Regional variations in Pass Rates

Whether you be a Learner or a PDI, I will raise the subject of where you want to do your test very early on.  I am often asked if there are regional differences with pass rates – a perfectly valid question.  The short answer is ‘yes’. 

So starting with Learners, let’s look at some stats which have been lifted straight from the DSA website – so these are their stats.  For the sake of clarity, let’s just consider the stats for Learners who go to test for the 1^st time and pass 1^st time – my training is very much focussed on this goal.

From 1/4/10 – 31/3/11 Peterborough had a 46% pass rate.  Contrast this to Boston that had a 60% pass rate, Melton Mowbray 53%, Grantham 58% and Kings Lynn 45%.  Peterborough is by far the most busy of all those Test Centres.  When someone passes first time, a certain % will pass with a ‘clean sheet’ meaning, no driving faults were recorded at all.  Interestingly, despite Peterborough performing 4101 ‘first time’ tests, only 9 people achieved a ‘clean sheet’ (0.2%).  Contrast this with Melton Mowbray who performed a quarter of the amount of tests, and yet 37 people achieved a ‘clean sheet’ (3%).  So statistically, you are extremely unlikely to be awarded a first time pass in Peterborough with a ‘clean sheet’.

More recent stats going from April 2011 – Dec 2011 indicate that Boston passes 62% of the time, compared to Peterborough at 48%.

So whilst we must always be careful of how we interpret statistics, I think it would be fair to say that you stand more chance of passing a test first time in Boston, than you do in Peterborough.  When you consider the numbers we are talking about here, a 14% swing between regions is significant in my opinion.  When you consider what that means financially between the Test Centres, it grabs your attention.  If Peterborough were to have a comparable first time pass rate as Boston for example, then it would effectively lose £37000 due to those first time passes not having to re-take the test.

Let’s now consider the situation for PDI’s who take their Part 3 tests.  There are huge regional variations in the pass rate.  For the period Apr 2010 to Mar 2011, Peterborough passed 30%, Norwich 43%, Bedford 53%, Exeter 87% and Plymouth 92%.  Colchester passed just 17% (well done again Kat).  This is one of the reasons why I believe the test urgently needs restructuring.


Despite the clear instructions given to examiners, there is clearly far too much flexibility in how the test is performed.  I have said for a long time that it is too difficult a task to expect an examiner to choose the directions of the route to be taken, whilst accurately performing the character of the role play, whilst accurately introducing relevant driving errors, whilst accurately responding to the PDI’s instruction, whilst accurately assessing how the PDI is doing.  That is simply too much to ask one person to accurately do, and as these statistics clearly demonstrate, they cannot reliably, consistently do it.  When you consider that this is peoples careers in the balance here, that is an unacceptable variation between Test Centres.