Study reveals Alnwick driving test centre has the highest first-time pass rate in England

Insurance broker One Sure Insurance analysed public driving test data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) between April 2022 and April 2023, to determine which test centres have the highest first-time passing rate.

Alnwick had an impressive 386 out of 558 (69.2%) drivers passing their test first time. This was the highest figure in England and eighth in the UK – the top seven were all in Scotland.

Test centres with fewer than 100 recorded driving test attempts, or insufficient data were excluded from the final results.

When looking nationally at more than 800,000 driving tests conducted between 2022 and 2023, male drivers were slightly more likely to pass first time than female drivers – at a rate of 51.6% for men, compared to 46.9% for women.

Chris Lear, managing director at One Sure Insurance, said: “These findings offer great insight into the areas where learner drivers are most likely to pass their driving test for the first time, with many rural Scottish towns dominating the top spots.

“There are a number of factors that can influence a test centre’s pass rates. Less densely populated high streets, fewer cars on the roads and less complicated junctions can often make it less stressful for learner drivers taking their test in rural towns, compared to those being assessed in more built-up urban areas.

“Learners taking tests at these centres may also benefit from having spent more time practising on quieter roads outside of their regular driving lessons.”

The research was carried out by One Sure Insurance.