Driver and rider testing and instructor statistics: July to September 2021
Published 8 December 2021
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/driver-and-rider-testing-and-instructor-statistics-july-to-september-2021/driver-and-rider-testing-and-instructor-statistics-july-to-september-2021
About this release
This statistical release is published by the Department for Transport based on statistics produced by the DVSA, on the numbers and pass rates for driving and riding theory and practical tests conducted in Great Britain between 1 July 2021 to 30 September 2021 (financial year quarter 2).
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.
Headline figures for the quarter July to September 2021
Following a change to the Theory Test service delivery from 6th September 2021, there have been unforeseen delays in compiling the data for this release. September’s data will therefore be published as part of the quarter 3 (October to December) release in March 2022. Consequently, quarter 2 (July to September) data for theory tests are incomplete and it is not possible to make comparisons with earlier quarters. The available monthly data for July and August are, however, published where available in selected detailed data tables.
Although tables 1 to 6 provide comparisons to 2020, it is more meaningful to compare with the equivalent quarter in 2019, as financial quarter 2 (July to September) 2020 was significantly affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions, with relatively low numbers of tests conducted (Figure 1, Figure 2).
For practical car tests conducted in quarter 2 (July to September) 2021 (Figure 1):
- the number of tests conducted was 401,365, 1.5% lower than the 407,671 tests conducted in quarter 2 (July to September) 2019
- the pass rate was 49.6%, which was higher than the equivalent period in 2019 (46.2%) by 3.4 percentage points
For practical motorcycle tests conducted in quarter 2 (July to September) 2021, the number of tests conducted were higher than the equivalent period in 2019 by:
- 20% for motorcycle module 1 (off-road)
- 22% for motorcycle module 2 (on-road)
Compared to the equivalent period in 2019, the number of practical Large Goods Vehicles (LGV) tests conducted in quarter 2 (July to September) 2021 were:
- 26% higher for the vocational test
- 15% lower for the practical Certificate for Professional Competence (CPC)
The number of practical Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) tests conducted in quarter 2 (July to September) 2021 were below the equivalent period in 2019 by:
- 38% for the vocational test
- 48% for the practical CPC test
Figure 1: Car practical tests conducted and pass rates, Great Britain, quarterly, quarter 2 (July to September 2011) to quarter 2 (July to September 2021)(DRT0101)
Between quarter 2 (July to September) 2011 and quarter 4 (January to March) 2020, car practical tests conducted ranged between 330,000 and 480,000 tests, whilst pass rates ranged between 45.3% and 47.5%. From quarter 1 (April to June) 2020 onwards, the availability of tests conducted has been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with very low numbers of tests conducted in quarter 1 (April to June) 2020 and quarter 4 (January to March) 2021, 6,300 and 1,300 respectively, when tests were only available for emergency workers. Tests conducted remained slightly below pre-pandemic levels for quarter 2 (July to September) 2021 with 401,365 tests.
During the pandemic period car practical pass rates have been at a higher level than pre-pandemic levels, ranging between around 50% and 60%, and the most recent pass rate for quarter 2 (July to September) 2021 was 49.6% (Figure 1).
Figure 2: Car theory tests conducted and pass rates, Great Britain, quarterly, quarter 2 (July to September 2011) to quarter 2 (July to September 2021)(DRT0102)
Between quarter 2 (July to September) 2011 and quarter 4 (January to March) 2020, car theory tests conducted ranged between 290,000 and 515,000 tests, whilst pass rates steadily decreased over the period and ranged between 63.6% and 45.8%. From quarter 1 (April to June) 2020 onwards, the availability of tests conducted has been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with very low numbers of tests conducted in quarter 1 (April to June) 2020 and quarter 4 (January to March) 2021, 6,400 and 2,900 respectively, when tests were only available for emergency workers. Tests conducted were markedly above pre-pandemic levels for quarter 1 (April to June) 2021 with 733,543 tests.
During the pandemic period car theory pass rates (up to June 2021) have been at a higher level than pre-pandemic levels, ranging between 54.0% and 61.1% (Figure 2).
Table 1: Car Theory and Car Practical tests by gender, Great Britain, July to September (DRT0201), (DRT5201)
Blank cells represent unavailable data.
| Car test type | Gender | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2021) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2020) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Conducted (year on year percentage change) | Tests Passed (year on year percentage change) | Pass Rate (year on year percentage point change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical | Total | 401,365 | 199,138 | 49.6 | 188,520 | 94,498 | 50.1 | + 113% | + 111% | - 0.5 |
| Practical | Female | 196,518 | 93,265 | 47.5 | 95,859 | 45,096 | 47.0 | + 105% | + 107% | + 0.4 |
| Practical | Male | 204,758 | 105,844 | 51.7 | 92,622 | 49,388 | 53.3 | + 121% | + 114% | - 1.6 |
| Theory | Total | 457,177 | 257,553 | 56.3 | ||||||
| Theory | Female | 215,507 | 127,470 | 59.1 | ||||||
| Theory | Male | 241,574 | 130,024 | 53.8 |
Table 2: Motorcycle tests by test type, Great Britain, July to September (DRT0101), (DRT0102)
Blank cells represent unavailable data.
| Motorcycle test type | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2021) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2020) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Conducted (year on year percentage change) | Tests Passed (year on year percentage change) | Pass Rate (year on year percentage point change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theory | 28,595 | 21,719 | 76.0 | ||||||
| Practical module 1 | 20,794 | 15,517 | 74.6 | 13,492 | 10,387 | 77.0 | + 54.1% | + 49.4% | - 2.4 |
| Practical module 2 [Note 2] | 20,654 | 14,842 | 71.9 | 11,577 | 8,481 | 73.3 | + 78.4% | + 75.0% | - 1.4 |
Note 1: To avoid the possibility of identifying individuals taking the small number of tests carried out during the period of coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in quarter 1 (April to June) for the year-ending March 2021, quarter 1 and quarter 2 (April to September) for the year-ending March 2021 have been combined for motorcycle practical module 2 tests and used to calculate the corresponding year-on-year changes.
Table 3: Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) tests by test type, Great Britain, July to September (DRT0101), (DRT0102)
Blank cells represent unavailable data.
| LGV test type | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2021) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2020) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Conducted (year on year percentage change) | Tests Passed (year on year percentage change) | Pass Rate (year on year percentage point change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice (theory) | 12,290 | 8,517 | 69.3 | ||||||
| Hazard perception (theory) | 11,192 | 9,499 | 84.9 | ||||||
| Theory CPC | 7,235 | 5,280 | 73.0 | ||||||
| Practical vocational | 23,595 | 13,547 | 57.4 | 12,957 | 7,308 | 56.4 | + 82.1% | + 85.4% | + 1.0 |
| Practical CPC [Note 1] | 2,015 | 1,880 | 93.3 | 850 | 808 | 95.1 | + 137% | + 133% | - 1.8 |
Note 1: To avoid the possibility of identifying individuals taking the small number of tests carried out during the period of coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in quarter 1 (April to June) for the year-ending March 2021, quarter 1 and quarter 2 (April to September) for the year-ending March 2021 have been combined for LGV practical CPC tests and used to calculate the corresponding year-on-year changes.
Note 2: CPC test passes are required in addition to all other LGV tests to drive professionally (that is as the main purpose of one’s job). CPC tests are not required to obtain a license to drive LGVs.
Table 4: Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) tests by test type, Great Britain, July to September (DRT0101), (DRT0102)
Blank cells represent unavailable data.
| PCV test type | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2021) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2020) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Conducted (year on year percentage change) | Tests Passed (year on year percentage change) | Pass Rate (year on year percentage point change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice (theory) | 943 | 607 | 64.4 | ||||||
| Hazard perception (theory) | 868 | 704 | 81.1 | ||||||
| Theory CPC | 657 | 319 | 48.6 | ||||||
| Practical vocational [Note 1] | 1,155 | 702 | 60.8 | 611 | 329 | 53.8 | + 89.0% | + 113% | + 7.0 |
| Practical CPC | 194 | 172 | 88.7 | 83 | 75 | 90.4 | + 134% | + 129% | - 1.7 |
Note 1: To avoid the possibility of identifying individuals taking the small number of tests carried out during the period of coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in quarter 1 (April to June) for the year-ending March 2021, quarter 1 and quarter 2 (April to September) for the year-ending March 2021 have been combined for PCV practical vocational tests and used to calculate the corresponding year-on-year changes.
Note 2: CPC test passes are required in addition to all other PCV tests to drive professionally (i.e. as the main purpose of one’s job). CPC tests are not required to obtain a license to drive PCVs.
Table 5: Total practical and theory tests (excluding CPC and ADI (Approved Driving Instructor) tests), Great Britain, July to September (DRT0101), (DRT0102)
Blank cells represent unavailable data.
| Test type | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2021) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2020) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Conducted (year on year percentage change) | Tests Passed (year on year percentage change) | Pass Rate (year on year percentage point change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theory | 511,065 | 298,599 | 58.4 | ||||||
| Practical | 467,563 | 243,746 | 52.1 | 227,077 | 120,940 | 53.3 | + 106% | + 102% | - 1.1 |
Total test definitions
Figures for total theory tests are the sum of the following theory tests:
- car
- motorcycle
- LGV multiple-choice
- LGV hazard-perception
- PCV multiple-choice
- PCV hazard-perception.
Figures for total practical tests are the sum of the following practical tests:
- car
- motorcycle module 1
- motorcycle module 2
- LGV vocational
- PCV vocational
All total test figures exclude CPC tests and ADI tests.
Table 6: Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) tests by test type, Great Britain, July to September (DRT0101), (DRT0102)
Blank cells represent unavailable data.
| ADI test type | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2021) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2021) | Tests Conducted (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Passed (July to Sep 2020) | Pass Rate (%) (July to Sep 2020) | Tests Conducted (year on year percentage change) | Tests Passed (year on year percentage change) | Pass Rate (year on year percentage point change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 (theory) | 1,720 | 863 | 50.2 | ||||||
| Part 2 (driving ability) | 2,779 | 1,642 | 59.1 | 1,130 | 694 | 61.4 | + 146% | + 137% | - 2.3 |
| Part 3 (instructional ability) | 1,547 | 535 | 34.6 | 931 | 334 | 35.9 | + 66.2% | + 60.2% | - 1.3 |
Background information
Practical test categories included 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)
To gain a category CE licence, a driver must hold a category C licence before taking the test, whilst a category D licence is required before acquiring a category DE licence.
LGV and PCV vocational and CPC test differences
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.
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.
Ethnicity information
Additional data on ethnicity of candidates are released. 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.
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Next release
Driving and rider testing statistics are published quarterly. The next release is due in March 2022, which will cover the period up to the end of December 2021. The quarterly releases (typically published in September, December and March) have a reduced number of tables and commentary compared to the annual publication (typically published in June).
Any updates to these plans, including the exact publication date when known, will be advertised via the DfT statistical publications schedule.
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