Marmalade has analysed 10 years of pass rate data from every driving test centre in the country to reveal the easiest and hardest places to take your test, and the best and worst months to take your test in each location.

Interestingly it’s Belvedere in Kent that you should avoid if you’re looking to pass your test – as the town is home to the unluckiest test centre in the UK. Based on data from the last ten years, the Belvedere driving test centre has a pass rate of just 31.2%1 which is well below the UK average pass rate of 54.43%1. If you are taking your test at this test centre then avoid December, on average this is the unluckiest month with pass rates dropping to 29.33%1.

Region by region, it’s London and West Yorkshire that are the unluckiest regions to take your driving test in the UK. Both areas have three test centres in the top ten hardest places to pass (Wanstead, Barking-Tanner Street and Barnet in London and Leeds, Bradford-Heaton and Heckmondwike in West Yorkshire).

On the other end of the table, Campbeltown in Argyll & Bute, placed top for the easiest place to pass a practical driving test in the UK, with an average pass rate of 73.68%1. The best month to take a test in Campbeltown, is May with a pass rate of a whopping 90%1. That’s 35.57%1 above the average pass rate for the UK as a whole.

Scottish test centres claimed over half of the spots for the easiest places to pass, with Rothesay, Pitlochry, Ballater, Lerwick, Lochgilphead and Orkney also making the top ten.

Marmalade compiled the data to create a ‘Pass Probability Tool’ that reveals the likelihood of someone passing their test based on their location, age and the time of year.

Crispin Moger, CEO at Marmalade, comments: “We know that driving tests can bring about nerves. In fact, more than 50% of young motorists are equally or more anxious about facing their driving test than their academic exams. We wanted to provide a handy tool to help young learner drivers, and their parents, find out more about their chosen test centre and its pass rates. Ultimately aiming to give them a little piece of mind when it comes to booking a test, and show them how many motorists pass at this centre, in the month of their test.”  

Top 10 Hardest Places To Pass Your Driving Test In The UK  
Driving Test Centre Pass Rate Unluckiest Month
1.Belvedere, Kent 31.20% December – 29.33% pass rate
2.Wanstead, London 32.13% June – 31.18% pass rate
3.Leeds, West Yorkshire 34.73% December – 33.28% pass rate
4.Bradford (Heaton), West Yorkshire 35.03% May – 34.23% pass rate
5.Barking (Tanner Street), London 35.38% March – 33.97% pass rate
6.Barnet, London 35.49% November – 34.34% pass rate
7.Birmingham (South Yardley), West Midlands 35.60% March – 34.22% pass rate
8.Wednesbury, West Midlands 35.64% November – 34.08% pass rate
9.Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire 36.19% November – 34.90% pass rate
10.Wood Green, London 36.44% March – 34.94% pass rate

 

Top 10 Easiest Places To Pass Your Driving Test In The UK  
Driving Test Centre   Pass rate Luckiest Month
1.Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute 73.68% May – 90% pass rate
2.Rothesay, Argyll and Bute 72.13% January – 100% pass rate
3.Pitlochry, Perthshire 70.61% November –  85.71% pass rate
4.Llandrindod Wells, Powys 68.45% January – 74.37% pass rate
5.Ballater, Aberdeenshire 68.15% November – 73.53% pass rate
6.Lerwick, Shetland 66.89% December – 71.5% pass rate
7.Lochgilphead, Argyll and Bute 66.24% April – 72.31% pass rate
8.Malton, North Yorkshire 64.17% January – 67.49% pass rate
9.Orkney, Orkney 62.72% January – 66.83% pass rate
10.Kendal, Cumbria 62.68% July – 65.09% pass rate

 

For more information please visit: https://www.wearemarmalade.co.uk/pass-probability-calculator/