The pass rate for the practical driving test remains stubbornly under 50%. It’s an issue that has proved very difficult for clearing the backlog in driving test post pandemic. In fact the issue of long waiting times for tests was a problem for years prior to the lockdowns too.

While every year there are around a million people looking to take their test for the first time, there are hundreds of thousands looking to retake. This failure rate is costing candidates millions of pounds every year.

Millions

New research by Go.Compare Car Insurance has estimated that over £45 million per year is spent on retaking practical driving tests.

The comparison site has been reviewing the official government data. Looking at retakes  of practical driving tests between April 2021 and March 2022, it found that there were 722,192 repeat attempts. More than 50,000 of these were people on at least their sixth attempt at the test.

With the test price £62.90 at the time, it means that the Treasury has been doing very well out of the failures.

Longer waits

The findings follow the news that learners will have to wait 28 working days before rebooking their test after failing. This is a sharp increase from the 10-working-day wait that was required previously. It has been introduced to try and reduce test waiting times, especially for first time tests. The DVSA has also invested in training up more examiners and increasing the hours for test centres in order to process as many driving tests as possible.

“Our estimates show that retaking driving tests is costing the nation’s learners a fortune,” says Ryan Fulthorpe, a motoring expert at Go.Compare. “With the announcement of a longer wait before rebooking a test, today’s learners are facing a pricey ‘cost of failing.”

Ry.an believes it shows that many candidates just aren’t ready to take the test, that “it’s important to resist rushing into it”.

“Taking your time and ensuring you’re fully prepared will minimise the chances of you having to stump up for another one.”

This is a message being highlighted by the DVSA as they drive to reduce test waiting times, though it seems to limited effect. By totalling the up the reality of the financial loss, the message by Go.Compare may have more of an immediate and practical effect.