• MoneySuperMarket quizzed the nation to find out how confident they feel about passing today’s driving theory test – and then asked them to answer official DVSA questions
  • Men are 26% more confident in their driving knowledge than women, despite answering a similar percentage of questions correctly (53% for men and 47% for women)
  • Only 11% of respondents answered all sample questions correctly

New research from MoneySuperMarket, the UK’s leading price comparison site, today reveals that less than half of the nation’s drivers (43%) feel confident they’d pass the current theory test if they took it again.

Current rules, which came in almost 23 years ago in July 1996, require learner drivers to pass a two-part theory test before they can book a practical test. Only 11% of drivers answered every sample question correctly when asked by MoneySuperMarket.

The MoneySuperMarket research, based on responses from over 2,800 UK drivers, shows that men are more confident than women when it comes to their knowledge of the roads, with half (49%) thinking they’d pass compared to 38% of women.

Younger drivers are most confident of passing the test, with 59% of 18-24-year-olds believing they’d answer the questions correctly, compared to 39% of those aged 45-54. However, the older generation clearly know more than they think, with 52% of that group getting over half of the answers right – joint highest with the over 55s.

When asked a selection of questions from the official DVSA theory test, including driving in bad weather, using anti-lock brakes and the nose weight allowed if you’re towing a trailer, men backed up their confidence with more correct answers – 53% vs 47% for women.

The most challenging question related to ’the colour of the reflective studs between a motorway and its slip road’ – with the answer ‘green’ proving too hard for 68% of respondents. The question with the highest number of correct answers asked what part of the car the law requires you to keep in good condition, with 78% of drivers correctly answering ‘seatbelts’.

Rachel Wait, consumer affairs spokesperson at MoneySuperMarket, commented: “Once you pass your theory and practical tests, you’re on your own. Invariably, this means you create your own style of driving and develop one or two bad habits. That doesn’t mean you’re suddenly a bad driver, but it’s always worth taking extra care behind the wheel and remembering the duty of care for yourself, your car and other drivers on the road.

“Another habit drivers often fall into is the car insurance auto-renewal trap, when your policy rolls over at the end of your 12 month agreement and you’re in danger of your annual premium going up. The easiest way to avoid this is to shop around – it takes minutes to find a great deal online and simply by switching to a different insurer, you could save up to £223 on your bills. For many people, this could be the equivalent of the next four trips to the petrol station, so it’s definitely worth doing!”

Download the MoneySuperMarket app, the quick and easy way to switch and save on your car insurance and keep track of your household finances.