Examiners fail driving tests 59 times in England

The student driver took the driving test repeatedly, passing it on the 60th attempt. But that doesn’t make him the record holder.

One examiner in England did not allow himself to be defeated on his way to obtaining a driving licence. He mastered the driving theory test only on his 60th attempt. “There is no doubt that it is a difficult test,” said Camila Benitez, director of driving schools at the AA, according to the BBC. “It is very easy to underestimate the importance of the theory test.”

Benitez also praised the candidate’s commitment as “amazing”. In total, the learner driver in Redditch, near Birmingham, had to pay a fee of £1,380 (€1,608), while the theory test cost £23. Only when the theory has been mastered are novice drivers in England allowed to get behind the wheel for practical lessons.

As in Germany, the exam consists of 50 questions, each with several possible answers. A minimum of 43 correct answers are required to pass. This is followed by a video test in which the potential danger must be identified in 14 traffic situations.

Only 44% pass the exam on the first attempt

According to the British Department for Transport, only 44 percent of student drivers recently passed their theory test on their first attempt. 15 years ago the percentage was 65 percent. The 59 failed attempts made by the novice driver, whose age and gender were not known, constitute a record number in the first half of 2023, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on Monday.

However, the “advantage” over others is only minimal. One examiner in Hull failed 57 times, one in Guildford 55 times, and another in Tunbridge Wells 53 times. But this is still far from the record set in 2012: at that time, the learner driver failed 92 times. (APA/DPA)