The practical test pass rate reached a record high during the pandemic, according to new figures released by the Department for Transport.
The data, which spans April 2020 to March 2021, shows that 49.8% of learners passed the test, up by 3.9% on 2019-20 figures.
The theory test pass rate was 55.7%, the highest since 2013-14 and 8.6% higher than the previous year.
The pandemic did mean 72.7% fewer practical tests took place in 2020-21 compared to the previous year. Car theory tests were down by more than 50%.
Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk, said: “Many learners took advantage of less traffic on the roads to get out there and clock up more miles behind the wheel during the pandemic, plus increased time at home was the ideal opportunity to hit the books and study for the theory test.”
Robert Cowell, interim managing director of AA Driving School, said: “The latest government figures on driving tests are unsurprising given the lockdown restrictions over the last year, which have meant the number of learners able to take driving tests is down.
“Demand however remains sky-high and the DVSA recently announced they would release 15-20,000 more driving tests each month, which is a good start in tackling the scale of the backlog.”
