | 58,862 | 59,069 |
| Tests Passed: Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 56,470 | 43,056 | 41,762 |
| Pass Rate (%): Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 68.5% | 73.1% | 70.7% |
| Tests Conducted: Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 91,976 | 67,355 | 67,511 |
| Tests Passed: Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 65,361 | 50,171 | 48,583 |
| Pass Rate (%): Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 71.1% | 74.5% | 72.0% |
| Tests Conducted (%): Annual change | -10% | -13% | -13% |
| Tests Passed (%): Annual change | -14% | -14% | -14% |
| Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change | -2.5 | -1.3 | -1.3 |
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 on-road test and the off-road test). This release shows the number of tests carried out by DVSA. Tests conducted by delegated examiners are excluded from these statistics.
Table 3: Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) tests by test type, Great Britain, the year-ending March, 2022 and 2023 (DRT1101)
| Metric and time period | Theory: Multiple choice | Theory: Hazard perception | Theory: CPC | Practical: Vocational (on-road) | Practical: Vocational (off-road) | Practical: CPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests Conducted: Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 93,108 | 71,426 | 62,075 | 113,960 | 10,690 | 10,383 |
| Tests Passed: Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 55,604 | 58,229 | 44,530 | 68,026 | 8,131 | 9,850 |
| Pass Rate (%): Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 59.7% | 81.5% | 71.7% | 59.7% | 76.1% | 94.9% |
| Tests Conducted: Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 91,644 | 75,774 | 54,957 | 95,891 | [z] | 9,536 |
| Tests Passed: Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 59,438 | 63,165 | 41,366 | 56,281 | [z] | 8,964 |
| Pass Rate (%): Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 64.9% | 83.4% | 75.3% | 58.7% | [z] | 94.0% |
| Tests Conducted (%): Annual change | +2% | -6% | +13% | +19% | [z] | +9% |
| Tests Passed (%): Annual change | -6% | -8% | +8% | +21% | [z] | +10% |
| Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change | -5.1 | -1.8 | -3.5 | +1.0 | [z] | +0.9 |
[z] = Not applicable. The LGV practical vocational (off-road) test was introduced in November 2021, so no comparison is available.
Vocational tests
Figure 6: Large Goods Vehicles (LGV) vocational tests conducted by test type, Great Britain, annually, the year-ending March, 2013 to 2023 (DRT1101)
Statistics on LGV practical on-road tests conducted in Great Britain are also published as a faster indicator to monitor transport activity on a timelier basis for topical issues relating to transport.
LGV multiple choice and practical on-road tests saw a record number of tests conducted in the financial year-ending March 2023, as shown in Figure 6.
The test pass rates in the year-ending March 2023, compared to the year-ending March 2022, for:
- theory multiple choice was 59.7%, down 5.1 percentage points
- theory hazard perception was 81.5%, down 1.8 percentage points
- practical on-road was 59.7%, up 1.0 percentage points
- practical off-road was 76.1% (started in November 2021, no comparison available)
Professional tests (CPC)
There were 62,100 LGV theory CPC tests conducted in the financial year-ending March 2023, which was 13% higher than in the year-ending March 2022 and is the highest in the published series. There were 10,400 LGV practical CPC tests conducted in that period, which was a 9% increase compared to the year-ending March 2022.
The pass rate for the LGV theory CPC tests in the financial year-ending March 2023 was 72%, down 3.5 percentage points compared to the year-ending March 2022. The pass rate for the LGV practical CPC tests in the year-ending March 2023 was 95%, which is up 0.9 percentage points compared to the year-ending March 2022.
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 on-road test and the off-road test). This release shows the number of tests carried out by DVSA. Tests conducted by delegated examiners are excluded from these statistics.
Table 4: Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) tests by test type, Great Britain, the year-ending March, 2022 and 2023 (DRT1101)
| Metric and time period | Theory: Multiple choice | Theory: Hazard perception | Theory: CPC | Practical: Vocational (on-road) | Practical: Vocational (off-road) | Practical: CPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests Conducted: Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 8,392 | 6,923 | 5,812 | 6,302 | 933 | 1,150 |
| Tests Passed: Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 5,276 | 5,679 | 2,900 | 4,122 | 847 | 1,074 |
| Pass Rate (%): Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 62.9% | 82.0% | 49.9% | 65.4% | 90.8% | 93.4% |
| Tests Conducted: Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 5,992 | 5,084 | 3,768 | 4,096 | [z] | 825 |
| Tests Passed: Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 3,893 | 4,240 | 1,950 | 2,519 | [z] | 761 |
| Pass Rate (%): Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 65.0% | 83.4% | 51.8% | 61.5% | [z] | 92.2% |
| Tests Conducted (%): Annual change | +40% | +36% | +54% | +54% | [z] | +39% |
| Tests Passed (%): Annual change | +36% | +34% | +49% | +64% | [z] | +41% |
| Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change | -2.1 | -1.4 | -1.9 | +3.9 | [z] | +1.1 |
[z] = Not applicable. The PCV practical vocational (off-road) test was introduced in November 2021, so no comparison is available.
Vocational tests
Figure 7: Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) vocational tests conducted by test type, Great Britain, annually, the year-ending March, 2013 to 2023 (DRT1101)
The number of PCV theory vocational tests conducted returned to pre-pandemic levels in the year-ending March 2023 after a drop in the previous year. Each long-running test type increased by at least 36% compared to the year-ending March 2022 (Figure 7).
The test pass rates in the year-ending March 2023, compared to the year-ending March 2022, for:
- theory multiple choice was 62.9%, down 2.1 percentage points
- theory hazard perception was 82.0%, down 1.4 percentage points
- practical on-road was 65.4%, up 3.9 percentage points
- practical off-road was 90.8% (started in November 2021, no comparison available)
Professional tests (CPC)
The number of PCV CPC tests conducted also started to return to pre-pandemic levels in the year-ending March 2023 after a drop in the previous two years. In the year-ending March 2023, comparing to the year-ending March 2022, there were:
- 5,800 theory CPC tests conducted, up 54%
- 1,200 practical CPC tests conducted, up 39%
The test pass rates in the year-ending March 2023, compared to the year-ending March 2022, for:
- theory CPC was 49.9%, down 1.9 percentage points
- practical CPC was 93.4%, up 1.1 percentage points
Car driving instructors (ADI) and motorcycle instructors (CBT)
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.
Most learner motorcycle and moped riders must take Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) before riding on the road. CBT motorcycle instructors are required to pass a 2 day DVSA assessment and then work for a motorcycle Approved Training Body (ATB). CBT instructors must also undergo tests every 4 years.
Table 5: Number of ADIs on statutory register and number of approved CBT instructors, the end of March, 2022 and 2023 (INS0101, INS0501)
| Metric and time period | ADIs on statutory register | Approved CBT instructors |
|---|---|---|
| Number: End of March 2023 | 39,550 | 1,952 |
| Number: End of March 2022 | 38,839 | 2,008 |
| Annual change (%) | +1.8% | -2.8% |
Figure 8: ADI tests conducted by test type, Great Britain, annually, the year-ending March, 2013 to 2023 (DRT1101)
In the year-ending March 2023, comparing to the year-ending March 2022, there were:
- 19,400 ADI part 1 (theory) tests conducted, up 11%
- 9,400 ADI part 2 (driving ability) tests conducted, down 2%
- 7,900 ADI part 3 (instructional ability) tests conducted, up 19%
The test pass rates in the year-ending March 2023, compared to the year-ending March 2022, for:
- ADI part 1 (theory) was 38.2%, down 7.0 percentage points
- ADI part 2 (driving ability) was 57.0%, down 2.5 percentage points
- ADI part 3 (instructional ability) was 36.3%, up 1.0 percentage points
Table 6: Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) tests by test type, Great Britain, the year-ending March, 2022 and 2023 (DRT1101)
| Metric and time period | Part 1 (theory) | Part 2 (driving ability) | Part 3 (instructional ability) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests Conducted: Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 19,425 | 9,357 | 7,887 |
| Tests Passed: Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 7,413 | 5,338 | 2,864 |
| Pass Rate (%): Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | 38.2% | 57.0% | 36.3% |
| Tests Conducted: Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 17,500 | 9,566 | 6,615 |
| Tests Passed: Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 7,907 | 5,701 | 2,337 |
| Pass Rate (%): Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | 45.2% | 59.6% | 35.3% |
| Tests Conducted (%): Annual change | +11% | -2% | +19% |
| Tests Passed (%): Annual change | -6% | -6% | +23% |
| Pass Rate (percentage points): Annual change | -7.0 | -2.5 | +1.0 |
Improvements made in this release
If you have any feedback on any of these changes, please contact vehicles statistics.
Data table changes
Major structural changes have been introduced to the published data tables for the 2023 annual release to make them more accessible for our users, including:
- altering the layout of most tables for accessibility reasons
- combining many former tables into singular tables
- renumbering most tables
A table index for this statistical series has been created to provide a full map between the old and new numbering systems.
There were several previously published tables that were very similar except for test type (practical or theory) and test category (for example car and motorcycle). These tables have been combined into a new DRT series, which are outlined in Table 7.
Table 7: Tables in the new DRT series
| Table number | Data type | Brief description | Replaced tables | Update frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRT1101 | All test categories | By quarter | DRT0101, DRT0102 | Quarterly |
| DRT1201 | Car and motorcycle tests | By gender, monthly | DRT0201, DRT0401, DRT0421, DRT0221, DRT5201, DRT5401 | Quarterly |
| DRT1501 | LGV and PCV tests | By gender, monthly | DRT0501, DRT0502, DRT0601, DRT0602, DRT5501, DRT5502, DRT5601, DRT5602 | Quarterly |
| DRT1701 | Driving instructor tests | By gender, monthly | DRT0701, DRT0721, DRT5701 | Quarterly |
| DRT0202 | Practical car test | By attempt number, gender, age | DRT0202 | Annual |
| DRT1203 | Car and motorcycle tests | By gender, age | DRT0203, DRT0403, DRT0423, DRT5203, DRT5403 | Annual |
| DRT1503 | LGV and PCV tests | By gender, age | DRT0503, DRT0603, DRT5503, DRT5504, DRT5603, DRT5604 | Annual |
We would welcome any feedback on the structure of our new tables, please contact vehicles statistics.
Tables not made accessible in this release
It has not been possible to convert all previously published tables to an accessible format in this release. We intend to address these remaining tables in a future publication:
- INS0101
- INS0102
- INS0103
- INS0501
- INS0502
- INS0503
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 4 times a year. Future update schedules can be accessed via the DfT statistical publications schedule.
For further information about the data used in this release, please see our notes and definitions.
To hear more about DfT statistics publications as they are released, please follow us on Twitter.
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