The theory test pass rate has fallen by almost a third
The rate fell from 65.4% in 2007/08 to 44.8% in 2025/26: a drop of 20.6 percentage points.
Key figures
- 44.8%
Pass rate in 25/26
provisional
- 65.4%
Pass rate in 07/08
- −20.6pp
Change since 07/08
Car theory test pass rate by financial year
Official results for tests taken in Great Britain.
Pass rate (%)
| Financial year | Pass rate |
|---|---|
| 2007/08 | 65.4% |
| 2008/09 | 65.4% |
| 2009/10 | 63.8% |
| 2010/11 | 63.1% |
| 2011/12 | 60.8% |
| 2012/13 | 59.1% |
| 2013/14 | 51.7% |
| 2014/15 | 51% |
| 2015/16 | 49.3% |
| 2016/17 | 48.7% |
| 2017/18 | 48.7% |
| 2018/19 | 47.3% |
| 2019/20 | 47.1% |
| 2020/21 | 55.7% |
| 2021/22 | 50.1% |
| 2022/23 | 44.2% |
| 2023/24 | 45.2% |
| 2024/25 | 44.9% |
| 2025/26 | 44.8% |
How theory and practical pass rates compare
Matching the financial years puts both series on the same calendar. They count attempts at different stages of the licensing process, so one line cannot show what happened to the people in the other.
Theory and practical pass rates by financial year
| Financial year | Theory | Practical |
|---|---|---|
| 2007/08 | 65.4% | 44.2% |
| 2008/09 | 65.4% | 45.3% |
| 2009/10 | 63.8% | 45.9% |
| 2010/11 | 63.1% | 46.3% |
| 2011/12 | 60.8% | 46.9% |
| 2012/13 | 59.1% | 47.1% |
| 2013/14 | 51.7% | 47.1% |
| 2014/15 | 51% | 46.9% |
| 2015/16 | 49.3% | 47% |
| 2016/17 | 48.7% | 47.1% |
| 2017/18 | 48.7% | 46.3% |
| 2018/19 | 47.3% | 45.8% |
| 2019/20 | 47.1% | 45.9% |
| 2020/21 | 55.7% | 49.8% |
| 2021/22 | 50.1% | 48.9% |
| 2022/23 | 44.2% | 48.4% |
| 2023/24 | 45.2% | 47.9% |
| 2024/25 | 44.9% | 48.7% |
| 2025/26 | 44.8% | 50% |
What the chart actually shows
20.6pp
A sustained decline, not a halving
That is a 31% relative fall. ‘Nearly halved’ overstates the official annual figures, but the long-term movement is still large.
44.2%
The low came after the pandemic
The lowest annual rate in the series was recorded in 2022/23. It has since recovered only slightly.
2020/21
The spike needs context
Only 891,279 tests were conducted during the COVID-affected year, roughly half the volume of the year before, so its 55.7% rate is not directly comparable.
What changed around the steepest fall
The published statistical release highlights three changes around the sharp step down between 2012 and 2014.
Jan 2012
The question bank was withdrawn
The published theory question bank was withdrawn, making simple memorisation of the live test questions less reliable.
Jan 2013
Unpublished questions entered the test
The first sets of questions that had never been published were introduced. The annual pass rate fell from 59.1% to 51.7%.
Apr 2014
Foreign-language support was removed
Foreign-language voiceovers and interpreters were withdrawn from theory and practical tests.
More attempts, passes and failures
The pass rate is only one part of the story. Annual attempt volumes have more than doubled from the pandemic low and reached their highest point in this series in 2025/26.
- 2,924,430
Tests conducted in 25/26
- 1,311,480
Tests passed in 25/26
- 1,612,950
Tests not passed in 25/26
Every year in the official series
The complete annual table adds test, pass and failure counts to the headline pass rate. Change is measured against the preceding financial year.
| Financial year | Tests | Passes | Not passed | Pass rate | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26provisional | 2,924,430 | 1,311,480 | 1,612,950 | 44.8% | -0.1pp |
| 2024/25 | 2,792,839 | 1,253,269 | 1,539,570 | 44.9% | -0.3pp |
| 2023/24 | 2,594,741 | 1,173,545 | 1,421,196 | 45.2% | +1.0pp |
| 2022/23 | 2,432,302 | 1,075,508 | 1,356,794 | 44.2% | -5.9pp |
| 2021/22 | 2,463,621 | 1,234,013 | 1,229,608 | 50.1% | -5.6pp |
| 2020/21 | 891,279 | 496,660 | 394,619 | 55.7% | +8.6pp |
| 2019/20 | 1,865,740 | 878,903 | 986,837 | 47.1% | -0.2pp |
| 2018/19 | 1,787,773 | 845,028 | 942,745 | 47.3% | -1.4pp |
| 2017/18 | 1,886,218 | 918,130 | 968,088 | 48.7% | 0.0pp |
| 2016/17 | 1,952,226 | 950,210 | 1,002,016 | 48.7% | -0.6pp |
| 2015/16 | 1,900,691 | 937,034 | 963,657 | 49.3% | -1.7pp |
| 2014/15 | 1,680,268 | 857,189 | 823,079 | 51.0% | -0.7pp |
| 2013/14 | 1,569,993 | 811,677 | 758,316 | 51.7% | -7.4pp |
| 2012/13 | 1,244,041 | 735,368 | 508,673 | 59.1% | -1.7pp |
| 2011/12 | 1,371,494 | 833,930 | 537,564 | 60.8% | -2.3pp |
| 2010/11 | 1,346,165 | 849,007 | 497,158 | 63.1% | -0.7pp |
| 2009/10 | 1,347,486 | 859,813 | 487,673 | 63.8% | -1.6pp |
| 2008/09 | 1,290,638 | 844,036 | 446,602 | 65.4% | 0.0pp |
| 2007/08 | 1,451,348 | 949,431 | 501,917 | 65.4% | – |
Results differ by age and recorded gender
DVSA publishes national theory-test outcomes by recorded gender and by single year of age. These figures describe test attempts, not the underlying ability of a demographic group.
- 43.0%
Male candidates · 25/26
693,889 passes from 1,614,944 tests
- 47.2%
Female candidates · 25/26
617,588 passes from 1,309,482 tests
The recorded female pass rate was 4.2 percentage points higher than the recorded male rate. A small number of tests have no male or female gender recorded, so these rows do not sum exactly to the national total.
Pass rate by age band
The latest detailed age table covers 2025/26. Single-year ages have been combined into readable bands using the published test and pass counts.
| Age band | Tests | Passes | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 2,242 | 902 | 40.2% |
| 17 | 694,029 | 354,340 | 51.1% |
| 18–20 | 567,506 | 236,827 | 41.7% |
| 21–24 | 420,129 | 198,134 | 47.2% |
| 25–34 | 762,823 | 330,508 | 43.3% |
| 35–44 | 351,372 | 143,605 | 40.9% |
| 45–59 | 118,067 | 43,842 | 37.1% |
| 60+ | 8,262 | 3,183 | 38.5% |
Frequently asked questions
What is the car theory test pass mark?
You need 43 of 50 marks in multiple choice and 44 of 75 in hazard perception. These are the scores you need on test day. The national pass rate measures how many recorded attempts achieved a pass. GOV.UK theory test results
Can I retake just the part I failed?
You must sit the full theory test again. A pass on one section does not carry over to the next appointment. GOV.UK theory test results
Does the national pass rate cover first attempts only?
The series includes all recorded attempts. If someone fails and then passes a retake, both attempts contribute to the totals.
Why do the age and recorded gender sections use different years?
This edition uses 2024/25 age bands and 2025/26 recorded gender figures. Compare groups within the same table and reporting year.
Does the series include Northern Ireland?
DVSA's national tables cover England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland publishes its statistics separately.
How long can I use a theory test pass certificate?
The certificate lasts for two years. You need to pass your practical driving test in that time or take the theory test again. GOV.UK theory test results
How to read this data
The published series covers Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), not Northern Ireland. Calling it a UK rate is common shorthand, but it is not technically precise.
The rate is calculated per test, not per unique learner. A learner who retakes the test is counted again, so this is not a first-attempt pass rate.
The latest 2025/26 figure is marked provisional and may be revised. Earlier figures can also receive small retrospective corrections.
Data and context:
Update history
Compared theory and practical pass rates over the same financial years.
We matched DVSA tables DRT111A and DRT121A by financial year. Theory led practical by 21.2 percentage points in 2007/08. By 2025/26, the provisional theory rate was 44.8% and the practical rate was 50%, a 5.2-point lead for practical. Each series counts attempts at its own stage of the licensing process.
The age chart uses 2024/25 and the recorded gender figures use 2025/26. The new questions explain the difference between the share of attempts passed nationally and the two scores a learner needs in a single sitting.
Published the Great Britain car theory test series.
The first edition charted annual tests, passes and pass rates from 2007/08 through 2025/26. DVSA recorded 1,311,480 passes from 2,924,430 attempts in 2025/26, giving the provisional 44.8% rate that headed the report.
The report also grouped the 2024/25 results by age and showed the separately dated recorded gender breakdown. The figures describe test attempts, so a learner who sits the test twice appears twice.